The new movie Anonymous fictionally advances the notion that William Shakespeare didn’t write the plays that history has attributed to him. So who did actually write these plays, according to the movie? Today’s most popular alleged Shakespeare ghost-writer, Edward de Vere. Why has Shakespeare been considered the author for so long and not the rightful de Vere, according to the movie? Apparently because of a conspiracy begun during the cloak-and-dagger regime of Queen Elizabeth I.

The question “Who wrote Shakespeare?” has been written about since the early 1800’s but seems to be increasingly embraced by a conspiracy-craving popular culture (this movie Anonymous, PBS Frontline's Much Ado About Something, novels such as Chasing Shakespeares, etc.). Candidates alleged to be the real Shakespeare are de Vere, also known as the Earl of Oxford; Francis Bacon; Christopher Marlowe; and a host of others, including Elizabeth I.

If you are interested in this question, I can recommend two entertaining books on the subject —

Contested Will by James Shapiro — also available via Link+ request (what is Link+?)

This book is a good starting point for those who are as yet uncommitted on the question of Shakespeare authorship. 

The book examines why there is a question of authorship, why many think a theater man incapable of writing the plays, the nature of conspiracies, why the question has persisted for such a long time, and many other topics.
It is a good introduction that covers in detail the claims of Oxford and Bacon. But Shapiro is a Shakespeare scholar, and this book does not hide his opinion that William Shakespeare of Stratford-on-Avon wrote the plays and poems attributed to him.

 Who Wrote Shakespeare? by John Michell

This book is a fine introduction to popular as well as seemingly lesser candidates to the real Shakespeare that have been proposed by conspiracists over the past two centuries.
Michell opens with an analysis of the characteristics possessed by the author of the Shakespeare plays and then marshals evidence for each candidate, including William Shakespeare, with regard to these characteristics in an even-handed, objective but enjoyable way. Some of the author's conclusions might not be as definitive as we would prefer, but this is because the question is not an easy one.

Of course, the library contains many more titles about this subject, including books written in support of an individual candidate such as de Vere or Marlowe.

For a quick online overview of this subject, see Wikipedia’s article on the Shakespeare Authorship Question.

For more authoritative and in-depth articles on the subject, see Shakespeare Authorship articles via EBSCOhost. Note: you will need to log in with your San José library card/PIN.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, what do you think? Take our poll and/or drop us a comment.

Bring your family to a day of fun and fright at the 5th annual Almaden Harvest Festival and Holiday Boutique. The Festival is at the Almaden Library and Community Center on Saturday, October 22, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. General admission and parking are FREE. For more information call 408-268-1133.

Children will enjoy picking from the pumpkin patch, being spooked in the haunted houses, making crafts, playing games, and being entertained with a holiday story time and puppet show starring "Mr. K" and friends. The story time and puppet show are in the Library at 11:30 a.m. and repeated at 2:30 p.m. At 1 p.m. in the Library, Magic Dan will be performing a magic show for the entire family. For extra fun, Conroy Cougar, San José Public Library’s official mascot, will be on hand to greet everyone.

The festival features two haunted houses: one for kids and one for teens. For adults, the festival will feature arts and crafts from local artists, raffle prizes, and delicious food.

The Almaden Harvest Festival and Holiday Boutique is funded, in part, by the Friends of the Almaden Library.

You are invited to a special free performance of the sitar by musician Cliff Winnig at the Almaden Branch Library on Saturday, October 1, at 3:00 PM.

"Cliff Winnig has studied North Indian Classical (Hindustani) music since 1994, specializing in sitar. He spent over a dozen years learning with Maestro Ali Akbar Khan. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Chicago and a master’s in music from the University of Texas at Austin."

Join us as Cliff plays the sitar, talks about how the instrument works, and explains how the popularity of the sitar has evolved over the years.

You can learn more about Cliff — who is also a writer — at his website cliffwinnig.com.

