David Bruce

Biography

I would like to see my retellings of classic literature used in schools, so I give permission to the country of Finland (and all other countries) to give copies of my eBooks to all students and citizens forever. I also give permission to the state of Texas (and all other states) to give copies of my eBooks to all students forever. I also give permission to all teachers to give copies of my eBooks to all students forever.

Teachers need not actually teach my retellings. Teachers are welcome to give students copies of my eBooks as background material. For example, if they are teaching Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey,” teachers are welcome to give students copies of my “Virgil’s ‘Aeneid’: A Retelling in Prose” and tell students, “Here’s another ancient epic you may want to read in your spare time.”

Do you know a language other than English? I give you permission to translate any of my retellings of classic literature, copyright your translation in your name, publish or self-publish your translation (but do say it's a translation of something I wrote), and keep all the royalties for yourself.

Libraries, download my books free. This is from Smashwords' FAQ section:

"Does Smashwords distribute to libraries?

"Yes! We have two methods of distributing to libraries: 1. Via library aggregators. Library aggregators, such as OverDrive and Baker & Taylor's Axis360 service, allow libraries to purchase books. Smashwords is working with multiple library aggregators, and is in the process of signing up additional aggregators. 2. On August 7, 2012, Smashwords announced Library Direct. This distribution option allows libraries and library networks to acquire and host Smashwords ebooks on their own servers. This option is only available to libraries who place large "opening collection" orders, typically in the range of $20,000-$50,000, and the libraries must have the ability to host and manage the books, and apply industry-standard DRM to manage one-checkout-at-a-time borrows."

David Bruce is a retired anecdote columnist at "The Athens News" in Athens, Ohio. He has also retired from teaching English and philosophy at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.

SOME BOOKS BY DAVID BRUCE

Retellings of a Classic Work of Literature:

Arden of Favorsham: A Retelling

Ben Jonson’s The Alchemist: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s The Arraignment, or Poetaster: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s Bartholomew Fair: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s The Case is Altered: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s Catiline’s Conspiracy: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s The Devil is an Ass: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s Epicene: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s Every Man in His Humor: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s Every Man Out of His Humor: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s The Fountain of Self-Love, or Cynthia’s Revels: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s The Magnetic Lady: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s The New Inn: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s Sejanus' Fall: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s The Staple of News: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s A Tale of a Tub: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s Volpone, or the Fox: A Retelling

Christopher Marlowe’s Complete Plays: Retellings
Christopher Marlowe’s Dido, Queen of Carthage: A Retelling
Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus: Retellings of the 1604 A-Text and of the 1616 B-Text
Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II: A Retelling
Christopher Marlowe’s The Massacre at Paris: A Retelling
Christopher Marlowe’s The Rich Jew of Malta: A Retelling
Christopher Marlowe’s Tamburlaine, Parts 1 and 2: Retellings

Dante’s Divine Comedy: A Retelling in Prose
Dante’s Inferno: A Retelling in Prose
Dante’s Purgatory: A Retelling in Prose
Dante’s Paradise: A Retelling in Prose

The Famous Victories of Henry V: A Retelling

From the Iliad to the Odyssey: A Retelling in Prose of Quintus of Smyrna’s Posthomerica

George Chapman, Ben Jonson, and John Marston’s Eastward Ho! A Retelling

George Peele: Five Plays Retold in Modern English
George Peele’s The Arraignment of Paris: A Retelling
George Peele’s The Battle of Alcazar: A Retelling
George Peele’s David and Bathsheba, and the Tragedy of Absalom: A Retelling
George Peele’s Edward I: A Retelling
George Peele’s The Old Wives’ Tale: A Retelling

George-A-Greene, The Pinner of Wakefield: A Retelling

The History of King Leir: A Retelling

Homer’s Iliad: A Retelling in Prose
Homer’s Odyssey: A Retelling in Prose

Jason and the Argonauts: A Retelling in Prose of Apollonius of Rhodes’ Argonautica

