Lincoln Buff 2

A new year, a new blog

2012-01-03T07:16:00.009-06:00

Whew! That was a year - 2011 was.

I retired from one job, started another, finished renovations on a home, kept it in tip-top shape while anticipating potential buyers dropping in with little notice, and welcomed a new grandchild to the fold.

I thought I'd blog here a little.

Wrong!

Still loving the new job

I absolutely, positively LOVE my new job as co-editor of Ragan Communications' Health Care Communication News, but it took me a bit of time to get in the groove. Working from home has a gazillion advantages. (Gee, I should write a blog post on them someday.)

But it also has one drawback. You tend to just keep working. There's no "If you don't leave by such-and-such-a-time, the lights go out." There's no one locking the door. So, if you love what you're doing, you just keep doing it. I did (love it). I also often did keep working.

And that, perhaps, is another reason why I neglected Lincoln Buff 2 blog. I guess you could say I felt unworthy to write about Lincoln once the Civil War Sesquicentennial and the sesquicentennial of the White House years started. My areas of knowledge, passion and expertise are Lincoln's early years, his time in Illinois, the allure and inspiration of the popular Lincoln. Those things were easy to share during the Bicentennial years. I loved finding and sharing information about events and books so that I could inspire others to learn about Lincoln.

Here's the funny thing. I do essentially the same thing as a health care co-editor as I did during the Bicentennial. I find information people need, I write articles about it, I share. It's just what I loved when I was doing this blog every day. In a way, it's another reason why this blog is in a resting period. Research takes time. Doing it for two efforts? Takes more effort than I can give, I think. The job took priority and this blog lay dormant.

What I miss

I don't feel badly about not writing about aspects of Lincoln that I don't fully understand. That wouldn't be fair to my readers. I do feel badly about letting down the readers who enjoyed my Lincoln-related posts and who may have been inspired to learn a little more about him because of my enthusiasm.

And, I miss my readers. Some of them have become such wonderful friends and mentors over the past three years.

So, I'm back. I'm not laying Lincoln Buff 2 to rest. It's still my first blog, the one that helped me remember how much I love to write, that connected me with wonderful Lincoln enthusiasts worldwide and even helped create a few new ones. It will still be here for you to read, and I'll still do a post once in a blue moon, but I'd love it if you'd come follow me to my new blog.

Where you can find me

I just gave birth to my new blog yesterday. It's where I'll share my thoughts on all sorts of other things in my life. (Bet you didn't know that I do think about things besides Lincoln.)

I do have other passions. In the coming weeks I'll share some of them on the new blog.

I've envisioned a venue such as this for more than a dozen years -- a place where I could share the things I ponder, the things I write that are not Lincoln- or health care-related. And, believe me, these wheels are always ticking and, many days, these fingers are the conduit through which 1,000 words or more pour onto a page. Many go toward book manuscripts, some go into personal correspondence and some are just begging to be shared.

Those beggers -- you'll find them in my new blog, Musings on Route 66.

Come along for the ride.

Oh, and that house? It's still on the market. That new grandbaby? She still likes to be rocked. Her cousins? They like to go fishing or play board games with Grandma from time to time, too, so please forgive me if, once in a while, I step away from the keyboard to just be.

For it's in being that we often find fodder for musings. Isn't it a wonderful thing?

Lincoln Buff 2 writes anew

2011-05-15T18:30:00.007-05:00

I'm ba-a-a-a-ck!

I started Lincoln Buff 2 in October 2008 as my contribution to the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial. For more than a year, I wrote of Lincoln events, books, sites, and more. I travelled central Illinois, and later went to both the east and west coasts visiting places with Lincoln connections. I met most of the leading Lincoln scholars and many enthusiasts. I built friendships and mentoring relationships I'll always cherish. I went to two events where President Obama was speaking, and even met Stedman Graham at one of them. (No, still haven't met Oprah, darn it!)

A funny thing happened on the way to the bicentennial. I wrote more and more and fell even deeper in love with words and how they play together on a page. I also fell deeply and passionately in love with social media. Long after I'd run out of energy to write daily blog posts, I seemed to find abundant energy for Twitter. I've stumbled across people around the world to follow, or to follow me. I've even found a couple unlikely mentors who have propelled me to pursue my dreams.

Dreams do come true

One of those dreams was to write a book. My first manuscript, in which Lincoln plays a very strong part, is now with a publisher. When I get good news on that, I'll share it here. Lincoln hasn't come knocking at the door of the second book (still a work in progress) yet, and very likely won't. It's now longer than Richard Bach's 10,000 word "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" -- and growing every day.

Another of my dreams, which includes a relocation to a home on a lake in Missouri, was to find a career with the portability to make that move when the time comes -- and, most importantly, doing something I love. I love writing. I love social media. I love companies with a vision in which I believe.

New moniker - Co-editor

On April 1, I began that career. I am co-editor of Health Care Communication News, a Ragan Communications website to provide health care communicators with information they can use to be better communicators.

On Friday, May 13, we unveiled our new website. I'd love it if you'd drop in for a visit. Believe me, even non-health care communicators, even non-communicators, will find stories they'll enjoy. We publish daily, we do a ton of stories, and we enjoy writing them. We select the images to accompany them, and we try to make that fun, too.

You can still read my words

So, if you started reading my blog because you loved Lincoln, but you kind of liked my words, too, and how I had fun playing with them, drop by our health care communication website, read a story or two, and if you like them, leave a comment, please. We love comments.

You can also still follow me on Twitter as:

@LincolnBuff2, tweeting about a wide variety of things, often things to uplift, inspire, or inform, or

@RaganHealth, tweeting links to stories on all of our Ragan websites, kibitzing with health care communicators, and retweeting links I think our readers will enjoy.

Just to get you started, here are some of the health care stories I most enjoyed writing these past six weeks. I think you'll like some of them, too.

Blogging frontier health care practitioners connect with their founder

Remember the invisible man? He’s interactive and online!

300-pound blogger inspired by most ripped Congressman

Ragan.com by remote: The power is out, but the news is on

Do you have social media stress disorder?

5 things docs should do to cut the jargon

Lincoln is still with me, honestly

Don't worry. I haven't forgotten Lincoln. He is with me everyday, really. Back when I worked as a communications analyst at an insurance company, I had a big penny on my desk to remind me to pursue my dreams. I also had a lot of other Lincoln-related items, including a desk calendar from one of my readers, who has become a friend. In more than one room of my house are bookshelves with Lincoln books. Heck, he's even on one of my favorite T-shirts. Some of those desk items are not yet unpacked from the box where I put them when I left my old job, but the penny and the calendar are here with me every day to remind me that Lincoln will always play a role in making my dreams come true, no matter what they are.

For, if a grocer from the prairie could become the President of the United States, another former grocer and insurance scribe 150 years later can surely see her dreams come true, can't she?

Career number three, watch out! Here comes Ann.

2011-03-31T05:05:00.012-05:00

Hello, world. Wonder where I’ve been? Who I am? Where I’m going?

Me, too.

To my many loyal readers who came every day during the bicentennial year looking for information on Lincoln events, news of Lincoln celebrations, reviews of Lincoln books or a look at Lincoln sites and a bit about scholars, thank you. You motivated me, you sustained me. You made all the work seem like play.

For more than a year, from October 2008 to February 2010, this blog was my life. Sharing with you my passion for Abraham Lincoln drove me, sustained me. Then, for a while, I took a rest. I needed it. Next, with the help of my family, we set about some renovations here at home to prepare for a coming transition.

Finally, I was off in pursuit of my next goal – what I would do for a living when my husband and I relocate from our home on the prairies of Central Illinois to the rolling hills and calming waters of Mid-Missouri. It’s a return to roots for me in a sense, as my grandfather left Missouri for Illinois and my grandmother nearly 100 years ago.

What I didn’t expect was for the goalpost to drop clear off the field, to be replaced by a backstop, a basket, a goal net at the end of an arena.

In the past year, seemingly out of nowhere, I had an opportunity to write a book, to apply for a coveted fellowship and to post for a marvelous new career. The book’s still a work in progress, the fellowship pursuit moved to the back burner for another time and the new career starts now. I can’t wait.

