Richard Jerome Kennedy (born December 23, 1932 in

Jefferson City, Missouri Jefferson City, informally Jeff City, is the capital of Missouri, United States. It had a population of 43,228 at the 2020 census, ranking as the 15th most populous city in the state. It is also the county seat of Cole County and the princip ...

), is an American writer of children's books and a supporter of the

Oxfordian theory of Shakespeare authorship The Oxfordian theory of Shakespeare authorship contends that Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, wrote the plays and poems of William Shakespeare. While historians and literary scholars overwhelmingly reject alternative authorship candida ...

. He was the first to suggest that

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

was the author of the 578-line poem '' A Funeral Elegy'' which in 1995 had been touted by Donald Foster as being written by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

Life

He was educated at

Portland State University Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the following two decades ...

(B.A., liberal arts, 1958) and earned a teaching certificate in elementary education from the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

. Teaching elementary school proved unsatisfactory, so he tried other jobs, including bookstore owner, deep sea fisherman, moss picker, custodian, cabdriver, and archivist, before turning to writing.

Shakespeare authorship question

Kennedy has been a long-time advocate of the

theory A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may ...

that

Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford (; 12 April 155024 June 1604) was an English peer and courtier of the Elizabethan era. Oxford was heir to the second oldest earldom in the kingdom, a court favourite for a time, a sought-after patron of ...

, was the person actually responsible for writing the works of

. He is a founding member of the

Shakespeare Fellowship The Shakespeare Fellowship was the name used by an organisation devoted to the Shakespeare authorship question. Originally it sought to represent all alternatives to the mainstream consensus that William Shakespeare authored the plays attributed ...

, and in 2005 he proposed that Shakespeare's Stratford monument was originally built to honor

John Shakespeare John Shakespeare (c. 1531 – 7 September 1601) was an English businessman in Stratford-upon-Avon and the father of William Shakespeare. He was a glover and whittawer (leather worker) by trade. Shakespeare was elected to several municipal o ...

, William's father, who by tradition was a "considerable dealer in wool".Vickers, Brian (June 30, 2006). "Stratford's Wool Pack Man". ''Times Literary Supplement'' (5387): p. 17.

Notable works

*''The Porcelain Man,'' illus. Marcia Sewall, 1976 *''The Blue Stone'', illus. Ronald Himler, 1976 *''The Dark Princess'', illus. Donna Diamond, 1978 *''

Amy's Eyes ''Amy's Eyes'' is a children's fantasy novel by Richard Kennedy, published by Harper & Row in 1985, and illustrated by Richard Egielski. Plot summary The narrative begins in an orphanage where Amy inadvertently brings her sailor doll to life. I ...

'', illus.

Richard Egielski Richard Egielski (born July 16, 1952 in New York City) is an American illustrator and writer who has worked on more than fifty children's picture books, eight of which he authored. He received his education at Parson's School of Design. Career ...

, 1985

Awards

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members ...

Notable Book List, 1976, for ''The Blue Stone'' *American Library Association Notable Book List, 1978, for ''The Dark Princess'' *

Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award, also known as the Pacific Northwest Book Award (PNBA), is an annual award presented by the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association to recognize "excellence in writing" from the American Pacif ...

, 1976, for ''The Blue Stone'' and ''The Porcelain Man'' *Association of Logos Bookstores Award, 1985, for ''Amy's Eyes'' *German Rattenfänger (Rat Catcher, i.e. Pied Piper) award as best foreign book translated in 1988 for ''Amy's Eyes''

References

External links

''Camelot, God wot! or: What a Woman Wants''

''The Snow Queen'', a Christmas Musical

''Come Again in Spring''
an animated telling of ''Come Again in the Spring''. Directed, designed and animated by Belinda Oldford, produced by the

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...

"The Woolpack Man"
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kennedy, Richard 1932 births American children's writers Living people Oxfordian theory of Shakespeare authorship Portland State University alumni People from Jefferson City, Missouri Shakespeare authorship theorists University of Oregon alumni