Shakespeare Stealer 20-end

WIlliam Shakespeare's Life

Hamlet

SS Chapters 17-19

Mr. Pope has come to Widge's rescue--again. Why is he helping him? The swordfighting in Shakespeare's day was very complicated and interesting. It reminds me of special effects and violence in today's movies: a sure way to draw a crowd that doesn't appreciate the wit and wisdom of Shakespeare's words....Nick, in my opinion, is a stereotypical jerk. Do you find him three-dimensional, or a caricature of a bully? I think Blackwood could have done a better job of developing his minor characters because I find they're pretty flat--and in some cases, difficult to tell apart.

So Widge finds the chest with the scripts. Do you think the script of Hamlet will be in there? Mr. Heminges seems nice, too. Do you think it's realistic that these men are mentoring Widge? After all, he's just another mouth to feed... Has anyone done any research yet into actors in Shakespeare's day? Were they respected? Was the profession considered a noble one?

Forsooth!

Ms. Gertz

SS Chapters 8-10

What do you think of the plot so far? Is Widge going to escape from Falconer? Will he be accepted into the company? How will the second gravedigger and Nick block his acceptance? Will Widge cross paths with Shakespeare himself? Was everyone in Elizabethan England racist?! Inquiring minds want to know....

Shakespeare Stealer Chapters 1-4

Poor Widge! He doesn't even know his name.... He was lucky to be "adopted" by Dr. Bright, and learn how to read and write, and the skill of charactery. This definitely gave him an edge in life. It's ironic that the "professor" was insisting that Widge plagiarize the sermons of the local parishes. Here's an article about a modern-day preacher plagiarizing. http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/2002/03/27/ncguest1.htm The information scene has changed so much since the 16th century, and plagiarism is a very contemporary issue, it's interesting that it existed back in S's day. I wonder what kind of master Simon Bass will be.

Good news!! I already received a response from the author of Shakespeare Stealer, Gary Blackwood, saying that he would be willing to teleconference us after we're done reading his book. Here's an excerpt of our email dialogue,

"Hi, Kim,

Good to hear from you, and to know that Widge and Co. have made it halfway round the world. My laptop is too old and slow to support video Skyping, but if you want to do just audio, that'd be fine. I'm working on getting a speedier one.

I do author visits occasionally, often to talk about Stealer. I don't have an active website with current news, just a page on the Writers Federation of Nova Scotia site.

Gary "

Shakespeare Stealer

I'm really excited to start studying the novel The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood with my seventh graders. I've always loved Shakespeare because of his brilliance with the English language. I've had the pleasure of seeing many Shakespeare plays on stage, including The Tempest, Hamlet and A Midsummer Night's Dream. I've also had the privilege of travelling to Stratford-upon-Avon to see Shakespeare's birthplace and grammar school, as well as Anne Hathaway's cottage, and even two plays at the reconstructed Globe: King Lear and Othello. I took my one-year-old son, Gabriel to King Lear, and we were groundlings (perfect for a wandering toddler), and I took a group of high school students from my school in China to a showing of Othello. Although it was freezing, it was an experience of a lifetime!