The first day of the rest of my life

As I publish this post this morning, I’m about to head off to my last day of work at COUNTRY® Financial, where I’ve spent the last 13 and a half years. When I began this blog, I took great care never to mix my blogger life with my professional life. I never wanted anything I did here to reflect in any way on the very fine organization for which I worked. Yet, always, I kept in mind that as a COUNTRY employee, even in my off hours, I was representing the organization. So, I avoided controversy, used appropriate language, wrote so I would never be embarrassed if my mother read what I wrote. (She does, so that was good on more than one account.)

If this is the first time ever you’ve heard what I did for a living, it’s as I intended – not because I wasn’t proud of where I was, but on the contrary, because I respected a fine organization and wanted never to do anything to disappoint it (the old mother rule again – works pretty well in life, I think).

At COUNTRY, I had the opportunity to use what I learned in my first career – almost 30 years in customer service at a supermarket – and to build further the skills for a career that didn’t even exist when I started stacking the blocks. I worked first in the Loss Reporting Unit, fielding calls from clients calling in claims, then in the Customer Service Center, assisting clients when their financial representatives weren’t available, and finally in Communications, where I wrote for our corporate intranet and worked on other communication as well.

Now, at the stage in life when some choose to retire, I take those skills and move on. Monday, April 4, is the first day of my new life. I start my third career – one with yet another well-respected organization whose Vision is one in which I believe.

My cube just got bigger

As I retire from COUNTRY today, I’m stepping out of a fabric-covered cubicle and into a space with no boundaries. I’ll be co-editing the Ragan Communications website for healthcare communicators, and my cube is wherever I can research, write, post stories. It can be my home office, my deck, a coffee shop or conference – anywhere I can be connected and connect.

When I was a new communicator, my manager and coworkers introduced me to Ragan newsletters and webinars. Later, they shared information they learned at Ragan conferences and sent links to communication-related articles on Ragan’s websites. Now, I’ll be attending some of those conferences myself, writing for the website, building relationships with readers as starved for helpful information as I once was, still am.

What I’ll be doing for Ragan is really much like what I did here during the Bicentennial – finding information my readers need and want and sharing it with them.

Please come visit our healthcare communications website and snoop around on our other Ragan websites, listed at the top of the Ragan.com home page.

And follow me on Twitter as @RaganHealth.

Don’t forget to tell your friends or family members who are healthcare communicators to follow me there. In this day and age, that moniker fits many – not just marketing or public relations people at hospitals, but doctors, nurses, health departments, pharmaceutical representatives - essentially anyone, anywhere who communicates with the public about healthcare, through traditional or social media or, yes, even in person.

Lincoln Buff 2 isn’t dead yet

In case you’re wondering about Lincoln Buff 2, don’t be too alarmed. She’s still kicking, just less frequently and with different moves than during the bicentennial year. I still tweet as @LincolnBuff2. I’ll still drop in here from time to time and you’ll still find me cropping up at Lincoln events here and there.

This Lincoln jaunt has been an unbelievable journey. I set out in search of Abe and found Ann. And, she’s having a blast!

Thanks for joining me on my trek. You’ve made it all the more amazing.

Hugs,

Ann

P.S. Wonder why the big smile? You would be, too, if you were retiring and heading for an opportunity doing something else you love almost as much as Lincoln. Yes, I am in love with social media, too. You can tell my hubby if you want, but I think he's already figured it out. ;-)

Happy birthday #202, President Lincoln!

2011-02-12T05:26:00.005-06:00

Here in Illinois, where we grow up living and breathing the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln, the prairie lad who made it from a log cabin to the White House, it's not hard to forget what February 12th is, even though someone, sometime, somewhere created some joint birthday celebration and called it President's Day.

Yep, you can't even walk or drive past a vehicle in the Prairie State without being reminded it's the Land of Lincoln. And, that's okay with me. I can be assured that, thanks to my license plate, no matter where I travel on this nation's highways, I'm evangelizing for my pal, Lincoln.

Lincoln lives
Today, folks, Lincoln turns 202. I know, I know, as my coworker friends and old school chums, who constantly rib me, would remind me, "No, Ann, he's not 202. He's dead, remember?"

And, you know what I've got to say about that? John Wilkes Booth may have snuffed the life out of his body, but no one will ever kill his spirit, quelch the "right to rise"* which he so strongly represents. In 1950s, when I first discovered Lincoln, the 1970s when I introduced him to my own daughter, the 1990s, when I shared his story with my first grandson, or the 21st century when we celebrated the bicentennial of his birth and began using all kinds of new technology and mediums to share his story, we can still learn from Lincoln, we can still be inspired by his story.

Take time for Lincoln
Dear reader, today please take a minute to learn something new about Lincoln yourself. Find a Lincoln story you didn't know, discover a Lincoln letter or speech, learn a lesson from the life he lived. Then, when you do, tell someone. Teach a child of 4 or a grandparent of 94.

Find the Lincoln site nearest you and take your friends and family along to visit. Drop in at a senior center or a nursing home and let someone with Lincoln-like wit and wisdom tell you what they remember learning about our 16th President, how he inspired them.

Watch a documentary, read a book, pen your own tribute to Lincoln. But don't let this day pass by without stopping to reflect on how different this country, this state, perhaps even our lives would have been if this man had never lived or risen to a stature not unlike many of his statues - larger than life.

Join us in Springfield
As for me, you'll find me in the same place I was last year and the year before and a Lincoln's birthday when I was a child and Illinois kids still got his birthday as a day out of school - in Springfield. There's tons to do down there all day today, much of it free of cost. If you're in the neighborhood, check out this blog post by my Lincoln blogger colleague, Chris Umhoefer, on his Heart of Lincoln Land blog. I'll be at events at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Lincoln's Home and more. Hope to see you there!

Follow me on Twitter
I'm also on Twitter as LincolnBuff2. Though my tweets since the bicentennial have become much more eclectic, reflecting many of my interests - books, museums, National Parks, aviation, social media, and my favorite authors, such as Richard Bach and Richard Paul Evans, I still remember Old Abe from time to time.

Today, as I attend events in Springfield, I'll try to tweet when I can. I don't have a snazzy new 3G or 4G phone yet, so my Twitter application is a bit clunky and uncooperative at times. I'll tweet some, though. Please, don't hesitate to tweet a link to this article or retweet my Lincoln's birthday tweets.

Happy Lincoln Day, blogosphere! Ann

* "Right to rise" is a term made famous by Lincoln scholar, Gabor Boritt, a Hungarian refugee, whose own story of rising above adversity is told in a marvelous documentary, Budapest to Gettysburg, directed by his son Jake Boritt.

Honor Lincoln and help break world record

2011-02-10T20:39:00.006-06:00

Hey, friends.

Our buddy Abraham Lincoln's birthday isn't until Saturday, but tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 11, 2011 at 11 a.m., Central Time, you can join in and give him a gargantuan birthday gift. As part of the kickoff of the Civil War Sequicentenial and on the 150th anniversary of the day Lincoln said farewell to Springfield, you can help break a world record.

At the Great Western Depot, known as the Lincoln Depot, and at sites all around the nation, people will gather for a simultaneous reading of Lincoln's Farewell Address. This speech is still one of the ones that always moves me the most. I can't read it or hear it without getting tears in my eyes.

You can learn all about the celebration, rules and more at the special website dedicated to the event. And, be sure you watch the video, where my friend, Lincoln, (Fritz Klein on other days) delivers his very powerful performance of the speech.

New year, new motivation, even new links

2011-01-28T23:47:00.011-06:00

Nothing like waiting until nearly the end of the month to write my first blog post, huh? Especially when I haven't written one for more than three months. What a slacker...

Well, I'm back, folks. I won't be writing as often as I did during the bicentennial, but I will try to write more often than I did in 2010.

Redefining my mission
One of my biggest questions these last few weeks, months has been what my mission should be going forward. During the bicentennial year, I devoted nearly every waking, non-working moment of my time to my Lincoln mission. I wanted to make sure you, my visitors, had all the information you needed to get to the events in your communities, know of the tributes across the country, not miss out on celebrating Lincoln at 200 years. I had a blast! Hope you did, too.

From October 2008 through December 2009, I did more than 200 blog posts, attended more events than I can remember, met many people I never imagined I'd meet, and visited Lincoln sites I'd only dreamed of ever seeing. Most days, I was lucky to get four or five hours of sleep a night. And, you know what? It was worth it! I loved what I was doing. I did it as much for me as I did for you.