The Jests of George Peele: A Retelling

John Ford: Eight Plays Translated into Modern English
John Ford’s The Broken Heart: A Retelling
John Ford’s The Fancies, Chaste and Noble: A Retelling
John Ford’s The Lady’s Trial: A Retelling
John Ford’s The Lover’s Melancholy: A Retelling
John Ford’s Love’s Sacrifice: A Retelling
John Ford’s Perkin Warbeck: A Retelling
John Ford’s The Queen: A Retelling
John Ford’s ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore: A Retelling

John Lyly's Campaspe: A Retelling
John Lyly's Endymion, the Man in the Moon: A Retelling
John Lyly's Gallathea, aka Galathea, aka Galatea: A Retelling
John Lyly's Love's Metamorphosis: A Retelling
John Lyly's Midas: A Retelling
John Lyly's Mother Bombie: A Retelling
John Lyly's Sappho and Phao: A Retelling
John Lyly's The Woman in the Moon: A Retelling

John Webster’s The White Devil: A Retelling

J.W. Gent.'s The Valiant Scot: A Retelling

King Edward III: A Retelling

Mankind: A Medieval Morality Play (A Retelling)

Margaret Cavendish's The Unnatural Tragedy: A Retelling

The Merry Devil of Edmonton: A Retelling

Robert Greene’s Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay: A Retelling

The Taming of a Shrew: A Retelling

Tarlton’s Jests: A Retelling

Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker’s The Roaring Girl: A Retelling

Thomas Middleton and William Rowley’s The Changeling: A Retelling

Thomas Middleton's A Chaste Maid in Cheapside: A Retelling
Thomas Middleton's Women Beware Women: A Retelling

The Trojan War and Its Aftermath: Four Ancient Epic Poems

Virgil’s Aeneid: A Retelling in Prose

William Shakespeare’s 5 Late Romances: Retellings in Prose
William Shakespeare’s 10 Histories: Retellings in Prose
William Shakespeare’s 11 Tragedies: Retellings in Prose
William Shakespeare’s 12 Comedies: Retellings in Prose
William Shakespeare’s 38 Plays: Retellings in Prose

William Shakespeare’s 1 Henry IV, aka Henry IV, Part 1: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s 2 Henry IV, aka Henry IV, Part 2: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s 1 Henry VI, aka Henry VI, Part 1: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s 2 Henry VI, aka Henry VI, Part 2: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s 3 Henry VI, aka Henry VI, Part 3: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s All’s Well that Ends Well: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s As You Like It: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Coriolanus: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Cymbeline: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Henry V: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Henry VIII: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s King John: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s King Lear: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Love’s Labor’s Lost: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Othello: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Pericles, Prince of Tyre: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Richard II: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Richard III: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s The Tempest: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s The Two Noble Kinsmen: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale: A Retelling in Prose

Children’s Biography:

Nadia Comaneci: Perfect Ten

Anecdote Collections:

250 Anecdotes About Music
250 Anecdotes About Opera
250 Anecdotes About Religion
250 Anecdotes About Religion: Volume 2
Be a Work of Art: 250 Anecdotes and Stories
The Coolest People in Art: 250 Anecdotes
The Coolest People in the Arts: 250 Anecdotes
The Coolest People in Books: 250 Anecdotes
The Coolest People in Comedy: 250 Anecdotes
Create, Then Take a Break: 250 Anecdotes
Don’t Fear the Reaper: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Art: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Books: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Books, Volume 2: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Books, Volume 3: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Comedy: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Dance: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Families: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Families, Volume 2: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Families, Volume 3: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Families, Volume 4: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Families, Volume 5: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Families, Volume 6: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Movies: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Music: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Music, Volume 2: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Music, Volume 3: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Neighborhoods: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Relationships: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Sports: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Sports, Volume 2: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Television and Radio: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Theater: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People Who Live Life: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People Who Live Life, Volume 2: 250 Anecdotes
Maximum Cool: 250 Anecdotes
The Most Interesting People in Movies: 250 Anecdotes
The Most Interesting People in Politics and History: 250 Anecdotes
The Most Interesting People in Politics and History, Volume 2: 250 Anecdotes
The Most Interesting People in Politics and History, Volume 3: 250 Anecdotes
The Most Interesting People in Religion: 250 Anecdotes
The Most Interesting People in Sports: 250 Anecdotes
The Most Interesting People Who Live Life: 250 Anecdotes
The Most Interesting People Who Live Life, Volume 2: 250 Anecdotes
Reality is Fabulous: 250 Anecdotes and Stories
Resist Psychic Death: 250 Anecdotes
Seize the Day: 250 Anecdotes and Stories

