Why Do We Write?

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011 | Gratitude, Random Thoughts, The Writing Life | 7 Comments

Photo Credit

San Miguel de Escalada

http://www.paradoxplace.com/Photo%20Pages/Spain/Camino_de_Santiago/Camino.htm

Why do we write?

To find the shadow of ourselves in the faces of our characters.

To explore times where we have never been, places that we will never see.

To discover what is lost, to heal what is broken.

To walk the road to Santiago, to begin a quest, to see the face of God.

There are other reasons, as many as there are visible stars in the sky.

But for today, these reasons are enough.

Author Michelle Cameron Speaks for Shakespeare

Monday, November 28th, 2011 | Michelle Cameron, Shakespeare in Love | 2 Comments

Today I have the honor of hosting Michelle Cameron, the author of IN THE SHADOW OF THE GLOBE, a brilliant poem about the life of William Shakespeare and his contemporaries at the Globe Theatre. As I mentioned before on this site, I am one of the people who believes that Shakespeare, a glover’s son, wrote his own plays. I am proud to say that Michelle feels as I do…this post is a small view into her perspective. To get the full scope of her ideas, please find a copy of IN THE SHADOW OF THE GLOBE. It is one of the best books I have ever read.

And now, I turn the floor over to Michelle…

Did He or Didn’t He?

When In the Shadow of the Globe was first published, my boss gave a copy to a cousin of his.

“You’ll be hearing from him,” he told me.

I wasn’t sure what that meant. A few weeks later, I discovered that my boss’ cousin was a devout and obsessive Oxfordian.  My email box overflowed with his arguments against the man from Stratford and for Edward de Vere, 17^th Earl of Oxford.

I tried hard to be polite. I set forth all the arguments that we’ve heard recently by scholars defending Shakespeare in light of the film, Anonymous – a film that I have not, and probably will not, see. The virulent and jealously-tinged arguments published against Shakespeare by his contemporaries, including the failed and dying playwright Robert Greene, who wrote that this “upstart crow” was “in his owne conceit the onely Shake-scene in a country.” And the disaffected comic, William Kempe, who, in his Nine Daies Wonder, directed his final passage to “my notable Shakerags.” The exchange of mourning rings in the wills of his fellow owners of the Globe Theatre. Ben Johnson’s praise of him.

(And Johnson was only one contemporary among some 13 other authors, according to Professor Stanley Wells in a recent debate about the plays’ authorship aired in the London Telegraph. Reading their biographies, it’s clear these were not men to easily be swayed into taking part in such a broad-based conspiracy . And in an age where theatre-owners set forth scribblers to steal the plays of other companies, one imagines a few playwrights might be only too happy to claim authorship themselves! )

Then there was the long and arduous labor in gathering the plays and printing the First Folio by Shakespeare’s fellow theatre-owners, Heminge and Condell.  I contended this was the strongest possible argument for Shakespeare. Would they have done this for Bacon? for de Vere? For anyone else that has been put forth as the “true author” of the plays?

In return, I received all the arguments against the man from Stratford. How could an uneducated yokel from a rustic town have written the most glorious verses ever penned, my Oxfordian demanded? How could he have written about Italy as fluently as he did? The man was a glover’s son – he surely would not have either the education or the freedom to travel that a noble would.

I countered by citing Ben Johnson – a bricklayer’s son – and Christopher Marlowe, the son of a cobbler. I spoke about the “lost years” where Shakespeare could have been tried one, or more, professions that allowed him to travel. As I write in In the Shadow of the Globe:

Father spoke to him.
I hovered in the hall,
hearing his history all afternoon,
a jumble of horse-holding,
soldiering, ships at different ports,
rustic schools, father a glover,
an absolute ache for the stage.

And then, of course, I argued, what difference does it ultimately make? The plays exist – they stand on their own merits no matter who wrote them. Can’t we just glory in them for what they are?

But my adversary was relentless. No, no, no, he countered, revisiting his arguments with fervor. You must see it, he said, dismissing my years of research which stood on the shoulders of Shakespearean scholars who had spent lifetimes engaged in Shakespeare and his legacy.

Finally, in desperation, I visited the Shakespeare-Oxfordian Society website. And buried in their FAQs, put forth in somewhat patronizing tones, I found this gem:

Why haven’t the academic authorities accepted Oxford as the author?
It would be too great a revolution in everything they believe. It would be unfair and unrealistic to expect such a change from any group of scholars no matter how honest and capable.

I quoted this back to my Oxfordian friend and finally brought our debate to a close. We agreed to disagree and went on, both sublime in our individual and conflicting convictions.

Tags: In the Shadow of the Globe, Michelle Cameron, Shakespeare

Winner of To Be Queen

Friday, November 25th, 2011 | Eleanor of Aquitaine, Give Away, To Be Queen | 2 Comments

Thank you so much to all who participated in my celebration of Eleanor with my give away of To Be Queen…

And the winner is…

***

Erin!

***

I hope you love the book, my version of the incomparable Eleanor

Retreats and the Fourth Draft

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 | Random Thoughts, The Writing Life, Writer Retreats | 2 Comments

Sometimes in the midst of a major re-write, it can be a real blessing to step away from life as I know it and go on a writer’s retreat. Of course, the opportunity for this is pretty rare. Often writing has to happen in tandem with the rest of life, and that is how it should be. But sometimes, every once in a blue moon, a major revision ( or opportunity to make the book better) comes alongside the opportunity to go away for a long weekend and do nothing but write. I was fortunate enough for that to happen for me this week, and I give thanks to the Muse and all the writing gods. Sometimes a plan comes together, and it is a beautiful thing. Now, if I can just make the book even better with draft five…

Tags: The Writing Life, Writer Retreats, Writing

To Be Queen Give Away

Friday, November 18th, 2011 | Eleanor of Aquitaine, Give Away, To Be Queen | 23 Comments

After having such a lovely time talking about Eleanor on Wednesday, I feel inspired to offer a give away of a signed copy of TO BE QUEEN: A NOVEL OF THE EARLY LIFE OF ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE

Just leave a comment below and your name will be entered in the drawing. Open to US/CA/GB/AU

As I am fond of saying to family, to friends, and to anyone who will listen: Everybody needs a little Eleanor.

Duchess at fifteen, Eleanor of Aquitaine marries the King of France. But will she find that she must pay too high a price to be queen?

Although Louis VII is enamored of his bride, the newly crowned king is easily manipulated by forces in the Church. Trapped in a loveless
marriage, Eleanor fights for her freedom and for the love of her life.In the arms of Henry of Normandy, Eleanor may finally find the passion she longs for, and the means to fulfill her legacy as Queen.

Praise for TO BE QUEEN:

“… one of the best written and captivating historical fiction novels of the year… “To Be Queen” is a historical fiction novel you will not want to miss!” –Pittsburgh Historical Fiction Examiner

“To Be Queen by Christy English is an outstanding work, recreating the early years of Eleanor’s life. For anyone who is a fan of historical entertainment, this is a must-have addition to their collection.” –Joplin Loves 2 Read

Tags: Book Give Away, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Historical Fiction, TO BE QUEEN