The reality of it, though, was that I couldn't keep that pace up forever. In 2010, I caught up on family, home renovations and more. I did a lot of soul searching trying to determine what my role should be going forward, what this blog should be. I knew there were several big years coming up between fall 2010 and 2015 - the sesquicentennial of Lincoln's inauguration, journey to the White House, Presidential years, assassination and train trip home. Add to that the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, and it makes me want to take a nap just thinking of how much there is to be learned, rediscovered.

New motivation
Don't worry. My mission has always been to use my passion for the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln to inspire yours. That hasn't changed. What has changed is the medium through which I feel I can best do this and move toward my dreams.

I love Lincoln. If you've read one blog post or 100, you know that with all certainty. I have another love, writing - and this blog has been an incredible outlet for that. But, last fall I had an opportunity of a lifetime - a chance to write my first book, one about Lincoln. My manuscript finished, I sent it off for some review, and am now back at work on revisions.

It was time to reassess where I need to put my time, my energy, my talents. I struggled with this. I love my readers, I loved blogging, but I knew with the sequicentennial coming, to cover it, I'd be back where I was in 2008 and 2009. I just can't do that - and write my books.

And, besides, the Lincoln I know best is the popular Lincoln, the Illinois guy who made it big against all odds, the self-made man, lifelong learner from humble beginnings who inspires and motivates. I don't know politics, I don't know the Civil War, I am not nearly as familiar with the White House years. So, it was time to step back and say, "Ann, you've got to let others do this."

There are other folks writing about Lincoln now, and even more writing about the Civil War. I urge you to seek them out.

In the meantime, I'll drop in from time to time, to alert you to a new book or a Lincoln event. But for the most part, my energy will be to finish this book and write the next one. Hope you'll all be around to read it when it's done.

New links
I have updated some links on my blog and you'll find I've also rearranged the left-hand navigation some. With the bicentennial past, some of those websites are no longer available. I've removed dead links. I also added some Lincoln sites I overlooked in the past. Because there are so very many Civil War blogs, I've provided you one-stop shopping with a link to one website which lists a number of Civil War sites.

I haven't forgotten you, folks. Please don't forget me. At Lincoln Buff 2. you'll still find links to lots of information you need and lots of interesting information about Lincoln in my more than 200 earlier blog posts. Thanks for visiting. Ann

I am an author

2010-10-22T00:02:00.003-05:00

I looked up author in the dictionary: the writer of a literary work (as a book).

It doesn't say "published book." It just says "book." I wrote one, folks. Typed those precious three letters -end- about an hour ago.

So, I guess I am an author.

I can't yet share much, but I can tell you you'll find Lincoln in this book, he'll inspire you and you'll learn from him. Along the way, you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll stop and think.

There's more to this whole writing process than meets the eye, folks - tears, exhilaration, doubt, certainty. And, at the end there is one tremendous sense of satisfaction!

Next steps
This was but one step in an ongoing process. First, you fight the ideas. Then, once you find it, you fight to keep the words from rushing out at times when you can't capture them. Next, you make it the biggest priority ever, so you can write, write, write. You write till you drop. You write till you're done. Then you type -end-.

It will rest a bit now, then undergo sculpting, rest a bit again, get some polish, and travel away.

I'll let you know how the journey goes. I can tell you I'm very proud of my little gem.

Thanks to all who offered their support. I did it!

Ann

In the zone

2010-10-09T08:02:00.003-05:00

To fulfill a lifelong dream and, hopefully, to entertain and inspire others, I am now working on a manuscript. I must make it a priority, or it will not come to be as it is destined. I must be: In. The. Zone.

So, effective immediately, I will not be checking Twitter or my other social media vehicles. Writing is, it must be - for me, at least - a very solitary journey.

Distractions are DreamKillers, so I must slay them first.

Encouragement, on the other hand, is a DreamBuilder. I need it. If you are so inclined - or destined - to encourage me, please post a comment on my blog. I will not check daily and I may not reply often, but I will read every one, and they will fuel the writer that is me, and I will be forever in your debt.

If I can leave you with one final thought, as I begin this journey, it is this: Listen. Do you hear who you are or are supposed to be? Do you see your dream - off there in the distance? What are you doing to make it come true? Isn't it time to start?

And, of course, I'd be remiss in not saying, look every day for the lessons you can learn from our friend, Mr. Lincoln, and hear, and use them in your lives.

Outta here and in the zone...

Hugs,
Ann

Long gone - Gone longer

2010-10-03T21:14:00.004-05:00

To all my readers: My apologies for not posting more frequently in 2010. This has been a busy year for my family and me, and I readjusted priorities for a while.

I wanted to let you know they've shifted again, but keep your fingers crossed. You just might have something pretty doggoned cool to look forward to.

I am now writing again - but in a different medium.

I've been blessed through my late-in-life writing and research career with some of the most magificent mentors ever - brilliant, gifted, supportive, prolific writers. They've been with me as I tried to find myself, provided me with information I sought and, above all, encouraged me with great sincerity to pursue my dreams. I have, and it has been good, great, quite often even greater than great.

Now, with a subtle nudge (Okay, it wasn't subtle. It was a push off a cliff without a parachute.) from another incredible mentor, I am writing - a book! The words are coming in torrents and I think, I believe, I know, this is the story I was supposed to tell all along. As one of my oldest (in time, not age), dearest friends told me when she heard, "Ann, you've been writing around writing long enough!" And so, I write.

If I achieve my goal, it will teach, entertain, make you laugh, make you cry and fulfill one of my greatest dreams.

Yes, if you were wondering, Mr. Lincoln is in it - and a suprising supporting cast. No, none of them are vampires.

Thanks for dropping by. Thanks for your support. Don't forget - learn something new, every day - every single day. And, if it's about Lincoln, all the better.

Please know, I will be back in the blogosphere eventually. It's been too great a part of my Lincoln life to leave behind.

Till next time,
Ann

A few good Lincoln books for the long weekend

2010-06-30T22:20:00.004-05:00

Looking for a good book to take to the park or beach or to read on your deck or in your comfy chair? During the bicentennial year, I shared my take on some of my favs.

Check out my reviews here:

Lincoln the Lawyer by Brian Dirck and Lincoln Legends: Myths, Hoaxes and Confabulations Associated with our Greatest President by Edward Steers, Jr.
Lincoln by David Herbert Donald
The Lincolns: Portrait of a Marriage by Daniel Mark Epstein
Lincoln President-Elect: Abraham Lincoln and the Great Secession Winter 1860-1861 by Harold Holzer
In Lincoln’s Hand: His Original Manuscripts by Harold Holzer and Joshua Wolf Shenk
Looking for Lincoln: The Making of an American Icon and other books by Philip B. Kunhardt III and family members
Abraham Lincoln by James M. McPherson
Lincoln’s Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness by Joshua Wolf Shenk

If you’re a first-time visitor to my blog, you’ll find more than 200 blog posts on Lincoln Buff 2. As you have time, check them out. I’ve always hoped that my enthusiasm for Abraham Lincoln’s story is contagious. By reading my posts from the past couple years, you can relive the bicentennial through my eyes. Thanks for visiting. Enjoy the journey – and come back often.

I'll be back...

2010-06-29T22:33:00.004-05:00

Thanks to Mike Kienzler, who writes The Abraham Lincoln Observer blog for The State Journal-Register. You'll find The ALO at http://blogs.sj-r.com/alo.

I appreciate your words of congratulations, Mike, and your challenge to get back into the blogosphere. Although my time is somewhat limited of late, I think readers will find much of interest in my earlier posts.

So, come back again folks. My next post, to be published later this week, will lead you to my reviews about a handful of the scores of books written about Lincoln in recent years. I can bet with great certainty no matter what your interest, you'll find a Lincoln book you'll enjoy among those I'll share.

Keep your eyes open - and come back to see what I've found to share with you.

In the meantime, keep on reading something every day - even if it's Twitter or an online news source. Now, like never before, people across the world are sharing a wealth of information. Make sure you take the time to take advantage of the opportunities in your path.

