Is George Dead?
August 25, 2015
G.D.O'Bradovich III
1
My intention was to write a commentary on Mark Twain's “Is Shakespeare dead?”, but as so often happens, I became sidetracked with certain obligations, that is, I promised former and future Apprentice Brock that I would attend a JV football game. Fortunately, I gave neither assurance or suggestion that I would exhibit behavior that a teenager would find acceptable- I intend to do the opposite…
Mark Twain suggests that small towns, like Hannibal, Missouri, and Stratford on Avon, idolize their own who achieve fame or recognition in the world. Twain assures us that if Shakespeare was born in Stratford on Avon and he was the author of the alleged works, then just as Twain was known during his lifetime, so Shakespeare would be well known in his. Although we assume that Twain brings a good point to the reader’s attention, we need to study the reasoning. We inquire: for what reasons was Twain well known in his day? He was the author of several books that went through multiple editions in an age of copyrights and he was a humorist, the Will Rogers of his time.
We understand that his writings appealed to various social groups (the reasons are beyond the scope of this paper) and he was noticed by newspapers, critics, and politicians. Twain was fortunate to live in a time and country where reading was becoming universal, so his fame continued to spread, and could lampoon politics without the fear of beheading. I speculate the reason Hannibal acknowledged Twain’s success was not because the townsfolk understood him, but there were others, in high and influential places, who recognized Twain’s ability and this recognition moved down the social strata to Hannibal. We seriously doubt that there were spontaneous celebrations while Twain lived in Hannibal, since the majority was unable to understand Twain's talent. In a word, the values of the townspeople did not allow for them to understand Twain’s uniqueness.
We will contrast Twain’s observation of his times and acknowledgment of of his achievements to my undistinguished hometown, conveniently located in the middle of the American Union. Interestingly, my hometown does not recognize any individual during their annual festival, but Italian immigrants, the majority who are from northern Italy. In this age of instant communication, my fame and adulation should, if not universal, be at least be acknowledged by some people, somewhere, sometime... [perhaps my public relations department needs to be reorganized]. My writing is not meant for everyone or everyone’s understanding, while Twain and Shakespeare appeal to a broader spectrum of humanity and human interests. Gentle Reader, the Occult is not glamorous and neither is being a theatre impresario in 16th century England. Research is not an activity that will me bring into conflict with others and the likelihood of lawsuits is minimal, unlike a retired actor who trades commodities in Stratford.
In my Last Testament, I will not mention every title of every book in my library or every tchotchke and trinket [an incense burner in the form of a chimney is the exception]; they will be grouped under a generic term, much like we find in Shakespeare's will. It is my fervent hope that future critics of my supposed contributions to the Occult will point out and place undue emphasis on the fact that I left my Apprentices, as a group, inexplicably ignorant of the Occult- for after my death, they accomplished...what?
Mark Twain suggests that small towns, like Hannibal, Missouri, and Stratford on Avon, idolize their own who achieve fame or recognition in the world. Twain assures us that if Shakespeare was born in Stratford on Avon and he was the author of the alleged works, then just as Twain was known during his lifetime, so Shakespeare would be well known in his. Although we assume that Twain brings a good point to the reader’s attention, we need to study the reasoning. We inquire: for what reasons was Twain well known in his day? He was the author of several books that went through multiple editions in an age of copyrights and he was a humorist, the Will Rogers of his time.
We understand that his writings appealed to various social groups (the reasons are beyond the scope of this paper) and he was noticed by newspapers, critics, and politicians. Twain was fortunate to live in a time and country where reading was becoming universal, so his fame continued to spread, and could lampoon politics without the fear of beheading. I speculate the reason Hannibal acknowledged Twain’s success was not because the townsfolk understood him, but there were others, in high and influential places, who recognized Twain’s ability and this recognition moved down the social strata to Hannibal. We seriously doubt that there were spontaneous celebrations while Twain lived in Hannibal, since the majority was unable to understand Twain's talent. In a word, the values of the townspeople did not allow for them to understand Twain’s uniqueness.
We will contrast Twain’s observation of his times and acknowledgment of of his achievements to my undistinguished hometown, conveniently located in the middle of the American Union. Interestingly, my hometown does not recognize any individual during their annual festival, but Italian immigrants, the majority who are from northern Italy. In this age of instant communication, my fame and adulation should, if not universal, be at least be acknowledged by some people, somewhere, sometime... [perhaps my public relations department needs to be reorganized]. My writing is not meant for everyone or everyone’s understanding, while Twain and Shakespeare appeal to a broader spectrum of humanity and human interests. Gentle Reader, the Occult is not glamorous and neither is being a theatre impresario in 16th century England. Research is not an activity that will me bring into conflict with others and the likelihood of lawsuits is minimal, unlike a retired actor who trades commodities in Stratford.
In my Last Testament, I will not mention every title of every book in my library or every tchotchke and trinket [an incense burner in the form of a chimney is the exception]; they will be grouped under a generic term, much like we find in Shakespeare's will. It is my fervent hope that future critics of my supposed contributions to the Occult will point out and place undue emphasis on the fact that I left my Apprentices, as a group, inexplicably ignorant of the Occult- for after my death, they accomplished...what?
2
Critics emphasize that Shakespeare’s daughter could not read as evidence he himself was not capable of writing. Perhaps there is more to being a great writer than literacy. Since we do not see family trees filled with Nobel Prize winners, we conclude that the flowers of “great” and “greatest” are not sown in the field of genetics. Genius has an ethereal quality- it is like pornography, I know it when I see it. Insight and simplicity coupled with persistence and ability.