Kindest People Series:

The Kindest People Who Do Good Deeds: Volume 1
The Kindest People Who Do Good Deeds: Volume 2
The Kindest People Who Do Good Deeds: Volume 3

Discussion Guide Series:

Dante’s Inferno: A Discussion Guide
Dante’s Paradise: A Discussion Guide
Dante’s Purgatory: A Discussion Guide
Forrest Carter’s The Education of Little Tree: A Discussion Guide
Homer’s Iliad: A Discussion Guide
Homer’s Odyssey: A Discussion Guide
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: A Discussion Guide
Jerry Spinelli’s Maniac Magee: A Discussion Guide
Jerry Spinelli’s Stargirl: A Discussion Guide
Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”: A Discussion Guide
Lloyd Alexander’s The Black Cauldron: A Discussion Guide
Lloyd Alexander’s The Book of Three: A Discussion Guide
Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: A Discussion Guide
Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: A Discussion Guide
Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court: A Discussion Guide
Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper: A Discussion Guide
Nancy Garden’s Annie on My Mind: A Discussion Guide
Nicholas Sparks’ A Walk to Remember: A Discussion Guide
Virgil’s Aeneid: A Discussion Guide
Virgil’s “The Fall of Troy”: A Discussion Guide
Voltaire’s Candide: A Discussion Guide
William Shakespeare’s 1 Henry IV: A Discussion Guide
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth: A Discussion Guide
William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Discussion Guide
William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet: A Discussion Guide
William Sleator’s Oddballs: A Discussion Guide

Composition Projects:

Composition Project: Writing an Autobiographical Essay
Composition Project: Writing a Hero-of-Human-Rights Essay
Composition Project: Writing a Problem-Solving Letter

Teaching:

How to Teach the Autobiographical Essay Composition Project in 9 Classes

Autobiography (of sorts):

My Life and Hard Times, or Down and Out in Athens, Ohio

Miscellaneous:

Mark Twain Anecdotes and Quotes

Problem-Solving 101: Can You Solve the Problem?

Why I Support Same-Sex Civil Marriage

Blogs:

https://davidbruceblog429065578.wordpress.com

https://davidbrucebooks.blogspot.com

https://davidbruceblog4.wordpress.com

https://bruceb22.wixsite.com/website

Where to find David Bruce online

Series

Anecdotes Collections
This is a series of collections of anecdote on various topics, such as families and comedy.
View more series...