Lincoln Buff 2 Bicentennial Campaign was a winner

2010-06-27T19:53:00.004-05:00

I was gone when the mail arrived yesterday, so someone else brought it in the house. Imagine my excitement when, on my kitchen counter, I saw a large white mailer with a yellow sticker bearing the words, "APEX Award Notification." I'd entered my Lincoln Buff 2 Blog and Twitter account in the Twenty-second Annual APEX Awards for Publication Excellence: A Competition for Communications Professionals. I must admit I'm pretty darned excited my work earned these laurels.

From October 2008 to December 2010, I posted more than 200 blog posts and too many tweets to count in celebration of the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln. I presented the two as a Lincoln Bicentennial Campaign in the Special Purpose Campaigns, Programs and Plans category. I was one of five winners in my category. One of the others was from ESPN!

The APEX Award drew more than 3,700 entries this year in 11 major categories, 127 subcategories. Grand Awards went to 100 people for outstanding work. Awards of Excellence, like mine, recognize exceptional entries - 1,132 in all.

Thanks, APEX for the opportunity to enter your competition and for recognizing my efforts in keeping the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln alive 200 years after his birth.

Vampire Hunter author haunts Chicago's Lincoln book store

2010-04-15T21:48:00.013-05:00

I thought I'd heard it all until a few weeks ago. I was shopping with my grandson in a gift shop at the Indiana State Museum while visiting the Lincoln exhibits there. A shopper picked up a copy of Seth Grahame-Smith's "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter." I remarked, "Amazingly enough, that's becoming pretty popular, even though it's fiction."

The clerk behind the counter quipped something like, "Yes, Lincoln hunted vampires because his mother was killed by one."

The shopper, a gentleman likely in his forties, looked at her with wide eyes and asked, "Really?"

Now, I've met gullible people before, but this guy took the cake. I'm not sure what shocked me more - that he didn't know what fiction was or that he believed there really are vampires and Lincoln's mother was killed by one!

I guess that's one reason why I take a step back when I hear that someone's doing a work of fiction about Lincoln. There are enough myths already, going back to the days when Lincoln's law partner, William Herndon, began interviewing people who knew Lincoln. Herndon's early oral history project, begun shortly after Lincoln's death, has been invaluable to researchers. It must be treated with skepticism, though, for at least a couple reasons - because, as my mentor John E. Hallwas teaches, memory constantly reshapes itself and because some people created their own Lincoln lore to paint their relationships with Lincoln in a brighter light historically.

Yet, I think this Grahame-Smith guy may just have something here. This book seems to be going great guns - and the author is cropping up at book signings all over the place. Heck, my buddy Michael Krebs (aka Mr. Lincoln) even appears in a promotional video as the vampire hunter.

I guess my friends at the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop think the book's got value, too. Daniel Weinberg is one of the nation's leading Lincoln authorities and his Virtual Book Signing has hosted Lincoln authors from Harold Holzer, James McPherson and Michael Burlingame to Senator George McGovern. He sits on all kinds of Lincoln-related boards and things - and, through the years, has earned the respect of hundreds of Lincoln scholars, enthusiasts and collectors.

I'm betting Weinberg knows what I suspect - that any way we can get people enthused about Lincoln is good. And, if it takes a work like this one to reach an audience who really hadn't thought much about our sixteenth president, then that's okay.

Watch Virtual Book Signing

This Friday night, April 16, 2010 at 6 p.m. Central Time, he's welcoming Grahame-Smith to his book-filled sanctuary in the Windy City, where the aged wood throughout creates a warm welcome. You can join them - right from the comfort of your own computer. Just log on to Virtual Book Signing from home. Don't worry if you're late, as you can join it anytime during the program.

We'll get to hear all about this latest Lincoln book. What's even neater is that you can ask a question yourself if you'd like - right during the show. And, you know what? They'll try to get to your question. They've read mine during several book signings.

So don't forget now - Friday, April 16, 6 p.m. Chicago Time. (Isn't that what CT stands for?)

But, do me a favor, would you? Please don't be as gullible as that guy in the museum gift store. Shoot, he even had my seven-year-old companion laughing!

By the way, Seth, good luck. Hope we run into each other on the Lincoln circuit. I just pray you don't sic your vampires or vampire hunters on me. I'd kind of like to live to see that grandson grow up.

Know why? He's a Lincoln buff, too!

Note: To Anonymous, who submitted feedback today about a Civil War diary. I note that this same comment was posted to an article yesterday and stimulated a great deal of discourse. I do not have the time nor the energy to moderate a large flow of comments with folks arguing back and forth, so I have rejected your post. Though there are others who welcome and thrive on such conversation, I'm sorry. I just don't. Best wishes to you, Ann

It’s only just begun – Lincoln’s legacy beyond the Bicentennial

2010-04-12T23:30:00.008-05:00

The first message started like many others over the past couple years: “Hi Ann! We'd love to have you add our upcoming event to your blog!”

The follow-up message contained the one word I knew I’d dread when I saw it – "closing."

I became interested in the Bicentennial nearly a decade ago, when I first read of plans for a nationwide celebration to honor Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday. I set into place a seven-year plan, vowing to do “significant Lincoln-related work” myself by the time Feb. 12, 2009 rolled around. That plan didn’t play out exactly as I planned, but it turned out pretty good after all.

Little did I know then that I’d be writing a blog about Lincoln nearly every day for a year. Heck, back then, I’d never even heard of a blog!

Now, the official Bicentennial is coming to a close, and I’ve been asked to invite you to the last big hurrah! I didn’t want to just share the canned news release many others might share. I wanted to give you a “value-added version,” so I went right to the top.

U.S. Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Co-chairman Harold Holzer, also author of more than 30 books on Lincoln, came through for me with a wrap up I think you’ll all enjoy. And, Matt Pinsker, who will speak on Lincoln in the digital age at the closing event, provided some insight on where we’re going from here. I think you’ll enjoy reading what both of them had to say.

The Bicentennial Commission’s closing program

The commission wants you to know:

“On behalf of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, you're invited to attend the Commission's closing program on April 19, 2010 from 12:00 noon. - 1:00 p.m. at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Building in Washington , D.C.“We will celebrate Lincoln once more, reflecting not only on his life and legacy beyond this Bicentennial year but also challenging the latest generation to apply Lincoln to our present and continue to struggle for ‘a more perfect union.’

“Join us for an engaging presentation by Matt Pinsker, Brian Pohanka Chair of Civil War History at Dickinson College and author of “Lincoln 's Sanctuary: Abraham Lincoln and the Soldiers' Home.” Dr. Pinsker will share his thoughts on the impact of an emerging digital age of Lincoln scholarship. He will then open the floor for questions and conversation with the audience. We hope you will join with fellow esteemed scholars, elected officials, students and community leaders for this exciting event.

”For more info and to register, please visit http://www.lincolnliveson.com/.”

Here’s the scoop:

Monday, April 19, 2010

12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
US Department of Agriculture Building

Patio Room1400

Independence Ave., S.W.

Washington D.C.

Harold Holzer wraps up one heck of a present

Harold Holzer has been there for me time and again over the past few years, patiently answering what seemed to be a gazillion questions. This time, I asked him if he would address the life of the commission - how it was born, what it hoped to achieve, an example or two of how it morphed to be perhaps even better than he'd imagined, what it feels like to have to "close" it.

Here’s what he had to say:

“I’m proud that the Commission—a truly creative and diverse group of scholars, collectors, and Lincoln authorities—together with a very devoted and energetic staff, not only fulfilled each and every one of its legislated mandates, but helped stimulate other individuals and organizations around the country to make 2009 a truly unforgettable ‘year of Lincoln’ nationwide. As our final report will show, we certainly organized countless events from coast to coast, worked on the Mint’s new pennies and the Postal Service’s new stamps, and staged widely attended town halls to continue Lincoln ’s ‘conversation’ about America ’s ‘unfinished work.’

“Few of us who participated will ever forget Denyse Grave’s concert at the Lincoln Memorial, or President Obama’s 200th birthday speech in the Capitol Rotunda—official events, and great ones. But much of what we’ve done can’t adequately be recorded in a report: it involved encouraging, promoting, and supporting state-by-state initiatives to commemorate Lincoln, to help promote individuals and communities, or simply getting the idea circulated that Lincoln’s big birthday was approaching, and then participating with gratitude as corporations, libraries, museums, and theaters responded with remarkable programming of their own that added inestimably to the celebration and the legacy. Thus we’re not only proud of our own work, but thrilled that so much happened in so many other quarters, at least in part as a result of the groundwork we laid from 2001 on. These results included more than 200 new books, plus TV documentaries, museum exhibitions, new plays and dance works—a fantastic legacy.

