Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Oxford University Press' new edition of William Shakespeare's works will credit Christopher Marlowe as co-author of the three Henry VI plays. It’s further evidence that the playwright collaborated with others on some of his most famous works.
Marlowe was born in 1564, the same year as Shakespeare. He was a playwright, poet, and spy for Queen Elizabeth I. Now he’ll share billing in the latest version of the New Oxford Shakespeare being published this week.
Scholars have long suspected that Shakespeare's plays included the work of others. But new methods helped researchers conclude that sections bore Marlowe’s trademarks.
"Shakespeare, like other geniuses, recognized the value of other people," Gary Taylor, a professor at Florida State University and principal investigator of the new work, says. "What is Shakespeare famous for? Writing dialogue—interactions between two people. You would expect in his life there would be dialogue with other people."
In Shakespeare's time, there was great demand for new material for the first mass-entertainment industry. A relatively small group of authors worked feverishly to meet this demand.
A team of 23 scholars looked afresh at Shakespeare’s plays. They used computers to reveal language patterns, trends, and associations—analyzing not only Shakespeare's words, but also those of his fellow authors.
Oxford University Press editors concluded that 17 of 44 works associated with Shakespeare had input from others.
@Bella
Thanks for the suggestions!
Uh, New Hope is in a stall right now. . . We have both been pretty busy.
@Riley: Hearts of Fire
@Riley: Hearts of Fire includes eight stories about eight inspiring women. The women had to stand up for their faith and endured a lot of persecution. It made me cry (of course lol) and also made me think a lot, especially about how blessed I am to live in America where I have freedom to worship and read the Bible.
@anyone who wants to read something: I have written a little more in my story. Kind of over-dramatic and emotional though... Also, if you don't know, Tourette's Syndrome is a disorder that causes people to make repetitive movements and sounds they can't easily control. It's what Dessie has.
Alden Nervine wished for a perfect place to raise his family where they would be safe. The fairy granted his wish and sprinkled some magic powder/pixie dust on a tree. And Nervine Hollow was born.
Every time I hear the story, it’s a little different. But I’ve always loved it. It’s like having a backstory to my life before I was adopted and moved here.
I imagine that my Special Place was the birthplace of Nervine Hollow. That the Hollow Tree is the same tree the fairy sprinkled her dust on. I even decorated my Special Place how I think a fairy woodland would look. Stones are arranged around the edges of plants and bushes. I’ve painted most of the nearby tree trunks with bright colors and pretty scenes. I even took a cue from Pollyanna and strung prisms up between the trees. Whenever the wind blows, rainbow lights dance and I imagine that the fairies would be proud of me.
It’s hard to imagine by myself though. Usually, Preena would be here with me. I would sit here against the Hollow Tree and paint or sketch while she lay on her back in the leaves, narrating the detailed scenes. But everything is different now. Preena is moving and nothing will ever be the same.
I feel tears well in my eyes and the urge to tic builds up in my chest. I give up on holding back both, and two wet drops streak down my dusty face. My head drops as my right shoulder jumps, and I blink my eyes over and over.
When I look up, the doe I’d been trying not to scare is gone. My jerky movements must have scared her off. I taste another salty tear.
When I finally shake myself out of my pity-party and check my watch, it’s almost time for Preena’s goodbye party. I get up off The Stump and grab my book bag. As I walk, little spots of light filter through the tree branches, and I shiver when a cool breeze hits my arms. I’ve been here for too long. Mom will worry about me and start talking about how she doesn’t think it’s a good idea to let me be up on the hills alone. I’ll tell her that it’s alright; I’ve never gotten lost up here and I’ve never actually seen a coyote, either. She’ll freak out and tell me that if I ever hear a coyote, I should come running back to the house immediately. Then Dad will come in and assure her that the coyotes are more scared of us than we are of them—unless, of course, they’re rabid. And Mom will freak out all over again.
