NPR reviews the theory that Shakespeare wasn’t Shakespeare, and that his plays were in fact penned by Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford. There’s a fair amount of circumstantial evidence, including de Vere’s travel itinerary through Italy. The argument has a long history, and even prompted a riot in the 19th century.

Mark Twain is among the de Vere partisans. Today’s
supporters can find company at the Shakespeare Authorship Research Centre or www.doubtaboutwill.org.–David E