“Am I said it’s ending? Well, I will of course miss the formal interaction with my colleagues and the staff, but I’m also sure many of these relationships will continue. Lincoln people stay in touch, work on projects together, meet at conferences and such. That will continue as long as we’re standing.

“For another thing, while the Lincoln Bicentennial may be ending, the Civil War sesquicentennial is only beginning. And while no national commission was established to manage that anniversary, state commissions have sprung up in the key battlefield states to organize events and conferences. November marks the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s election, March 2011 the 150th of his inaugural, and April the 150th of the start of the war. So we’re already in a new cycle that will carry enthusiasts through 2015. Is it confusing? Well, it just requires us to sort of close down the old computer and reboot with new software, at least metaphorically speaking. Now everything tracks to the anniversary of the war. The good news is that we have a new opportunity to remind people how important this history is.

“Besides, the ALBC will in a sense continue its work in new forms. The ALBC Foundation will live on and support important initiatives. And the ALBC website, http://www.abrahamlincoln200.org/, survives and thrives. I urge everyone to log on after April 19 to read our final report and make use of its many enduring and important features.

“As new technologies develop, our goal will be to make sure that Lincoln has a place in their content. Whatever the medium, Lincoln will always be part of the message—always part of the national conversation—not only because he believed ‘we cannot escape history,’ but because he believed so earnestly in ‘a vast future.’

“Let me end with one cautionary note. This connection between history and the future is important—crucial, really. We can’t make proper use of the past unless we learn from it—and apply it to the present. It doesn’t require us to rewrite history; but it does call on us to analyze and understand it with honesty and sensitivity. Just a few days ago, I’m afraid, the State of Virginia began promoting its upcoming Civil War observances by talking cheerfully about secession and state’s rights, and all but ignoring the issue of slavery. The official explanation was that the idea is to promote tourism, so why bring up all the old ‘unpleasantness’? Well, because the issues of freedom, opportunity, and self-determination are as important—and sometimes as open to challenge—now as then. The debate over the Civil War may go on. But the battles are over—the main issue has been settled —and let’s never forget what that involved, or all these commemorations will have no value at all.”

Matt Pinsker forecasts Lincoln studies in the digital age

When the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum opened five years ago this month, I had the opportunity to meet a patriarch of Lincoln scholars, the late David Herbert Donald, as well as Holzer and Pinsker. I was excited that this article seemed to cry for comments from the two living scholars, and I wanted to share a little of Pinsker’s expertise on Lincoln and technology with those who can’t make to the closing.

I wrote to him, saying, “A few years ago, someone like me, who is not on the staff of a university with sabbaticals and university grants, would likely never have been able to do significant research on Lincoln . Because of time and financial constraints, I couldn't have gone to where these collections were housed. Yet, with all the resources that are now digitized, it opens doors in ways we might have never imagined.

Then I asked,“How do you see this changing Lincoln scholarship, and even more, how do you see it changing how we can keep the legacy alive in new ways and through new mediums?”

Pinsker wrote back:

“As you wrote [above], the future of Lincoln studies is likely to be quite bright because more people have more access to more evidence than ever before in the history of history. This flattened hierarchy and information superhighway will lead to both good and bad developments -- in addition to the new voices and new documents, for example, we will also have to address a growing problem of bad information that goes ‘viral’ (to use the expression of the day) and creates myths and misunderstandings faster than ever before.

“It's also true that new information doesn't always translate into better understanding or fresh concepts. For that, I believe we still have to rely mainly on the creativity and persistence of trained scholars, but I do believe that training these scholars for the next generation means teaching them not only about the fundamental precepts of history and historiography but also about the new digital tools and their application for subjects such as Lincoln.

“My particular view is that new tools will help us decipher the political Lincoln in a fashion that will revolutionize perceptions about his leadership because it will reveal his behind-the-scenes actions in ways that have previously been obscured.”

This Lincoln general store isn’t closing

For nearly 30 years, I shared one of Lincoln’s early professions. I was a grocer. The store where I worked didn’t close at night. It was open 24 hours. They say old habits die hard. Sometimes, I think they live forever. So, folks, the bicentennial may be “closing” in a sense, but Lincoln Buff 2 blog isn’t. Just as we shut a few cash registers down during the slower hours of the day, my posts have slowed some. I won’t be writing two or three a day now, as I did sometimes in February 2009, but I’ll still be watching for Lincoln events and publications, I’ll still share them, and I’ll be beginning work on my next Lincoln venture.

Who knows? Someday, you may even pick up a Lincoln book and see the author is Ann Tracy Mueller.

Blogger’s note: Thanks to Harold Holzer and Matt Pinsker and to Malorie Janasek of Jasculca/Terman and Associates, Inc. for their generous sharing of information and perspective.

© Ann Tracy Mueller 2010

Lincoln goings on here and there

2010-04-05T22:44:00.001-05:00

It’s now been more than 200 years (201, actually) since Abraham Lincoln’s birth on Feb. 12, 1809, but events celebrating his life and legacy are far from over. Whether they’re billed as Lincoln Bicentennial events or just Lincoln-related happenings, you can find a bit of the sixteenth President here, there and everywhere.

I’m afraid I’ve let many of my loyal Lincoln Buff 2 blog followers down in recent months as I tried to catch my breath from more than a year of Lincoln events, blogging and Twitter - and attempted to get back to a more normal semblance of life. I’ve had nearly a non-presence in the blogosphere, but have attempted to flutter around in the twittersphere.

I’ve caught my breath a bit now, so it’s time to catch you up on some upcoming Lincoln-related events.

Here are some of the things you won’t want to miss in April 2010. Be sure to click on the hyperlinks (where available) to learn more about the events. The best thing about them? These three are all free!

April 7, Illinois College, Jacksonville, Ill.

White House correspondent Helen Thomas will make a trek to the same college on the prairie where Lincoln delivered his “Discoveries and Inventions” speech 151 years ago. Thomas will deliver the Phi Alpha Lecture, speaking on the American presidency at 7 p.m. in Rammelkamp Chapel. She’ll also be inducted as an honorary member of Phi Alpha Literary Society, which named Lincoln an honorary member in 1859. The event, open to the public, is free.

April 11 – Decatur Public Library, Decatur, Ill.

Dan Guillory, professor emeritus at Millikin University, and author of “The Lincoln Poems,” will present “Housepoems,” original poetry in honor of National Poetry Month at 2 p.m. in the Madden Auditorium of the Decatur Public Library on Sunday, April 11. The reading is free and open to the public.

The collection includes humorous and meditative poems on subjects as diverse as food, cats, birds, wild animals, death, weather, gardening, marriage, cars, friendship and the general passage of time. The poems are the product of a “poetry diary” project.

Guillory has won awards or grants from the Illinois Arts Council, the Academy of American Poets, and the American Library Association. He is the author of seven books and one audio book. His newest work, “People and Places in the Land of Lincoln,” will be released in May.

April 13 – Appalachian State University, Boone, N.C.

Harold Holzer, co-chair of the United States Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, and author of more than 30 books on Lincoln, will speak about “Why Lincoln Matters—To History, To Our Presidents, and Us.” I can tell you from experience, this is an interesting presentation. You’ll hear how Lincoln’s appeal and legacy, which have provided inspiration for more than a century and a half, continue to move and guide yet today. And best of all, this event is free, too!

Among my first book reviews in the late 1990s was a piece about one of Holzer’s early Lincoln books. When the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum opened in 2005, I got to meet him and a number of other Lincoln scholars. I’m still in awe at the support I get from this fantastic group of men and women, as many of them have stepped up to mentor me over the last few years. And I continue to be thankful for Harold Holzer’s encouragement and support.

More to come
I’ve got news of other Lincoln-related events coming down the pike, so come back in a few days. I won’t stay away so long next time. Ann

Southern Politics and Mary Chestnut today's Virtual Book Signing topics

2010-03-06T07:39:00.007-06:00

If you haven't watched a Virtual Book Signing from the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop, you don't know what you're missing. Daniel Weinberg and Bjorn Skaptason always stimulate thought and interest as they interview authors live online during these book signing events.