I almost smile at the thought. Mom is just being dramatic, though. She and Dad made me show them my Special Place when I first started coming here. My brother Caleb knows about it too, and, of course, my best friends Preena and Ally. But no one else does. It’s the way I like it. A place where I can paint or play my guitar without fear of judgement or not being accepted.
But as I get farther away from my Special Place, everything amplifies. All my worries shove their way out to the front of my mind. I try to hold them down, but they surface, along with the urge to tic. My shoulders jerk again and Millie Carter’s taunting voice echoes in my ears. “Look guys, it’s Jerky Dessie!”
I start sprinting, wishing I could outrun my thoughts. Leaves crunch under my sneakers and a branch snaps back in my face. It stings, and when I put a finger to my cheek, a thin line of blood stares back at me. Great. One more thing I have to worry about.
@Riley D
@Riley D, did anyone tell you that Okay for Now is the companion to The Wednesday Wars? I agree that it can be a little distracting how he chooses his words. I think that he doesn't usually use "stupid" too much unless it makes a point. The way I perceived it was that Doug was really struggling in a new town with his abusive family and the war going on. He's definitely not apart of the most supporting family. Okay for Now might be my least favorite of all of his books. His books have a lot of hidden meaning. Did i mention he's Christian? If you want to read a book that will make you cry, you should definitely check out Orbiting Jupiter. It's really sad but also a winner! And we don't have to agree about every book! :)
@Kaitlana, yeah you should write to your favorite authors!
@Scarlett
Yeah, I think she told me that it was a companion to the Wednesday Wars. And yes, I know there is a point behind it, and I liked how he had those bird pictures from the library to help incorporate that. But you are right, we don't always have to agree. God made each of us unique with different interests!
@Everyone
I know this question is pretty obvious (considering this is a WRITING club), but what are your favorite authors?
@Scarlett
That’s so hard… living or dead lol? I LOVE Jane Austen and have recently been on a Charles Dickens kick. I finished Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables and enjoyed it, and Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South is amazing and Cranford is funny. And of course you cannot go wrong with Lewis or Tolkien. For more modern authors, Tim Chaffey and Andrew Peterson. I also liked Chuck Black and Wayne Thomas Batson. Ooh and recently I’ve read Anne Elizabeth Stengl and Jeff Wheeler. Im also a big Harry Potter fan, so JK Rowling. I know there are more but I just can’t think of them right now, I’m just sitting on my bed looking on my bookshelf for inspiration XD. I’ve also enjoyed Agatha Christie and Dorthy L Sayers. But if I had to pick just ONE, and could only read their books for the rest of my life, it would probably be Jane Austen.
@everyone
Help!! Character last name (and possibly first names for her deceased parents)It’s for a girl named Mariah. I was kinda thinking Silenius for the dad and Marleen for the mom. The dad was a fierce warrior, and so is Mariah. A quick character sketch for her: tall and muscular but still lean. Dark black longish hair with curls, but more like curling iron curls than super tight wound curls XD. Dark brown eyes. Dark clothes (at least in the beginning) tunic and pants with boots. Always has at least one dagger in her belt and bow with a quiver of arrows. Tough, strong, distrustful, and solitary. Not afraid to kill, killings in her job description, and she sees it as her duty to God. Her parents died when she was 5, and she is now 16. She may seem moody at first but one you know her and vice versa, her tough walls will start to break. I want something kinda out of the ordinary. Some of the other last names in this story are Carrow, O Keefe, Rawlings, and Chaley. I’ll take any suggestions you all have!
@above
Oh and I’m that same family, a brother 11ish years older than Mariah, who’s the “nice one” of the family, wouldn’t sacrifice his faith so was kicked out/ran away from home at about 15, Mariah won’t really meet him until he’s 21. And a sister who’s 3 years younger than Mariah, and dies when she’s three. Also, two babies, a boy and a girl, not twins,probably 3 years apart. one died in childbirth and the other a few days later, both would’ve been older than Mariah had they lived. I guess they don’t really need to have names, I’m not sure when I’ll mention them, cause Mariah, my main character, wouldn’t have known them or been eagerly awaiting their arrival as a little girl. But I might add them in, or just get rid of them entirely. I can’t decide what I want yet, or how their deaths may or may not impact the story later on. But for sure the older brother and younger sister (for now ;D)
@Amelia B
Hey sorry I saw your comment the other day, but still haven't thought of a name that fits! I am TERRIBLE with coming up with last names!!!! Something that I do, though, is just google common last names. She sounds, and the rest of the names sound, a bit Scottish, so you could look up common Scottish last names?