Books

The Kindest People Who Do Good Deeds, Volume 3: 250 Anecdotes
Price: Free! Words: 37,660. Language: English. Published: January 27, 2024 . Categories: Nonfiction » Entertainment » Humor & satire » Form / anecdotes & quotations
This book is a collection of stories of good deeds. Most of them I have encountered in my reading of books, then retold in my own words. A very few come from other sources. Many people in the arts, in religion, and in everyday life have done good deeds, and I am happy that such people exist in this world.
George Peele’s Complete Plays: Retellings
Price: Free! Words: 135,080. Language: American English. Published: December 27, 2023 . Categories: Fiction » Adventure » Action, Fiction » Classics
This book contains easy-to-read retellings in modern English of George Peele's complete plays. George Peele was the Elizabethan playwright who wrote these plays: THE ARRAIGNMENT OF PARIS, THE BATTLE OF ALCAZAR, DAVID AND BATHSHEBA, EDWARD I, and THE OLD WIVES’ TALE. He also may have co-written TITUS ANDRONICUS with William Shakespeare. \
John Lyly’s Complete Plays: Retellings
Price: Free! Words: 224,950. Language: English. Published: December 11, 2023 . Categories: Fiction » Classics, Fiction » Literary collections » European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh
This book contains easy-to read retellings of all John Lyly's eight plays: Campaspe, Endymion, Galatea, Love's Metamorphosis, Midas, Mother Bombie, Sappho and Phao, The Woman in the Moon.
Ben Jonson’s Complete Plays: Retellings
Price: Free! Words: 942,070. Language: American English. Published: November 23, 2023 . Categories: Fiction » Humor & comedy » Satire
Ben Jonson wrote 17 plays. This books contains retellings of all 17 plays in modern English.
Arden of Faversham: A Retelling
Price: Free! Words: 34,930. Language: American English. Published: June 29, 2023 . Categories: Fiction » Classics
This is an easy-to-read retelling of the anonymous play ARDEN OF FEVERSHAM. The real-life Arden of Faversham was murdered in 1551 in England.
Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker’s The Roaring Girl: A Retelling
Series: Thomas Middleton Retellings. Price: Free! Words: 56,340. Language: American English. Published: June 1, 2023 . Categories: Fiction » Historical » Renaissance, Fiction » Classics
This is an easy-to-read retelling of Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker’s THE ROARING GIRL: A Retelling. Reading this retelling first will make reading the original play much easier to understand. For Mature Readers only due to adult humor.
Thomas Middleton’s Women Beware Women: A Retelling
Series: Thomas Middleton Retellings. Price: Free! Words: 50,790. Language: American English. Published: April 24, 2023 . Categories: Fiction » Classics
This is an easy-to-read retelling of Thomas Middleton’s tragedy WOMEN BEWARE WOMEN. Reading this retelling first will make reading the original play much easier.
Thomas Middleton’s A Chaste Maid in Cheapside: A Retelling
Series: Thomas Middleton Retellings. Price: Free! Words: 40,570. Language: American English. Published: March 19, 2023 . Categories: Fiction » Historical » Renaissance
This is an easy-to-read retelling in modern English of Thomas Middleton's comedy A CHASTE MAID IN CHEAPSIDE.
Thomas Middleton and William Rowley’s The Changeling: A Retelling
Series: Thomas Middleton Retellings. Price: Free! Words: 42,190. Language: American English. Published: February 22, 2023 . Categories: Fiction » Classics
This is an easy-to-read retelling of Thomas Middleton and William Rowley’s tragedy titled THE CHANGELING.
The Summoning of Everyman: A Medieval Morality Play (A Retelling)
Series: Anonymous. Price: Free! Words: 18,590. Language: American English. Published: January 29, 2023 . Categories: Fiction » Religious, Fiction » Christian » Fantasy
This is an easy-to-read retelling of the medieval morality play EVERYMAN. Everyman must die and must give an account of his life to God. He must do this without delay, so after Death comes to him, he will have no time remaining to amend his life. His account will include his sins and his good deeds. This account of his life is called a reckoning.
Mankind: A Medieval Morality Play (A Retelling)
Series: Anonymous. Price: Free! Words: 24,010. Language: American English. Published: January 19, 2023 . Categories: Fiction » Religious