Today, Saturday, March 6, at noon Central Time, they'll welcome authors Michael Perman and Julia Stern into the store. Perman will discuss his book, Pursuit of Unity: A Political History of the American South, and Stern will offer insight into her critical analysis, Mary Chestnut's Civil War Epic.

If you can't watch it live online - or make it to the store to see it in person - you can always view the signing later on the website. Earlier book signings with many notable Lincoln and Civil War authors are archived on the Virtual Book Signing website, so you can watch them when it is convenient for you. This one will be, too, in a couple weeks or so. Be sure to check it out.

Political history, the Civil War and me

Until just a few years ago, I was one who never wanted to read about the Civil War - or any war, for that matter. That may seem odd, considering my interest in Lincoln, and how interrelated his story is with the story of our country's conflict. But, it was the popular Lincoln who drew me in as a child, the Lincoln with ties to my native state and my hometown who tugged at my heartstrings, and the self-made man Lincoln who motivated me, like Galesburg poet Carl Sandburg, to pursue the study of the sixteenth president. Those ugly things - politics, slavery, war? I left them for others.

Yet, as I became more than just a casual Lincoln enthusiast and instead a student in earnest of his life and legacy, I realized that those things I'd avoided were necessary evils. Without understanding the political Lincoln, the injustice of slavery, the dynamics and logistics of the Civil War, I couldn't truly know the man whose story inspired me.

A Civil War book club at the McLean County Museum of History a few years ago helped to set me on a path toward greater understanding of the War Between the States. One of the books we read was The Private Mary Chesnut: The Unpublished Civil War Diaries. Suddenly, the conflict was more than the names of battles and generals which it had been in my high school and undergrad history classes. It was the stories of real people and the impact all this had on their lives.

It will be interesting to learn of Stern's critical work on Chestnut's piece - a project, that will surely move me ,as a regional literary critic, to take a second look at Chestnut's work. As for that political history stuff, thank goodness for people like Perman, who understand those things and, through their gifts as writers, work to make it more understandable for those of us who are political illiterates.

Happy 201st Birthday, Abraham Lincoln!

2010-02-11T23:30:00.005-06:00

Here in Illinois, it's now Abraham Lincoln's 201st birthday. Please join me in wishing him a happy one.

It's been quite a year, hasn't it? Those of you who are Lincoln buffs like me are well aware of many of the Lincoln events across the country and, yes, even around the world in celebration of the bicentennial over the past year or so.

This Lincoln buff just about wore herself out celebrating.

My bicentennial tribute began in the fall of 2008, when my community college offered a course on the life and times of Abraham Lincoln. My blog began in October of that year.

Since then, I've been to both coasts seeing Lincoln sites and attending Lincoln events and I've made it to as many as possible here in Illinois. I've made Lincoln buff friends across the country and around the world - with new-found friends in England, Ireland, Australia and Brazil, as well as many states across the country.

To those of you who've followed my blog or offered comments, encouragement, information or advice, thank you. You made it all worthwhile.

To those who hosted me at Lincoln sites and answered my questions or welcomed me into your homes, your hospitality was such a gift. I appreciate it so.

To my family, I love you. You've been along for the ride and often had to make sacrifices so that I could attend events or write about Lincoln. Thanks for sharing me.

To all who kept coming back to see if there was anything new to read, thanks for your loyalty. You've surely noticed my invisibility from the blog for the last couple months. As my travels wound down last year, the holidays arrived. It was time to stop blogging and devote time to my family. My husband and I really enjoyed our time with our daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren, and were thankful we were all together.

In the midst of the holidays, I learned I'd had my first paper accepted for a scholarly symposium. I revived another favorite subject of mine, the literary legacy of a late Peoria Journal Star columnist, Rick Baker, who wrote in a style similar to Mike Royko. I've spent several weeks making sure my first paper is worthy of the esteem of other Illinois history and literature buffs. In the process, there was no time for the railsplitter. (I'm sorry, Abe!)

The paper is now done, though, and it's time to get back to Lincoln. My posts in 2010 will be less frequent that in the first year of the blog, but more often than in the last two months. I'll write about some of the places I visited, some of the Lincoln scholars I've met and some of the Lincoln books I added to my library in the past couple years. I'll get back to my mission of keeping the legacy of Lincoln alive.

If you're planning to attend the 30th Annual Illinois History Symposium in Wheaton on March 7-9, you'll have to come hear my Baker paper. It's a dry run for the Lincoln papers I hope to present at future symposiums and conferences, but don't worry. I didn't cut corners. I intend to prove this old granny can research, write and present with the best of them.

Happy Lincoln's birthday 2010, everyone. Thanks for visiting my blog. Ann

Watch Virtual Book Signing Dec. 5: The Maps of Chickamauga

2009-12-05T10:47:00.006-06:00

One of the best things about the world of Lincoln enthusiasts is the neat people you meet. Among those I count as my friends is Daniel Weinberg of the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop in Chicago. Dan and his staff host Virtual Book Signing, a wonderful online program where they interview authors about their latest books.

If you've got time at noon Central Time today, Saturday, Dec. 5, log on to watch the interview with Dave Powell, author of The Maps of Chickamauga: An Atlas of the Chickamauga Campaign, Including the Tullahoma Operations, June 22 - September 23, 1863. Now that's a title!

Information on the Virtual Book Signing Web site says The Maps of Chickamauga is the third in a new series of campaign studies that take a different approach toward military history. The book explores this largely misunderstood battle through the use of 126 full-color maps, graphically illustrating the complex tangle of combat's ebb and flow that makes the titanic bloodshed of Chickamauga one of the most confusing actions of the American Civil War.

One of the really cool things about watching the book signing live is that you can submit questions for the author. I've done it before, and, when time allows, they really do answer them - right while you're watching. It's pretty neat. But, if you are just too busy holiday shopping or decorating to watch the book signing live today, don't despair. After a few days, the signings are archived. You can watch many past book signings with numerous Lincoln, presidential and Civil War authors.

Are you reading Lincoln?

2009-12-01T06:18:00.003-06:00

Those of you who visit Lincoln Buff 2 regularly have noticed my recent absence from the blogosphere. I hope you all enjoyed my blog posts and tweets from Washington, D. C. and Gettysburg in November. I promised you more in depth accounts of the places I saw and the people I met. They're coming ... really.

Right now, I'm catching up on things I missed during my two-week Amazing Abe Adventure - things like raking leaves, going grocery shopping, paying bills and reading a book for which I've promised a book review. The leaves are raked, the pantry is stocked, this month's financial obligations are met. Just one major obligation remains to be fulfilled, and I'm about 50 pages from the end of the book. So, it won't be long and I'll be back.

In the meantime, are you reading Lincoln? In the sidebars to my blog, you'll find lots of suggestions of books by my favorite Lincoln authors and of blogs and research sites where you can read more about Lincoln or, in some cases, read his own words. So, don't set Lincoln aside in my absence. Keep on keepin' on with your own Amazing Abe Adventure in this bicentennial year. Remember, books are adventures, too.

Till next time....

On to the next Abe adventure

2009-11-22T20:04:00.003-06:00

The Amazing Abe Adventure 2009 has drawn to a close. In its place, I face the reality of laundry to be folded, bills to be paid, a return to work. My two-week Lincoln adventure in Washington, D.C. and Gettysburg will be replaced with real life, with Lincoln squeezed in between the must-dos.

What will my next Amazing Abe Adventures be? Trips, books, speeches? Yes, I want to. Yes, I plan to. Yes, I'm hoping.

During the Washington, D.C. stint of our trip, I realized there is much more there I need to see and do, including using my new Library of Congress reader card. Having one and "getting the taste a bit" convinces me I've not seen the last of the manuscript room.

The Lincoln Forum Symposium was all I'd hoped it would be and more. It won't be my last. And, now that I know of the other interesting commemorative activities Gettysburg hosts each year, I am convinced I'll want to return there as well.

I'm also looking forward to visiting Lincoln's haunts in Kentucky and Indiana, including making time to see the Library of Congress Lincoln exhibit when Indiana hosts it.

And then there's the blog, Twitter, book reviews, scholarly papers, my planned Lincoln books - three or four, at least - and giving speeches about Lincoln again.

