Movie Review for GRC School Newspaper

Note: for a teenage audience and with a roughly 300 word length limit, but thought I'd share in case anyone was considering the movie.  Enjoy.


Anonymous (PG-13)

Reading Shakespeare is one of life’s true pleasures. Is it difficult? Sure. But if you give it time, you get to encounter true brilliance.

But a small, vocal set of scholars reject the idea that such brilliance is possible from William Shakespeare—the poorly educated son of an illiterate glove maker.  They insist it must be a cover up, with Shakespeare being a front for some cultured, well-educated nobleman.  Literary lip-synching, if you will.

The new movie Anonymous promotes a popular candidate for these conspiracy theorists: Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford.  According to the movie, de Vere had been forced to hide his passion for theatre because drama was considered a low-class profession.

The film suggests de Vere (who, conveniently, had drafts of Macbeth and Hamlet just gathering dust in his office) got his catalog of plays anonymously performed in London as part of a complicated plot to determine England’s next king. 

The film’s mood is quite dark, and it could take a page from Shakespeare’s (oops, de Vere’s) playbook and include more comic relief.  The main humor comes at the expense of Shakespeare himself, who is reduced to a nasty, buffoonish character who takes credit for de Vere’s plays and tries to cash in on his undeserved fame. 

However, Anonymous has some redeeming qualities.  Beyond the political intrigue, there is a twisted romance plot and well-staged swordfights.  The film shines in its depiction of the raucous, interactive experience of seeing a play in Shakespeare’s time. 

But does Anonymous present a convincing argument? Should I tear down my classroom's Shakespeare posters and replace them with paintings of de Vere? 

Not quite. Nearly all scholars believe the historical evidence that indicates Shakespeare wrote the plays.  While the de Vere theory is interesting, it is ironic that the filmmakers argue a complex, bizarre political conspiracy is somehow easier to believe than the notion that some poor kid from Stratford just happened to be born a genius.   

Couldn't agree more...

The always thought-provoking Seth Godin talks about why our news media has degraded so pitifully.  We get what we deserve, or more accurately, what we pay for.

Been so busy teaching, I forgot to share good news...

Amidst all the rejection letters and e-mails, I've had a few pieces of good news.

First, I'm delighted to be published for the first time in one of my favorite literary journals.  My poem "Pixelated" is in the Winter 2011 issue of Appalachian Heritage.  Being in the same volume as Charles Wright is certainly humbling, but it is also an absolute honor to be in the same pages as Bianca Spriggs (whose work I find beautiful and absolutely electric) and the first two professionals who helped me to write:  Gurney Norman and Anne Shelby.   

Also, I have two poems "X Speaks" and "My Neighbor's Shame" coming out in this year's issue of Kudzu.  I love these two poems and am excited to see them in the ears and minds of more people. 

Now if I can just get a a few of these stories published someplace...

My Letter To Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell

Sent this morning. Probably will fall on deaf ears, but I can pray, can't I?  I recognize that some may bristle at the idea of Public Broadcasting being disinterested, but I think if you really spend time looking at all the productions of various Public Broadcasting outlets, you will find more powerful and well-argued conservative views than you will ever find on Fox News.
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I have a largely fiscally conservative viewpoint.  I believe our willingness to grow government, cut tax revenues, and ignore the coming tidal wave of Social Security and Medicare costs has been a foolhardy course of action for years.  I am glad we are trying to discuss ways to fix this problem.

However,  I believe a government must make sound decisions and accommodations for the notion of a common good.  This idea of a common good is unpopular amidst the currently superficial but popular rhetoric that (rightly) celebrates the individual opportunity afforded by American liberties.  But this rhetoric also ignores the fact that those opportunities are also afforded by common sense governance that makes sure our individual, tactical actions to acquire wealth and success do not destroy a more strategic way of thinking about ourselves as a country--not just an assortment of individuals.  Government needs to play a role in making sure we do not defraud each other, discriminate against each other, and destroy the environment (natural, economic, or intellectual) where we live and work.

I am sorry, but I believe both the President and the Congress are being disingenuous right now.  Both sides talk a lot about fiscal responsibility, but neither is offering a plan for a workable future for Social Security and Medicare.  Since those two items, along with Defense, make up roughly 65% of the budget, leaving them out of the discussion clearly hurts the credibility of both sides.  So, I am writing because I believe it is wrong to loudly debate relatively minor budget items while ignoring the big ones.

Specifically, I am writing because I believe it is wrong to make the Corporation for Public Broadcasting the scapegoat in this debate.  In a world where what goes by the name of news is nothing more than liberal or conservative spin, it is vital for the intellectual environment to maintain a forum where the news can be reported and discussed without corporate interference.

I am an unabashed capitalist, but disinterested discussion of public issues is not something that serves any one business interest, so it is preposterous to rely on our free market to provide it.

Mr. McConnell, I am pleading with you to protect the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.  I give you my word that I will actively work to promote those candidates who support it (regardless of party) and work to denounce those who do not.

Thank you for your time and service,
Jason M. Williams
Winchester, KY