This is an easy-to-read retelling of the medieval morality play MANKIND, which was written circa 1470.
John Lyly’s The Woman in the Moon: A Retelling
Series: John Lyly Retellings. Price: Free! Words: 24,920. Language: American English. Published: January 7, 2023 . Categories: Fiction » Humor & comedy » Satire
This is an easy-to-read retelling of John Lyly's THE WOMAN IN THE MOON, about Pandora, the first woman.
John Lyly’s Mother Bombie: A Retelling
Series: John Lyly Retellings. Price: Free! Words: 37,830. Language: American English. Published: December 25, 2022 . Categories: Fiction » Humor & comedy » General, Fiction » Romance » Romantic Comedy
John Lyly's comedy MOTHER BOMBIE is about the trials and tribulations of young lovers who go against their parents' wishes. It has a happy ending.
John Lyly’s Endymion, The Man in the Moon: A Retelling
Series: John Lyly Retellings. Price: Free! Words: 32,880. Language: American English. Published: December 5, 2022 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Romantic Comedy
This is an easy-to-read retelling of John Lyly’s Endymion, The Man in the Moon. Reading this retelling first will make reading and understanding the original play much easier.
John Lyly’s Galatea: A Retelling
Series: John Lyly Retellings. Price: Free! Words: 28,870. Language: American English. Published: November 19, 2022 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian
This an easy-to-read retelling of John Lyly's GALATEA. Reading this retelling first will make reading the original play much easier. In this play, two young women, both disguised in male clothing, fall in love.
John Lyly’s Midas: A Retelling
Series: John Lyly Retellings. Price: Free! Words: 30,810. Language: American English. Published: November 6, 2022 . Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Historical
John Lyly's MIDAS tells the story of King Midas of Phrygia, who wished that everything he touched would turn to gold. He also judged a music contest between two gods and chose the wrong god.
John Lyly’s Campaspe: A Retelling
Series: John Lyly Retellings. Price: Free! Words: 29,790. Language: American English. Published: October 24, 2022 . Categories: Fiction » Humor & comedy » General, Fiction » Romance » Historical » Ancient World
This is an easy-to-read retelling of John Lyly’s CAMPASPE. Reading this retelling first will help you to understand the original play.
John Lyly’s Sappho and Phao: A Retelling
Series: John Lyly Retellings. Price: Free! Words: 29,210. Language: American English. Published: October 13, 2022 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Royalty
This book is an easy-to-read retelling of John Lyly's SAPPHO AND PHAO. A working-class ferryman and a princess fall in love.
John Lyly’s Love’s Metamorphosis: A Retelling
Series: John Lyly Retellings. Price: Free! Words: 25,050. Language: American English. Published: September 28, 2022 . Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » General, Fiction » Fantasy » Historical
This is an easy-to-read retelling of John Lyly's LOVE'S METAMORPHOSIS. Reading this retelling first will make reading and understanding the original play much easier.
Margaret Cavendish’s The Unnatural Tragedy: A Retelling
Price: Free! Words: 35,200. Language: American English. Published: September 14, 2022 . Categories: Fiction » Classics
This is a retelling of Margaret Cavendish’s THE UNNATURAL TRAGEDY. This play has three plots: One: Monsieur FRERE pursues an incestuous relationship with his sister, Madame SOEUR. Two: The sociable VIRGINS discuss intellectual and social topics. Three: Monsieur MALATESTE, who is married to Madame BONIT, is pursuing an affair with the maid NAN.
J.W. Gent.’s The Valiant Scot: A Retelling
Price: Free! Words: 39,210. Language: American English. Published: August 31, 2022 . Categories: Fiction » Historical » Medieval
This is an easy-to-read retelling of J.W. Gent.’s THE VALIANT SCOT, which is about the Scotch hero Willian Wallace. Reading this retelling first will make reading the original play much easier.
George Chapman, Ben Jonson, and John Marston’s Eastward Ho! A Retelling
Series: Ben Jonson. Price: Free! Words: 49,290. Language: American English. Published: August 9, 2022 . Categories: Fiction » Humor & comedy » Satire, Fiction » Classics