@ Amelia and re: fav. author
I have a couple of things I resort two when coming up with last names, the first is using locations or landmarks and tweaking or translating them into a different language, and the other thing I use is take the parents' name so for one of my characters his father's name is Jarren so his last name is Jarrenson, for Mariah she could be Marleensdaughter which is a really long name. For some reason I thought of Ekron as a last name not sure if that would be good or not.
It sounds like you do the same thing I do meaning kill of 90% of the main characters family in a story, I was wondering if that was normal or not.
My favorite author is Tolkien.
@ All/ This is Bella
Hey, ya'll! Sorry I haven't been on here much! I've been trying to write a book about the Orphan Train for years and now I've got a beginning (finally!) Also, need help coming up with a prayer to put in in the blank, if anyone's good at that kind of thing.
(the beginning of)Chapter 1
Charity smiled at the sound of rain drumming on the tin roof of the Janice Landon Memorial Orphanage. How she loved the sound of rain! It made her feel so peaceful and happy and calm… Charity sighed contently, rolled over, and snuggled deeper into her straw mattress…
“Charity! Charity! Wake up! Come on!”
Charity sighed and turned to face her bedmate, who had been shaking her mercilessly for the past five minutes, “Good morning, Layla,” she muttered as she sat up, giving up on any more sleep. As she managed to slowly pry her sleep heavy eyes open, a bright, cheerful smile greeted her, just inches from her face.
“Good morning, sleepyhead! Remember, you said I could brush your hair today!” Layla bounced up and down on the bed impatiently, holding the hairbrush in her hand as if to illustrate her request more clearly. How were certain ten-year-olds so enthusiastic in the mornings?
“Did I really say that?” said Charity, smiling. She rolled out of bed, wide-awake from Layla’s bouncing. She pulled on her gray linsey-woolsey dress that was the color of the sky outside. She buttoned on her clean pinafore that was lying on the chair by the bed. Then, she unbraided her hair, sat down on the bed and handed the ribbon to the eager faced Layla.
Layla controlled her excitement long enough to gently brush Charity’s waist long hair. Her hair was so much like her mother’s. Long, deep chocolate brown colored, wavy, and fun to brush. Charity remembered brushing her mother’s hair when she was Layla’s age. Thinking of her mother brought back memories of that tragic day two years ago. Mama had been ill ever since had Papa left her with four children and one on the way. She was so sick and weak that she went into labor with Charity’s youngest sister two months early. As she sat with Mama waiting for the midwife to arrive, her mother said, “Charity, dearest, I’m slipping away. I doubt I’ll get though this, so please take care of my chicks. I love every single one so very dearly. Times will be tough for you, but as long as you stick together, you’ll make it, wherever home may be.” Mama had been right. The baby barely survived, but her mother did not even live past the labor. Charity named the baby Aida Grace Aradae, after her mother. She collected the three other children, Josiah, Elise, and Caleb and left the house. The midwife suggested they go to the orphanage her aunt owned. And that was how the five Aradae children ended up at Janice Landon Memorial Orphanage two years ago.
Charity wiped a tear from her eye, realizing she had been crying. Layla patted her sympathetically as she began braiding the soft, neatly brushed hair. “Thinking of your mother?” the girl asked. Charity nodded. “Sometimes I’m glad I never knew my parents. I can’t miss them that way.” Charity smiled. Layla, despite her skinny frame, straight auburn hair, and eyes the color of a murky lake, was very mature and always saw the good in every thing that happened.
