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Falling Roof!

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Sorry, I just couldn't resist posting this excerpt from the web. It can be found at

It actually refers to a serious problem (and the website does eventually spell "falling" correctly), but it struck me as perhaps a nice summary of the true feeling of some "orthodox" scholars in the face of all the mounting evidence that "their guy" was NOT THE ONE. I think this explains why there are suddenly so many new "biographies" of Shakespeare coming out. It is a direct response to the points being made by Oxfordians and other "Anti-Stratfordians" (I actually don't really like that term).

Anyway, this excerpt and the website it comes from is actually about the real problem that the roof over the bust and grave of William Shakespeare in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon is in urgent need of repair and that the charity organization "Friends of Shakespeare's Church" is trying to raise money right away to help out. They were founded in 2002 in order to help raise the money to pay for a massive multi-year campaign to preserve and fix the church. This included the 2008 "revamping" of Shakespeare's grave (see my previous blog from May 29, 2008). But now they need immediate funds to fix the roof which was an unanticipated problem.

More information can also be found at these two sites:



I actually think that Stratford-upon-Avon will still have a future after Edward deVere becomes recognized as the "true Shakespeare" After all, the village of Castle Hedingham does not seem to want all the publicity which will come to them when a new Birthplace is proclaimed.

Stratford can still show off their Birthplace and the other Shakespeare Properties. They will just have to refer to the Birthplace as the birthplace of the "Man Formerly Known as the Bard" or "the Bard's Front Man" or "the man who stole the credit for writing the plays" or "the man whose name was similar to the playwright's and just got confused with him" or whatever the real reason for the original attribution of the works to this Stratford local turns out to be.

So don't feel bad about giving a donation to help preserve Holy Trinity Church even if you are an "Anti-Stratfordian" (there's that term again). After all, we need to preserve information about past mistakes, misconceptions, and myths so that we can learn from them.

Let's also hope that the "orthodox" scholars don't get too hurt when the metaphorical "roof over Shakespeare's head" does eventually fall.
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