Did the Bard work alone?

This is a hotly debated subject in the scholarly world, in part, because we never like to think anyone as wonderful as William Shakespeare might not have created everything we think he did. A new computer software program at the University of London, which was designed to catch plagiarizing students (this should even more upsetting to Shakespeare purists!), purports to prove that at least one of Shakespeare’s plays, The Reign of King Edward III, was written in collaboration. The majority of the play appears to be playwright Thomas Kyd’s creation.

Discuss!

Reference: The Huffington Post, 10-13-09, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/13/william-shakespeare-compu_n_318589.html.

A Good One

The last time somebody said, "I find I can write much better with a word processor. " I replied, "They used to say the same thing about drugs."

Roy Blunt Jr. (American Writer and Humorist)

Writing Contest

The 10th Annual Writer's Digest Short Story Competition is accepting entries! They are looking for fiction that's bold, brilliant ... but brief. Send them your best in 1,500 words or less. The deadline is December 1, 2009. The grand-prize winner will receive $3,000 (that's $2—or more—per word).