“Do you think I’ll be able to keep us together, Layla?” Layla, who had finished the braid, came and sat beside her, “I want to keep them together, just like Mama asked. I’m nearly fourteen, to old to be wanted. But they’re all so young and no one will want five children. What will I do?” Charity had begun to sob again. When she looked up again, she realized they were not alone. Jemima Landon, the lovely, seventeen year old daughter of the owners of the orphanage, had come to sit beside them. Her tender eyes reassured Charity and she calmed down.
“What’ll I do, Miss Jemima? I want to keep them together. Please help me.” The young woman smiled gently, “My dear, I can’t do anything to help you, but I know One who can. Your Heavenly Father would like for you to ask Him for help.” Charity nodded and bowed her head with Layla and Miss Jemima. “Will you say it, Miss Jemima? Please?” The young nodded.
“Dear Father,” she began, “_____________________
(The title of the book is Wherever Home May Be)
*typo*
'the young nodded' should be 'the young woman nodded'
@Bella
I like it! Especially with how it made me feel kind of sad for Charity when I read it.
@everyone
Has anyone here heard of letterboxing or geocaching? I'm thinking of trying them out.
@Bella
Oh, I loved it!! ❤️
@ Katalina
I have f done geocaching once with some friends and it was fun, but I’ve never heard of letterboxing
@ above
Oops kaitlana, sorry for the misspelling
@ Riley and Abigail
Thanks for the help! I’ll look online later to try and find some first names. I found a last name, Dreyton. I keep lists of interesting words and names and I found this one on a sticky note on my desk lol, I have no clue where I got it or if I came up with it, but I think it fits well
@Abigail
Ooh Ekron is a cool last name. I seem to have a bad habit of killing off characters, especially family members. I have at least 3 story ideas that pretty much start with at least one family member dying. Im very harsh with my characters sometimes. Nvm I take that back, probably all the time I’m harsh with them
H
Hi what is this can i join what do you do here?
H
Hi what is this can i join what do you do here?
@Amelia: Oh, cool!
@Amelia: Oh, cool! Letterboxing is very similar to geocaching, but instead of giving GPS coordinates, it gives you clues to a specific place.
I can relate to brutality against characters lol. I always feel like I have to kill off several characters to not make the story too happily ever after.
@Colson: Welcome to the article! XD
This is the Typewriters Club where we talk about books and writing and the like.
This is Wyn
This is the first part of chapter three-( also, Rylan is Riley's actual name, but he is just called Riley )
Riley woke up the next morning to the sound of muffled talking coming from down stairs. He shot out of bed, put some clothes on, combed his fur, and then scampered down the stairs. He quietly walked to the kitchen, so not to disturb his mother’s guests (and so that he might be able to hear what they were saying). Cautiously, Riley peaked into the kitchen. Their neighbors Mr. Aspen and his daughter Eliza were talking to his mother. Riley noticed how pale his mother looked. He also noticed the two pieces of paper she held. The one in her right hand was crisp and neat, while the one she held in her left hand was crumpled and brown. His mother was getting paler and paler, and Riley couldn’t stand her looking like that. So he walked into the kitchen. “ Good morning Mother,” he said hugging his tired mother and quickly adding,” Good morning Mr. Aspen and Eliza. Nice morning isn’t it?” Riley stared pleadingly at his neighbors. All he wanted was for them to answer his friendly question and break the awkward silence that had filled the room. But, all they did was stare at him, all looking like they would cry at any minute. “Mother what is it? I can’t stand you looking like this, please tell me.” “Riley, look at these,” his mother said in a quiet, weak voice as she handed Riley the two papers she had been holding. Everyone stared at him as he unfolded the crisp paper and read it silently to him self. It said: Greetings Mrs. Jemima and young Rylan, It saddens me to say this, but it is vital that you know. King Taylor died early this morning. You are the first ones to know about his death because it will affect you the most. At 9:30 this morning two soldiers will come to escort Rylan to the palace. We must bring him here as soon as we can. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Loyally yours, Jonathan. Riley silently switched the papers he was holding, never looking up. The second paper was written more hastily, which made it harder to read. It said: I have no time to make this formal. Parton the Red arrives in five days. Rylan, be prepared.