Yep, my next Abe adventures have just begun. Sometimes, as on my recent trip, I'll meet myself coming and going. If, however, I can continue to live my mission of spreading enthusiasm about the life and legacy of Lincoln, it will all be worth it.

Gettysburg commemorates with class

2009-11-19T22:28:00.006-06:00

It's our last full day in Gettysburg and leaving is hard. In just a few short days, I've grown quite fond of this town where Lincoln's 10 sentences still resonate and the spirits of those who fought and died still radiate.

Why is it, do you suppose, that on the days we turn out to commemorate our veterans or war dead, the sun seems to shut its eyelids and release its tears? It happened last Wednesday at Arlington and again today at Gettysburg. The drizzle didn't stop the ceremony, though, and Gettysburg did it up right. I tweeted during the event, so you can get a flavor of it there. I'll write more in a future blog post.

Thanks to the rain, I had to do a little "hair repair" before going to my next event - the Lincoln Fellowship of Pennsylvania's luncheon at Gettysburg College. Talk about doing something right - this event was so jam-packed and enjoyable that I was nearly an hour late meeting my hubby and didn't even realize how much time had passed. Met some very interesting, very talented, very promising and very well-loved folks. Can't wait to tell you about them, but I'll have to save these stories, too, for another day.

I spent my afternoon in downtown Gettysburg, visiting the newly restored Wills House, the train station and a yummy restaurant the townies choose. We closed our day at the historic Majestic Theatre, where we heard a world-class world premiere of a musical production, a very inspirational talk by author Jeff Shaara, a very, very funny acceptance speech by young author Nick Taylor, recipient of the Michael Shaara award for Civil War Fiction, and a speech by Michael Burlingame that entertains no matter now many times I've heard parts of it. And, Michael, you've got another feather in your hat. You just may have hooked my hubby on Lincoln!

The Amazing Abe Adventure is winding down and I'm starting to feel like an unwound wind-up toy. It's been a long couple weeks, but a time I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. Hope you felt a little of my excitement along the way and share even more of my enthusiasm for Lincoln. If so, the late nights and early mornings were worth it. Come back to visit the blog again. I'll try to tell you more about many of the people I met, talks I heard, things I experienced.

I'll be leaving Gettysburg, but I don't think it will ever leave me. I won't even try to put into words the power of this place. I just don't think it can be done.

Brevity of words served Lincoln well

2009-11-18T23:01:00.002-06:00

As my time at the Lincoln Forum ends, I’m reminded of Abraham Lincoln’s brevity of words . I’m also tired, so keeping this short seems fitting and proper.

The Lincoln Forum was magnificent. Everyone who loves history, Lincoln, the Civil War or being among friends should go. Fair warning, though – it’s like a popular brand of potato chips. You won’t be able to stop at just one.

Author Fred Kaplan started this last day with “Lincoln’s Genius with Language” and showed his own genius as well.

Harold Holzer moderated a panel where Catherine Clinton, Jason Emerson and Charles Lachman disussed Lincoln “Family Matters.” From their ancestors to Lincoln’s grandchildren, it was obvious family did matter to Lincoln.

We had free time in the afternoon to explore Gettysburg, starting with the Wills House. I didn’t get my Wills tour in today, though. I had some Lincoln business to attend to in a couple downtown shops.

Our evening speaker was to be Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, but since her husband passed away last week, Richard Dreyfuss filled in as the dinner speaker. His reading of the Second Inaugural Address would have made Lincoln proud. Our sympathy to Justice O’Connor and family.

I’m close to using up my word count and tired to boot, so I’ll be back with more on The Amazing Abe Adventure another day. In the meantime, keep the Lincoln legacy alive in your world.

Long days, short nights, but worth it

2009-11-17T22:07:00.004-06:00

As I'm sitting here late at night in a room far from home, I'm reminded of other nights long ago when something kept me up late. Back then it was one of two soft little bundles needing to be rocked to sleep and put to bed. Though the days of staying up late with my young daughters is long gone, I am up late with another of my babies. Even after a long day at the Lincoln Forum Symposium, I can't go to sleep until I've tucked my baby in bed. This time, though, the baby is a blog.

Lincoln Forum XIV
I'm at the 14th Annual Lincoln Forum Symposium in Gettysburg, my first. If you follow me on Twitter, you may already have a pretty good idea of today's activities. If you don't, I'll let you in a little on the fun.

I never get tired of learning new things about Lincoln, and today was no exception. I couldn't have asked for a more engaging lineup:

Eileen Mackevich filled us in on the accomplishments of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and, believe me, they're impressive.
John Marszaleck reported on the U.S. Grant Papers. After hearing him speak, I know they're in good hands.
Ron White used Lincoln's eloquence himself in his presentation, "Abraham Lincoln 2009: Wisdom for Today."
Vernon Burton was as enthusiastic as always as he shared his "Age of Lincoln" talk.
Catherine Clinton's "Mary Lincoln Reconsidered" entertained as only Clinton can. She's one spunky historian - and one of too few women writing about history.
Lewis Lehrman hit the mark with his talk about the Peoria speech. "Lincoln at the Turning Point: From Peoria to the Presidency" even attracted a question from one of my Twitter followers.
Daniel Weinberg led a great panel on Lincoln collecting, with Lewis Lehrman, Frank J. Williams, Norman Boaz and Don McCue
English Lincoln scholar Richard Carwardine rounded out the evening with "Just Laughter: The Moral Springs of Lincoln's Humor."

I'll try to come back to some of these in more depth later, but I think I'll turn the baby in tonight and get some shuteye myself. Follow me on Twitter tomorrow. Tomorrow night's speaker is sure to be a crowd pleaser - one of my favorties and one who has brought joy to many others through the years. Tomorrow is another Amazing Abe Adventure. Hope you'll join me.

Blog post 200 celebrates a dream come true

2009-11-16T22:35:00.008-06:00

I wonder if Abraham Lincoln ever got frustrated with the telegraph. Where's Tom Wheeler, the Lincoln and the telegraph expert, when you need him? Bet he could tell us!

I just had one of the coolest experiences of my life. I sat down and poured it all out in a blog post sharing why I've just had a dream come true, and lost everything I wrote when my hotel Internet connection cut off. Guess that will teach me to write them in Word first instead of typing directly into the blog publishing tool. And, on top of that, it's my 200th post!

So what's the dream?
I am in Gettysburg, Pa. at the Lincoln Forum Symposium with nearly 300 other Lincoln enthusiasts and/or scholars celebrating the life and legacy of our 16th President. I've wanted to come to a Lincoln Forum Symposium ever since 2005. You can read why in my tribute to the late David Herbert Donald. I took the advice he, Harold Holzer and Matt Pinsker gave me when the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum opened - and I'm not disappointed.

If you're not a Lincoln buff, but you like sports, imagine what it would be like to get all the top athletes into one room at same time - but leave the ego behind. The Lincoln scholars I've met are the most supportive, humble people I know, and the Lincoln buffs here are just as enthusiastic as I am. It's a great place to be.

McPherson on Lincoln
I got to hear James McPherson speak tonight and there are lots more great speakers to come in the next two days. McPherson's talk on "Lincoln and the West" was a fine reminder that the West in Lincoln's day and before was much further east than the West of which we often are reminded. He also spoke on one of my pet Lincoln projects - Lincoln and the railroad. You can bet this talk will be one of my sources as I move forward with my research.

I got to meet Dr. McPherson last night, and told him I'd reviewed one of his books. Unfortunately, that late at night at the end of a very long week and the start of another, I couldn't remember which one I'd reviewed. I looked at the three in front of me and wondered, "Which one did I review, and why don't I have it here?" I later realized it was his neat little 79-page volume, and I didn't have it with me because I'd read a library copy. Guess I'd better get my own before the next time I see him! It's a true gem - a short, easy and delightful read. Here's what I had to say about it.

Don't forget - I tweet, too
I'll try to share the enthusiasm as I can. I won't be blogging during the day, but I will tweet when possible. If you are a Lincoln buff and you want to know what we're up to out here in Gettysburg, follow me on Twitter, too. I'm also LincolnBuff2 on there. I'm almost at 600 Twitter followers. Wouldn't it be cool if we could hit that milestone during the Forum?

Watch out, though. I'll be in the clouds the next few days. Reading this blog and my tweets may elevate your Lincoln enthusiasm to new levels, too.

