Why are there so many Shakespeare authorship candidates?

Ricky Gervais, God, and the Earl of Oxford

My recent reveal on Zoom of the Dark Lady—the black eyed, black-browed beauty of the Shakespeare’s Sonnets—has elicited many kind comments from those who saw it. A few, however, who are wholly devoted to other authorship candidates (and didn’t see the reveal) have sent me emails discussing the merits of their Dark Ladies.

This brings up an important que…