Welcome to Episode #003 of That Shakespeare Life, the podcast that takes you behind the curtain and into the life of William Shakespeare.
I believe that if you want to understand Shakespeare's plays, then understanding the life of William Shakespeare, the man, is essential. This podcast is designed to help you explore early modern England as Shakespeare would have lived it by interviewing the historians, performers, authors, and experts that know him best.
This week, I'm chatting over coffee with Jem Bloomfield, author of Shakespeare and the Psalms Mystery: Did Shakespeare Help Write the King James Bible. Jem is an author, blogger, and Assistant Professor of Literature at the University of Nottingham. His research ranges across Shakespeare, gender, performance and the Bible, with a particular focus on the ways texts are used to focus cultural authority. Dr. Bloomfield’s work has been cited in The Guardian, The New Statesmen, and Contemporary Theater Review. His latest book is titled Shakespeare and the Psalms: Did Shakespeare Help Write the King James Bible? He is here today to talk with us about that very legend and set the record straight on this persistent question.
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Inside this episode, I ask Jem about:
- The origin of this idea that Shakespeare might have written the King James Bible
- The evidence for and against Shakespeare writing this powerful piece of historical literature
- The role of legends in our understanding of history, and Shakespeare in particular
- the surprising piece of cultural capital that played a role in this persistent rumor.
About Jem
Dr. Jem Bloomfield is the author of Shakespeare and the Psalms Mystery: Did Shakespeare Help Write the King James Bible. Jem is a lecturer at the University of Nottingham. His research interests are focused around the production and reception of Early Modern drama, in its original context and throughout later centuries, as well as broader issues of cultural value. As a way of reaching an audience beyond academe, Jem writes for a number of online sites, including Bad Reputation and California Literary Review. His work has also appeared at Liberal Conspiracy, GenderIT.org, The Cultural Value Initiative and was included in the New Statesman‘s “best of the blogs” list. Connect with Jem, and read some of his latest works, here.
Jem's Latest Project:
At the moment, Jem is taking an in depth look at the work of Agathie Christie for his next book. You can learn more about this project by connecting with Jem on social media, or subscribing to his blog, where he will post updates when the new book becomes available.
Jem in Action:
Read the latest at his blog, quiteirregular.wordpress.com
Books Jem Recommends:
Rhetoric of Fantasy by Farah Mendelsohnn
Witches, Druids, and King Arthur by Ronald Hutton
Resources mentioned in today's episode:
- Shakespeare and the Psalms Mystery: Did Shakespeare Help Write the King James Bible?
- Find out more about Jem at his website
- Connect with Jem on Twitter or Facebook
- Gary Taylor's works on literary culture
- Consider joining That Shakespeare Girl Membership where you can discuss with other Shakespeareans the current research like Jem recommends.
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Did you enjoy today's episode? I send resources, like a copy of Psalm 46 with these legendary pieces highlighted, out in the weekly newsletter. So if you like hearing experts like Jem discuss the legend of William Shakespeare and Psalm 46, you'll love being a part of That Shakespeare Girl Newsletter. Sign up using this form and I'll send you an outline of Psalm 46 with each word counted so you can see for yourself which ones land at 46 from beginning and end. Unsubscribe at anytime and keep the outline as my gift to you.
Knowing that this is early in your podcast list, I hesitate to mention this because it might be coming up elsewhere.
However – a tiny note- the reason that Essex was eager to have Richard II be performed the night before his attempt to overthrow Elizabeth I, was that the scene when Richard is deposed had been forbidden by the censors so the audiences had never seen it. He wanted the people to rise up, and since the King was supposedly chosen and anointed by God’s will, he wanted them to see that there was a precedent for removing an anointed king. A lot of good it did him.
Hello Cynde! It warms my heart that you are listening through the entire podcast! What an honor you pay the show. Thank you! In response to your question, yes! We do cover Richard II, and the entire Essex Rebellion in a couple of places, but most notably here with our guest, Clare Asquith https://www.cassidycash.com/ep22/ (but have no hesitations about chiming in! It’s always fun to have a good conversation 🙂 )