DNA testing has confirmed that remains found beneath a London parking lot are those of King Richard III, killed at the age of 32 in the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. He ruled only two years, a reign described as "bloody." His skull was cloven, probably by an ax-like weapon. Ouch. Shakespeare immortalized him in 1542, portraying him as a fiendish villain, ugly and deformed, a hunchback, which study of his bone structure also confirms. The role is any serious actor’s dream. It has been played by John Wilkes Booth, Al Pacino, Ian McKellen, Kevin Spacey, John Barrymore, Laurence Olivier, F. Murray Abraham, Kenneth Brannagh, and a host of other names listed at Wiki that I did not recognize. The play begins with these immortal words:
“Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this sun of York;”
John Steinbeck borrowed from it for the title of a great novel. Has there ever been a writer who hasn’t borrowed from the Bard? One may be influenced without realizing it, as his words have been used by many, including screenwriters, through the ages. While writing the climactic chapter of Killing, I kept thinking: What's this remind me of? It was Hamlet plotting to kill the king - duh! Richard III climaxes with the unforgettable line: “A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse,” just before the protagonist gets his just desserts. There is a society in England devoted to the rehabilitation of his image. Good luck with that. Although Shakespeare’s take is not that of an eyewitness, it will endure, as it has for hundreds of years already.
Not much action at the floating book shop today. I thank the gentleman who purchased the CD of Benny Goodman's famous 1938 concert at Carnegie Hall. Goodman was called The King of Swing. There are more than 30 tracks in the set, including the incredible Sing Sing Sing, highlighted by the legendary Gene Krupa's unbelievable drumming. I guess it could be said that he was the king of percussion at that time.
Visit Vic's sites:
Vic's Third Novel (Print or Kindle): http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
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