@Kaitlana
Geocaching is fun! Never heard of letterboxing.
geocashing/beginning of a story
I've done geocashing a few times, and found some by accident. There is one right next to my house that I see people searching for all the time. letterboxing sounds super cool, I make scavenger hunts for my siblings, it sounds kind of similar to that.
@ Amalia, yeah I think almost all of my stories involve someone close to the main character dying, the only ones that don't are my Star Wares story (not star wars) and my superhero/zoo caper story. I've found that often tragedy is what develops characters the best, where the best and worst of their character shows up.
beginning of a fairy tale mash up story, I'll post more in segments, since I'm like ten chapters in
Red and Jack
Chapter 1 Little Red Riding Hood
-Red
"Ahhhhhh!" Being thrown out of a window is no fun. Trust me. Especially when that window belongs to a floating castle and the fall is about a mile. You're probably wondering how I got here. Well it all started with a trip to grandmother's house...
"Rose? Rose Red where are you?"
"Over here mom, playing knucklebones with Jack." I replied. My mother came running up carrying a basket.
"Rose, can you take this to my grandmother's house?" I shuddered. I hated going to grandmother's, she's not very nice, and I'd never gone alone before. But maybe, just maybe, Mother might allow Jack to come with me.
"And Jack," she said. My hopes rose.
"Yes ma’am" Jack replied, standing up.
"Can you run this pie over to your mother?" My mother said, handing Jack the pie. My hopes sank. Great! Now I would be going into the forest alone. Jack winced, giving me a sympathetic look. Then he started toward his mother’s. I shivered, grabbed the basket from my mother, wrapped my red cloak tighter around me and started through the woods.
Jack was my cousin, though I wasn't quite sure how that worked out, especially since we looked nothing alike, and no one would tell us which parent we were blood related to. Jack's mother, a tall woman with short, straight brown hair, with the name Hunter, was one of the best fighters in this neck of the woods. Though technically we lived on the outskirts of the woods.
I had been through the woods quite a few times and often alone, but until now Mother had always accompanied me to grandmother's house. The wood was a beautiful place. Tall towering trees, vining plants twisting their way up around and down the trees. Lilies bloomed up off the ground diffusing the air with a sweet honey scent. But today it seemed ominous, the trees loomed above me whispering “keep out.” The wind whined through the trees blowing back my hood. I grabbed it struggling against the wind to keep it on, but the wind was stronger. I gave up and let the wind blow my hood where it will. The well-traveled dusty brown trail passed away under my feet as I walked deeper into the woods.
A few miles into the forest brought me to a split in the trail, one path led to the abandoned castle and the other to grandmother’s. The castle came straight out of one of my favorite fairy tales, but nobody lived there now. I loved to go and explore it and gather roses. I stared longingly at the path to the castle, and off in the distance I saw a shape moving toward me. As it came closer, I saw that it was Wolf. He stopped just in front of me and bowed.
"Good morning Red." He rumbled. I wanted to run up and hug him, but I knew that would be discourteous. I hadn't seen Wolf in months. After my mother had spotted him, he said it would be best if he laid low for a bit, and now he was here. Wolf, other than Jack, was my only other friend. There were actual wolves in the forest but none of them were as big and friendly and kind as Wolf. Come to think of it, they couldn’t speak either. I was overjoyed to see him because that meant that I’d have some company on the trail.
"Good morning Wolf!" I replied, keeping back my grin.
"Where are you going that brings you through these dark woods?" He asked.
I sighed and gesturing toward the basket grumbled, "To my grandmother's house. My mother asked me to bring this basket to her."
"But you don't want to." Wolf said with a smile. He could always tell what I was thinking.
"Of course, I don't want to. Grandmother is always meddling in magic, and I'm scared she's going to turn me into something horrid."
