Richard Kennedy (author) facts for kids
Richard Jerome Kennedy (born December 23, 1932, in Jefferson City, Missouri) is an American writer. He is known for writing books for children. He also supports a special idea about who really wrote the plays of William Shakespeare. He was the first person to suggest that a writer named John Ford wrote a long poem called A Funeral Elegy. In 1995, some people thought this poem was written by Shakespeare.
Life and Work
Richard Kennedy went to Portland State University and finished his studies in 1958. He also got a special certificate to teach young children from the University of Oregon.
However, he found that teaching elementary school was not for him. So, he tried many different jobs! He was a bookstore owner, a deep sea fisherman, and even a moss picker. He also worked as a custodian, a cab-driver, and an archivist (someone who keeps old records). After trying all these different things, he decided to become a writer.
Shakespeare's True Author?
Richard Kennedy has long believed in a theory called the Oxfordian theory. This idea suggests that Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, was the real person who wrote the famous plays and poems usually credited to William Shakespeare.
Kennedy helped start a group called the Shakespeare Fellowship, which supports this theory. In 2005, he even suggested something interesting about Shakespeare's monument in Stratford. He thought it was first built to honor William's father, John Shakespeare, who was known for trading wool.
Books He Wrote
- The Porcelain Man, illustrated by Marcia Sewall, 1976
- The Blue Stone, illustrated by Ronald Himler, 1976
- The Dark Princess, illustrated by Donna Diamond, 1978
- Amy's Eyes, illustrated by Richard Egielski, 1985
Awards and Honors
Richard Kennedy's books have won several awards:
- His book The Blue Stone was on the American Library Association Notable Book List in 1976.
- The Dark Princess was also on the American Library Association Notable Book List in 1978.
- He won the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award in 1976 for both The Blue Stone and The Porcelain Man.
- Amy's Eyes received the Association of Logos Bookstores Award in 1985.
- In 1988, Amy's Eyes won the German Rattenfänger (Pied Piper) award for being the best foreign book translated into German.