This book is an easy-to-read retelling of George Chapman, Ben Jonson, and John Marston’s EASTWARD HO! A Retelling. Reading this retelling will help you to read and understand the original play.
Ben Jonson’s The Magnetic Lady, or Humors Reconciled (1632): A Retelling
Series: Ben Jonson. Price: Free! Words: 57,970. Language: American English. Published: July 11, 2022 . Categories: Fiction » Humor & comedy » Satire
This is an easy-to-read retelling of Ben Jonson's classic comedy play THE MAGNETIC LADY. Reading this retelling first will make reading the original play much easier to understand.
My Life and Hard Times, or Down and Out in Athens, Ohio
Price: Free! Words: 18,580. Language: American English. Published: June 9, 2022 . Categories: Nonfiction » Biography » Autobiographies & Memoirs, Nonfiction » Relationships & Family » Family relationships
Stories and anecdotes from an Ohio University instructor who is spending his retirement writing.
Ben Jonson’s A Tale of a Tub: A Retelling
Series: Ben Jonson. Price: Free! Words: 45,770. Language: American English. Published: June 8, 2022 . Categories: Fiction » Humor & comedy » Satire, Fiction » Classics
This is a retelling of Ben Jonson's A TALE OF A TALE in modern English. Reading this retelling first will make reading the original play much earlier.
Ben Jonson’s The Arraignment, or Poetaster: A Retelling
Series: Ben Jonson. Price: Free! Words: 54,700. Language: American English. Published: April 29, 2022 . Categories: Fiction » Classics
This is a retelling in today's English of Ben Jonson's POETASTER. Reading this retelling first will make reading the original play much easier.
Composition Project: Writing a Problem-Solving Letter
Price: Free! Words: 26,860. Language: American English. Published: March 22, 2022 . Categories: Nonfiction » Education & Study Guides » Literacy » Composition & creative writing
This eBook contains information about a persuasive problem-solving letter project that I have successfully used in the classroom. It includes many sample letters written by my students.
Composition Project: Writing an Autobiographical Essay
Series: Teaching. Price: Free! Words: 21,990. Language: American English. Published: March 20, 2022 . Categories: Nonfiction » Education & Study Guides » Literacy » Composition & creative writing
This short book describes a writing assignment that I have used successfully in my English composition courses at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. It includes sample essays by some of my former students.
Ben Jonson’s Sejanus’ Fall: A Retelling
Series: Ben Jonson. Price: Free! Words: 52,890. Language: American English. Published: March 18, 2022 . Categories: Fiction » Historical » Classical Greece & Rome, Fiction » Classics
This is a retelling of Ben Jonson's tragedy SEJANUS HIS FALL in the English of today. Reading this retelling first will help readers better understand the original play. Sejanus was the second most powerful man in the Roman Empire, and Emperor Tiberius was the most powerful person. Sejanus’ ambition to become Emperor made Tiberius become suspicious of him.
David Bruce’s Kindle Desktop Publishing Account Termination
Price: Free! Words: 3,280. Language: American English. Published: February 8, 2022 . Categories: Nonfiction » Publishing » Self-publishing
(5.00 from 1 review)
Amazon terminated my KDP account because I self-published two books with similar titles: William Shakespeare's King Lear: A Retelling in Prose and The History of King Leir: A Retelling. They are two separate books. The History of King Leir is a source for Shakespeare's famous tragedy: King Lear.
Ben Jonson’s The Fountain of Self-Love, or Cynthia’s Revels: A Retelling
Series: Ben Jonson. Price: Free! Words: 50,030. Language: American English. Published: January 25, 2022 . Categories: Fiction » Humor & comedy » Satire
This is a retelling of Ben Jonson's satire THE FOUNTAIN OF SELF-LOVE, OR CYNTHIA'S REVELS. Reading this retelling will make reading the original play much easier.
School Legend: A Short Story
Price: Free! Words: 6,980. Language: American English. Published: December 25, 2021 . Categories: Fiction » Young adult or teen » Social Issues
A short story about Aunt Clara the punk rocker and solving a period problem at Athens High School and some other stuff.
Ben Jonson’s Every Man Out of His Humor: A Retelling
Series: Ben Jonson. Price: Free! Words: 76,530. Language: American English. Published: December 16, 2021 . Categories: Fiction » Literature » Literary, Fiction » Classics