"Well then why don't I come with you. The forest is bristling with magic this morning and travelers are easily led astray." Wolf said mysteriously.
"Do you think that's my grandmother's doing?" I asked, a little bit confused.
"Perhaps," said Wolf. He could be infuriatingly vague sometimes. But he was one of the best friends I had ever had. We walked in silence for a few minutes, which was usual for Wolf. Except this time, I could feel a sense of foreboding around him, which worried me. Suddenly Wolf bolted off down the path leaving me gaping at the spot where he had just been.
@abigail H
That story is so funny! And also, I play doodle war with my friend and I actually thought I invented it so… Yeah.
I mean the doodle war story
I mean the doodle war story on the previous page
@ Colson
Thanks, I had a lot of fun writing it. That's cool, great minds think alike I suppose, I didn't name it doodle war until trying to explain it to people, but that is definitely the best name for it.
Wait A second...
wait so im allowed to post stories that I make... right? Just want to make sure
@Colson
Definitely!! We'd love to read what you have written! And if you want edits or constructive criticism, we'll gladly help you out. On this page, we share our stories and ideas, help others out with their writing, and discuss books and authors we have enjoyed.
Nice
Great! I'm working on a choose you're own adventure story, can I share it?
although it is about a video
although it is about a video game everyone probably won't recognize
@all
ALso, what are Geocaching and Letterboxing? They sound interesting.
@Colson
sure you can share it!
I am not sure what letterboxing is, but I do know about geocaching. Now, I haven't done it in a long time, but from what I remember is that you find out if there are any around where you are and then you get some clues and such as to where it is and then you have to find it. It is usually a little cannister or something, and the point is to take something out of it and leave something else behind. Usually they are little trinkets of some sort that you find in it and that you leave.
@Riley
Ok, thanks! I will post the story soon.
This is wyn
Tonight, is opening night for a play we are doing! (totally not nervous ) ; )
@Wyn
That's so cool! What play is it? And I'll pray that you do well!
@Kaitlana /this is wyn
Thanks for the prayers. The play is Peter Pan.
@Belwyn!
Will be praying! Have fun at your play!
BTW I just got my wisdom teeth out would appreciate prayers for a fast recovery.
@Wyn
I saw your comment earlier and was praying for your play. That’s so cool that it’s Peter Pan! What part do you play?
@Abigail
Ouch! Definitely praying! I’m dreading getting mine removed in the future
@Wyn
How was it?
This is wyn
@Abigail - Thanks for the prayers. I will definitely pray for fast recovery.
@Amelia -The play went really well. I play a lost boy named Slightly.
@Abigail
Yeah I am also dreading having mine taken out. Did you have yours pulled or did they cut them out? I have a feeling they are going to have to cut mine out. I honestly hope I can just let them come in and they will be okay, but at the same time I don't want them to come in and mess up my whole mouth either, especially since I don't need braces. But dentists are SO EXPENSIVE!!!!!!!!! :0
@Wyn
Sorry I didn't see this! I am sure y'all did awesome though!
@everyone
How's everyone's summer going?
I'm going to camp for a week by myself and I'm a little nervous. Please pray for me!
@Katalina
A bit stressful right now, but will soon get started lol. Ooh that’s exciting! I have two different overnight week camps back to back in July!! I totally get your nerves, these will be my first overnight camps and my feelings are all over the place XD
re: summer,
My summer is going great I just got a couple of jobs so that's been exciting!
@ Amelia & Wyn; thanks for prayers!
@ Riley, they cut mine out, it wasn't too bad, but my face Definity hurts, and I have some gaping holes in my mouth. :(
@ Kaitlana, summer camps are so fun, I have one for my youth group coming up next weekend, I'm excited, you'll have a blast, I'll be praying though a week is a long time to be away from family.
@EVERYBODY
SUMMER CAMP IS SOOOOOOO BORING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
450th comment this is my
450th comment this is my first comment ever and i am doing this just to take up space.
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