On Saturday, September 24, at 3:00-4:00 PM in the Almaden Branch Library, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador Eric B. Norris will present an exciting multimedia look at current NASA interplanetary missions:
 

• Dawn mission to Vesta

• Juno mission to Jupiter

• soon-to-be-launched Mars Curiosity Rover

Eric will also update us on other missions throughout the solar system from Mercury to Pluto.

Everyone is invited to this informative multimedia presentation that will take place in the library's Program Room.

What do you do if you have a generous heart and some new or very gently used books, DVDs, videos, or CDs that you don’t need?

Of course, you should donate them to your local branch’s Friends of the Library, who gratefully accept these items at donation bins in all library locations.

But here is a tougher question — What do you do if you have a generous heart and some gently used magazines, National Geographic issues, encyclopedias, or textbooks that you don’t need?

The answer is that unfortunately, the library and its Friends groups cannot accept donations of magazines, including National Geographic; encyclopedias; or textbooks.

So, where can you donate these kinds of items, especially if you prefer that they be re-used rather than simply recycled?

Here is a list of organizations in the local area that may accept donations in these categories — provided that the items are in good condition. This list was compiled by searching recyclestuff.org. Please call each organization before donating, since it may no longer accept the kind of donation you are planning to give.

Magazines:

•Friends Outside in Santa Clara County - (408) 468-0100

•Saratoga Library Friends - (408) 867-6126

•St. Elizabeth's Day Home - (408) 295-3456

•Yu-Ai Kai/ Japanese American Senior Services - (408) 294-2505

National Geographic Magazine:

•Boys and Girls Club of Silicon Valley - (408) 957-9685

•Yu-Ai Kai/ Japanese American Senior Services - (408) 294-2505

Encyclopedias:

•Friends Outside in Santa Clara County - (408) 468-0100

•Friendship Church of God in Christ - (408) 258-5445

•Savers Thrift Store - (408) 287-0591

•St. Elizabeth's Day Home - (408) 295-3456

Textbooks:

•Goodwill - Donation Center - (408) 998-5774 ex248

•Goodwill - Retail Store - (408) 265-5692

•Salvation Army - (408) 286-3291

•Savers Thrift Store - (408) 287-0591
Note: The Friends of the Pearl Avenue Library, Friends of the Seventrees Library, and Friends of the Hillview Library will take gently used textbooks.

For where to donate other items that the Friends of the Library cannot accept, you can search the recyclestuff.org database yourself. Like, where can I donate my dust-accumulating classic computing books from the 1970’s?

We've got some good news and some better news!

First, the good news. Storytimes at Almaden Branch and other San José libraries will not occur during August. Why is this good news? The librarians will be taking a break from storytimes in order to re-charge themselves to offer even better storytimes in September and beyond.

Now, the better news! Almaden Library will offer these great storytime alternatives in August:

Reading to Children

Let your children listen to stories read by an experienced reader in the beautiful Children's Library at the branch. Your children can pick the books that they want to hear or can leave it up to the reader. This service is aimed at children up to age 12. No appointment is necessary — just drop in!

Our readers and the convenient times they read to children:

Stephanie — Wednesdays at 1:00-2:00 PM

Michele — Thursdays at 1:00-2:00 PM (Michele will be off on July 28)

Laura — Fridays at 1:30-2:15 PM

Christian — Saturdays at 12:00-1:00 PM (Christian will be off on July 30 and August 6)

Reading Buddies

What: Reading Buddies are trained teen volunteers that can either read to your child or help your child practice reading. Younger children can have 1-on-1 time with a caring, enthusiastic teen mentor who will help them practice their reading in a low-stress environment.

When: Every Wednesday at 5:30-6:30 PM in the Children's Library at the branch

Almaden Library storytimes will be back in September, and so will these great alternatives. Stay tuned to the Events Calendar, call the library for information at (408) 808-3040, or come in and pick up a print calendar.