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Welcome.Bill Farina began writing non-fiction books in 2004, and has with each work turned his attention to a different topic. This is a reflection of his diverse personal interests and his firm belief that today’s society needs less technical specialization and more critical thinking. To his pleasant surprise, many of his readers feel the same way. His short-essay style combines scholarly research with low-key informality, offering a distinctive kind of executive summary for today’s overstressed reader. Bill was born and reared in LaPorte, Indiana, where he attended the public schools. He earned a B.A. in English and Philosophy, then a law degree, from Valparaiso University, where he attended undergraduate on a baseball scholarship. Soon after, he moved to the Chicago area and became a member of the Illinois bar. Since 1979, he has enjoyed a successful career as a real estate analyst and consultant. Today, Bill and his wife Marion Buckley live in central Wisconsin. A seasoned public speaker and discussion panelist, Bill has appeared as a guest presenter at some of the most distinguished independent book stores and literary venues across the country. His first three books are about people who could hardly appear more different: English playwright (and possible pseudonym) William Shakespeare, American Civil War general and memoirist Ulysses S. Grant, and Saint Perpetua of Carthage, martyr and diarist. All left outstanding written legacies from their respective vantage points in history, and offered valuable insights applicable to our turbulent present times as well. Bill’s upcoming fourth book on the medieval French poet Chrétien de Troyes, father of the Arthurian romance, will continue his exploration of the surprising links between literature of the distant past and today’s rapidly changing world. |
3rd Century North African martyr’s life
had remarkable parallels to modern times
Bill's third book examines the history of a famous third-century Christian martyr, Perpetua of Carthage. Perpetua was a Roman aristocrat and mother who converted from paganism and left a diary of her imprisonment, later completed by an eyewitness to her execution. To research his work, Farina traveled to modern-day Tunisia where, somewhat to his surprise, he found the imposing remains of ancient Rome and Carthage casually juxtaposed with everyday life in the 21st century. He now firmly believes that early religious heroes such as Perpetua have much to teach all of us about religious conviction, as well as toleration. Read more
Confederates on the family tree: U.S. Grant
from a Southern point of view
William Farina's maternal forebears fought on the side of
the Confederacy. During the war, his great-grandfather, three of his
great-great-grandfathers, and one of his great-great-great grandfathers signed
up to fight, as well as numerous great uncles and cousins. Many hurriedly left
Georgia for Virginia to fight under the command of General Robert E. Lee for
most of the conflict. "I grew up with an oral tradition of my family's role in
the Civil War," Farina reports. "I have vivid memories, dating back to my early
childhood, of relatives telling me many stories."
Capturing the intrigues, excitement and triumphs of U.S. Grant's Civil War career therefore seemed like a natural undertaking to Farina, since his ancestors' fortunes were so closely linked to the outcome. Ulysses S. Grant, 1861-1864 is the result. Read more
Whatever happened to critical thinking?
The Shakespeare authorship question
A lifelong Shakespeare hobbyist, William Farina was
initially exposed to the authorship question in high school, but didn't take it
seriously until 1998, when he was encouraged by friends to read some classic
works on the subject. The turning point for him came upon becoming dissatisfied
with the often superficial, dismissive reactions to this issue from orthodox
professional academics. He observed that they sometimes attack the person
asking the question rather than directly addressing the question itself. This
became the impetus behind the creation of De Vere as Shakespeare.
Farina has delivered his entertaining and informative presentations on Shakespeare authorship at such notable venues as The Newberry Library, the Feltre School, the DePaul Geographical Society, the Shakespeare Roundtable, the Shakespeare Oxford Society/Shakespeare Fellowship Joint Conference, and many book stores across the country. He consistently draws enthusiastic audiences. Concordia University-Portland, sponsor of the annual Shakespeare Authorship Studies Conference, bestowed its 2007 Award for Scholarly Excellence upon Farina in recognition of his outstanding contribution of De Vere as Shakespeare to the authorship literary arena. Read more