This is an easy-to-read retelling of Ben Jonson’s comedy EVERY MAN OUT OF HIS HUMOR. Reading this retelling first will make reading the original play much easier to understand.
Ben Jonson’s The Case is Altered: A Retelling
Series: Ben Jonson. Price: Free! Words: 35,290. Language: English. Published: October 30, 2021 . Categories: Fiction » Humor & comedy » Satire, Fiction » Classics
This is an easy-to-read retelling of Ben Jonson's comedy THE CASE IS ALTERED. Reading this retelling first will make reading and understanding the original play much easier.
George-A-Greene, The Pinner of Wakefield: A Retelling
Series: Anonymous. Price: Free! Words: 19,460. Language: American English. Published: October 5, 2021 . Categories: Fiction » Historical » Medieval, Fiction » Humor & comedy » General
George-a-Greene is a pinner: a catcher of stray animals that get into grain-holds. He is also a hero who stops a rebellion against the King of England, and he becomes a friend of Robin Hood. People who read this retelling of the anonymous play, whose earliest extant edition is 1599, should find it easy to read and interesting.
Ben Jonson’s Every Man in His Humor (Folio Version 1616): A Retelling
Series: Ben Jonson. Price: Free! Words: 52,180. Language: American English. Published: September 18, 2021 . Categories: Fiction » Humor & comedy » Satire, Fiction » Historical » United Kingdom
This is an easy-to-read retelling of Ben Jonson's EVERY MAN IN HIS HUMOR. People who read this retelling first will find reading the original play much easier.
Ben Jonson’s Catiline’s Conspiracy: A Retelling
Series: Ben Jonson. Price: Free! Words: 52,210. Language: American English. Published: August 8, 2021 . Categories: Fiction » Historical » Classical Greece & Rome, Fiction » Literature » Literary
This is an easy-to-read retelling of Ben Jonson's tragedy CATILINE'S CONSPIRACY. Reading this retelling first will make reading and understanding the original play much easier.
Ben Jonson’s The Staple of News: A Retelling
Series: Ben Jonson. Price: Free! Words: 63,120. Language: American English. Published: June 9, 2021 . Categories: Fiction » Humor & comedy » Satire, Fiction » Classics
This is an easier-to-read retelling of Ben Jonson's THE STAPLE OF NEWS, a satire about the news industry and about wealth and money. Reading this retelling will make reading and understanding the original play much easier.
Ben Jonson’s The New Inn, Or The Light Heart: A Retelling
Series: Ben Jonson. Price: Free! Words: 50,690. Language: American English. Published: April 22, 2021 . Categories: Fiction » Historical » United Kingdom, Fiction » Classics
This is an easy-to-read retelling of Ben Jonson’s The New Inn, Or The Light Heart. People who read this version first will find the original play much easier to read and to understand.
Ben Jonson’s Epicene, or The Silent Woman: A Retelling
Series: Ben Jonson. Price: Free! Words: 56,480. Language: American English. Published: March 7, 2021 . Categories: Fiction » Humor & comedy » Satire, Fiction » Humor & comedy » Black comedy
This is an easy-to-read retelling of EPICENE, one Ben Jonson's classic comedies. Reading this retelling first will make reading the original play much easier.
The Jests of George Peele: A Retelling
Series: George Peele · Anecdotes Collections · Anonymous. Price: Free! Words: 13,930. Language: English. Published: January 14, 2021 . Categories: Nonfiction » Biography » Literary biography, Nonfiction » Biography » Historical biography
This is an easy-to-read retelling in modern English of THE JESTS OF GEORGE PEELE by an anonymous author. M. Peele was the Elizabethan playwright who wrote these plays: THE ARRAIGNMENT OF PARIS THE BATTLE OF ALCAZAR DAVID AND BATHSHEBA EDWARD I THE OLD WIVES’ TALE He also may have co-written TITUS ANDRONICUS with William Shakespeare. In Elizabethan England, a "jest" is a notable deed.
George Peele’s Edward I: A Retelling
Series: George Peele. Price: Free! Words: 46,300. Language: American English. Published: December 29, 2020 . Categories: Fiction » Historical » United Kingdom, Fiction » Historical » Medieval
This is an easy-to-read retelling of George Peele's history play EDWARD I. People who read this retelling first will find the original play much easier to read and understand.
The Taming of a Shrew: A Retelling
