The New Yorker, April 11, 1988 P. 87
ONWARD AND UPWARD WITH THE ARTS about the disputed authorship of Shakespeare's writing. There are two schools of thought on the subject, the Stratfordians, who believe Shakespeare to be the author of the works attributed to him, and the Oxfordians, who believe the true author to be Edward de Vere, the seventeenth earl of Oxford. American University sponsored a moot-court debate, held in Washington, to shed light on the subject. Representing the Oxfordians was Peter Jaszi. James Boyle represented the Stratfordians. Writer tells about the history of this question, and the various books on the subject. The first anti-Stratfordian writer was James Wilmot, who was attemptimg to research a book about Shakespeare's life, and found that Shakespeare's father was an illiterate tradesman, and insofar as the documentary evidence suggested, had never been to school. Nor did he have any diaries, letters, or other written records of his literary life. And his neighbors were equally discreet. Wilmot believed Shakespeare did not write the works attributed to him, but he never ventured to say who he thought did, although he gave strong suggestion to Sir Francis Bacon. Writer describes the debate during which all three Justices gave the legal verdict to the Stratford man, though two expressed that they had personal questions.