Today, J.S. Bach is universally known as a great composer and was acknowledged as such during his life to the present day. That is not a true statement as Mozart knew of Bach, but few others did until Mendelssohn brought Bach’s music to the public's attention in the early 19th century. The odds or chances that two great minds in generally uneducated ancient times worked in general obscurity their adult lives only to be “discovered” decades later is extraordinary- unless this was, and is, a common occurrence.
Until the year 1800, no composer could say, as Beethoven did, “I demand and they pay” and we suspect the same observation was valid for writers. Sports figures could be paid more than the President of the Union during the Great Depression and it was not until the later half of the 20th century could actors demand incredible compensation. What was an actor in the 15th century, but restaurant workers of today? “I demand and they pay” said no waiter ever.
A perusal of Wikipedia's pages will reveal famous Clintonians. Only one on that list achieved general recognition during his life. This fame was due to the popularity of a TV drama where he was a minor actor. Ironically, Captain Kirk’s hometown in Iowa holds an annual event, although he will not be born until the year 2233. I was fortunate to meet an inventor and patent holder in my youth, but I did not learn of his accomplishments until much later.
It seems that Twain and other critics have put their value judgments onto the historical record, have weighed it and have found it wanting. I suspect that these critics, historical and current, will no doubt come to the conclusion that Bach did not write any music, being only a court musician. The question, “Where did Bach receive his training?”, will be followed by “Since Bach was not capable of writing, which of his contemporaries could have written his music?” These questions are not raised, no doubt, because Bach lived closer to our time and we have more information regarding him and his activities. Of course, we have manuscripts that are “supposedly” his compositions, but do we really know? Unlike Classical and Romantic music, Baroque music sounds the same, whether by Handel, by Vivaldi, or by the “alleged” Bach.
Today, J.S. Bach is universally known as a great composer and was acknowledged as such during his life to the present day. That is not a true statement as Mozart knew of Bach, but few others did until Mendelssohn brought Bach’s music to the public's attention in the early 19th century. The odds or chances that two great minds in generally uneducated ancient times worked in general obscurity their adult lives only to be “discovered” decades later is extraordinary- unless this was, and is, a common occurrence.
Until the year 1800, no composer could say, as Beethoven did, “I demand and they pay” and we suspect the same observation was valid for writers. Sports figures could be paid more than the President of the Union during the Great Depression and it was not until the later half of the 20th century could actors demand incredible compensation. What was an actor in the 15th century, but restaurant workers of today? “I demand and they pay” said no waiter ever.
A perusal of Wikipedia's pages will reveal famous Clintonians. Only one on that list achieved general recognition during his life. This fame was due to the popularity of a TV drama where he was a minor actor. Ironically, Captain Kirk’s hometown in Iowa holds an annual event, although he will not be born until the year 2233. I was fortunate to meet an inventor and patent holder in my youth, but I did not learn of his accomplishments until much later.
It seems that Twain and other critics have put their value judgments onto the historical record, have weighed it and have found it wanting. I suspect that these critics, historical and current, will no doubt come to the conclusion that Bach did not write any music, being only a court musician. The question, “Where did Bach receive his training?”, will be followed by “Since Bach was not capable of writing, which of his contemporaries could have written his music?” These questions are not raised, no doubt, because Bach lived closer to our time and we have more information regarding him and his activities. Of course, we have manuscripts that are “supposedly” his compositions, but do we really know? Unlike Classical and Romantic music, Baroque music sounds the same, whether by Handel, by Vivaldi, or by the “alleged” Bach.
3
Unlike moderns, who, we note, impose their values on the historical record, and who value manuscripts, it is clear the ancients did not place much value or importance on manuscripts. We observe that Mozart's published early works often do not have manuscripts, so we are thankful for the manuscripts we do possess, as there are editing and printing errors that can be corrected by the originals. Musical manuscripts are more important to have, as “wrong” notes exist, but in the context of 16th century English, there is no concept of “wrong” spelling or misspelled words. It is clear that the ancients did not place much importance on manuscripts.
I suppose that when all things are considered, we are fortunate to have any writings from the time of Shakespeare or Oxford or Bacon, and when we rightly lament the lost works of the Masters, we should console ourselves with our inheritance that rightly should be treasured.
Post Ludum- I was pleased that Apprentice Brock was credited with a tackle and my Alma Mater won, 36 to 0. I learned that it is a quirk of our high school accounting that the varsity wins are counted and recorded for posterity, whereas the junior varsity results are not. It seems odd that while all football games are equal, that is, keeping score and playing to win, but that some games are more equal than others. The degree of tribal bonding that I experienced during the contest was only matched by my vicarious, and always vocal, coaching.
The Gentle Reader can reach his own informed value judgments when comparing the controversy regarding the authorship of plays and playing junior varsity football.
I suppose that when all things are considered, we are fortunate to have any writings from the time of Shakespeare or Oxford or Bacon, and when we rightly lament the lost works of the Masters, we should console ourselves with our inheritance that rightly should be treasured.
Post Ludum- I was pleased that Apprentice Brock was credited with a tackle and my Alma Mater won, 36 to 0. I learned that it is a quirk of our high school accounting that the varsity wins are counted and recorded for posterity, whereas the junior varsity results are not. It seems odd that while all football games are equal, that is, keeping score and playing to win, but that some games are more equal than others. The degree of tribal bonding that I experienced during the contest was only matched by my vicarious, and always vocal, coaching.
The Gentle Reader can reach his own informed value judgments when comparing the controversy regarding the authorship of plays and playing junior varsity football.
An unidentified observer (left) awe struck by the former and
future Apprentice Brock's natural athletic prowess (right).
future Apprentice Brock's natural athletic prowess (right).