Series: Anonymous. Price: Free! Words: 22,850. Language: English. Published: November 1, 2020 . Categories: Fiction » Classics, Fiction » Literature » Literary
The play "The Taming of a Shrew" was a major source for William Shakespeare when he wrote "The Taming of the Shrew." In "The Taming of a Shrew" a man named Ferando marries and tames a shrew named Kate. The play "The Taming of a Shrew" may have been written by Christopher Marlowe as a parody for his own work.
George Peele's The Battle of Alcazar: A Retelling
Series: George Peele. Price: Free! Words: 19,460. Language: English. Published: February 22, 2020 . Categories: Fiction » Historical » Medieval, Fiction » Literature » Literary
This is an easy-to-read retelling of the Elizabethan playwright George Peele's history play THE BATTLE OF ALCAZAR. Reading this retelling first will make reading the original play much easier.
John Webster’s The White Devil: A Retelling
Price: Free! Words: 55,730. Language: American English. Published: January 18, 2020 . Categories: Fiction » Historical » United Kingdom, Fiction » Literature » Literary
This is an easy-to-read retelling of John Webster's THE WHITE DEVIL. Reading this retelling first will make reading the original play much easier to understand.
George Peele’s David and Bathsheba, and the Tragedy of Absalom: A Retelling
Series: George Peele. Price: Free! Words: 26,120. Language: English. Published: November 30, 2019 . Categories: Fiction » Christian » Historical, Fiction » Historical » Ancient
This is a retelling of George’s Peele’s DAVID AND BATHSHEBA, AND THE TRAGEDY OF ABSALOM In easy-to-read language. Many Elizabethan plays are based on mythology, but this is the only extant history play based solely on the Bible (and the playwright’s imagination).
John Ford: Eight Plays Translated into Modern English
Series: John Ford. Price: Free! Words: 289,290. Language: American English. Published: November 7, 2019 . Categories: Fiction » Literary collections » European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Fiction » Historical » United Kingdom
This book contains the eight plays that John Ford wrote without a collaborator: The Broken Heart, The Fancies, Chaste and Noble, The Lady’s Trial, The Lover’s Melancholy, Love’s Sacrifice, Perkin Warbeck, The Queen, ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore. These plays have been translated into easy-to-read modern English.
John Ford’s The Fancies, Chaste And Noble: A Retelling
Series: John Ford. Price: Free! Words: 37,300. Language: American English. Published: November 3, 2019 . Categories: Fiction » Historical » Renaissance, Fiction » Literature » Literary
This is an easy-to-read retelling of John Ford's THE FANCIES, CHASTE AND NOBLE. People who read this retelling first will find the original play much easier to read. This book has a happy ending.
John Ford’s The Lady’s Trial: A Retelling
Series: John Ford. Price: Free! Words: 41,620. Language: American English. Published: October 11, 2019 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Historical » General, Fiction » Literature » Literary
This is an easy-to-read retelling of John Ford's THE LADY'S TRIAL. People who read this retelling first will find the original play much easier to read. This book has a happy ending.
The Merry Devil of Edmonton: A Retelling
Series: Anonymous. Price: Free! Words: 27,290. Language: English. Published: September 4, 2019 . Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Historical, Fiction » Romance » Historical » General
This is an easy-to-read retelling of THE MERRY DEVIL OF EDMONTON, a popular anonymous comedy of the Elizabethan era. At one time, William Shakespeare was believed to have written the play. in this play, Peter Fabell, a magician known as the Merry Devil of Edmonton, helps a young man and a young woman to marry despite the opposition of their parents. This play has a happy ending.
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David Bruce's favorite authors on Smashwords

Carla Evans
Latest book: Aging is Not for Sissies.
Published February 20, 2017.
Carleen Jamison
Latest book: Inappropriate Reactions.
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Martha Farmer
Latest book: Aging is Not for Sissies.
Published February 20, 2017.
Rosa Jones
Latest book: Aging is Not for Sissies.
Published February 20, 2017.

Smashwords book reviews by David Bruce