He writes regularly about history and the arts for Smithsonian Magazine, which has published more than 60 of his stories. An article he wrote for Smithsonian in 2006, "To Be or Not To Be Shakespeare," on the so-called authorship controversy drew more letters than any story he has ever written. A former book and magazine editor, Stewart has also written for Time, Discover, Geo, Muse, and Connoisseur. The Boy Who Would Be Shakespeare is his first book.