*Revised Nov. 17, 2009 to add further detail on McPherson talk and my review of his book

The greatest president - differing views

2009-11-15T19:35:00.008-06:00

I spent today in foreign territory - not foreign soil, though. Our Amazing Abe Adventure took us away from Abraham Lincoln sites and further back in our nation's history. We spend a beautiful, temperate, dry day at Washington's estate, Mount Vernon.

The last time I was at Mount Vernon was forty years ago this past June. My, has it changed since I was there. I don't remember all the parking lots, the brick paths, the restaurant and food court and the marvelous interpretive center and museum. Everything is done so nicely.

As I complemented one of the interpreters - a gentleman who had the privilege of speaking in Washington's library - on his work and Mount Vernon, I mentioned my interest in Lincoln. He commented on polls done from time to time on the greatest president. It was obvious we weren't going to have the same view, so without putting it into words, we seemed to politely agree to disagree. His argument was rather powerful though, as he said, "Without Washington, Lincoln wouldn't have had a nation to save."

Watch my future blog posts for a bit more on Mount Vernon and a Lincoln connection I found there. I'll also have a little to share with you about Alexandria, Va., the beautiful, bustling place where we spent a few hours this evening.

Enough of the first George W.
My visit to Mount Vernon was delightful, but this is The Amazing Abe Adventure, and I'm a Lincoln Buff. Tomorrow I move on to the next phase of my adventure.

The Lincoln Bicentennial has been one of the most exciting times of my life. I've met scores of fellow Lincoln buffs and many Lincoln scholars. I've visited Lincoln sites and attended Lincoln events. I've even been at two events where the president was the keynote speaker. I've seen more dreams come true in this past year than many do in lifetime. And, tomorrow, I'm off to fulfill the next one. Please come back to join me on the blog as my Lincoln adventure takes a new twist tomorrow.

Lincoln, Lincoln and more Lincoln

2009-11-14T23:40:00.006-06:00

Where do I begin to tell about all my Lincoln adventures today? Washington, D.C. is just filled with Lincoln opportunities.

We started our day in the Smithsonian's Museum of American History with the Lincoln exhibit there. After lunch, I went to see the Lincoln exhibit in the National Portrait Gallery, the presidential portrait gallery and stood in the Great Hall. Each and every one of these experiences was extremely powerful, so please watch for more on them in future blog posts.

My evening was spent with an OnBoard tour of several historic sites, including the Lincoln Memorial. That in itself is an experience I'll remember all my life.

It's very late in D.C., and this old grannie is getting tired. Watch for the next Amazing Abe Adventure soon. In the meantime, check out my Lincoln adventure tweets.

The other White House and another Lincoln buff

2009-11-13T21:40:00.003-06:00

The Amazing Abe Adventure continues. Today we visited Lincoln's Other White House - President Lincoln's Cottage. While we were there we met one of my Lincoln mentors' former students and some people with a connection to Hodgenville. Watch a future blog post to hear all about these people and this marvelous edifice.

One of my Lincoln buff friends had invited us over to talk Lincoln and have lunch. The visit was delightful, as was his wife and pooch. With some people, you feel as if you've always been friends. This was one of those times. Even the non-Lincoln buffs in the group hit it off.

We wound through Embassy Row on our way to the National Cathedral and realized we all need to take International Flags 101 all over again. It was embarrassing how few we could identify.

The National Cathedral was as magnificent as we expected and even more so. Can't wait to share some of the pics I took and the things I learned.

We wound through a very vibrant Georgetown on our trip back to the Potomac. All I kept thinking was, "Where do all these people come from?"

We ended our day with a visit to a really cool microbrewery where I found a beverage just to my liking and the happy hour appetizer prices were a pleasant surprise.

Correction - we almost ended our day at the microbrewery. Actually, when I came back to the room, I decided I should catch up a bit on laundry. Why is it that motel dryers cost an arm and a leg and don't even get your clothes dry?

We may have another adventure tomorrow - if the jeans finish drying, that is. Until then, find your own Lincoln adventure, learning about his connection to your locale, reading a book or visiting one of the many Lincoln websites listed at the left.

Be sure to return to Lincoln Buff 2 again. I'll be telling you more about all these exciting adventures as time allows. Catch ya later, fellow Lincoln buffs. Don't forget. You can follow me on Twitter, too, and experience the adventure as it happens.

D.C. firsts don't disappoint

2009-11-12T21:50:00.004-06:00

On day three of the Amazing Abe Adventure in D.C., we had one first after another - and savored every one of them.

Watch future blog posts to hear about my experiences learning the nuances of the Metro and believing, "I can do this!"

Learn my feelings upon my first visit to the U.S. Capitol, which included stops at the House and Senate galleries. In an upcoming post, I'll tell you how to get tickets and gallery passes, all about the cool people we met there and how to get to the Library of Congress without having to go out and get wet in a D.C. rain that won't end.

Hear all about my visit to the Library of Congress and my excitement at getting to register as a researcher there so I can do Lincoln research.

Let me tell you about at great restaurant we found in Shirlington, Va., and the good time we had with old friends there.

The D.C. adventure continues. Thanks to all who made today one I'll never forget. Come back to read in detail how you all made it so.

Rain-drenched Veterans ceremony small sacrifice

2009-11-11T22:15:00.005-06:00

This was day two of Lincoln Buff 2 and friends' Amazing Abe Adventure - our trip to Washington, D. C. to fulfill many lifelong dreams. Today's dream was my husband's first, and mine because it meant so much to him.

My Vietnam vet has wanted for some time now to go to Arlington National Cemetery for the Veterans Day ceremony. We got 'er done today - and in a big way. Didn't know ahead of time we'd get to see President Barack Obama speak.

Also didn't know we'd sit it the rain for several hours to honor the veterans and active duty military who serve our country. It was a small sacrifice, though, compared to that of our veterans and soldiers stationed around the world today. How can we ever thank them enough?

You may have seen some of my tweets from the ceremony. It was neat to be able to share history as it happened. I also shot some video I'm hoping I can use for YouTube. I'll let you know if I upload any when I have a little more time. It's late in D.C. now and I had a long day.

Watch also for blog posts about a restaurant we discovered in Arlington, Va. - Hard Times - and our first visit to Kennedy Center. More adventures to come, too, so come back to hear firsthand impressions of a Midwestern granny Lincoln Buff's trip to Washington, D.C.

Just one more thing, though. A question for D.C. folks: How in the heck do you find your way around? We've even got our poor GPS confused. To compensate for the frustration we've put her through, we've named her Martha. We had as much trouble getting back and forth across the Potomac as that other Martha who's hubby, George, was also an American vet and the first President of this great land. Oh, by the way, that guy has all kinds of things named after him. Maybe Martha misses him and that's why she kept taking us on his roadway.

Don't forget, you can also follow Lincoln Buff 2 on Twitter for history as it happens on The Amazing Abe Adventure.

To America's military and veterans, Thank you!

Lincoln Buff 2 goes to Washington

2009-11-10T19:44:00.006-06:00

Wow! I finally did it. My first trip to Washington, D.C. in 40 years. The last time was a whirlwind trip through the city in with my parents and younger sister with a stop at Arlington National Cemetery.

The Amazing Abe Adventure
I'm calling this trip The Amazing Abe Adventure. We arrived this morning, heading straight to 10th Street for our Ford's Theatre visit. We were fortunate to find valet parking in the garage next to the theatre. It was lunchtime, so our valet suggested Lincoln's Waffle Shop across the streeet. You'll hear more about it and the parking garage in a future blog post.

Today was another first for me - my first YouTube video. I actually shot two, but the first one just wasn't good enough to publish. I have a ways to go before I'll be offered a job by any film producers. My first video, of the exterior of Ford's Theatre was just too rough - lame dialogue, poor camera work and people walking in front of me as I shot. The second, however, was a little better, so you'll have to check out "Lincoln Buff 2 visits the Peterson House."

We had a special look at the theatre, spent time absorbing the magnificent displays in the new Ford's Theatre Museum and visited the Peterson House. It's been a long day and I don't want to short any of them, so watch for more on this adventure another day.

We also made a quick trip to the National Archives. We didn't plan nearly enough time for this depository of our nation's treasured documents. Watch for more on this, too, in the future. I've got pictures of today's adventures, but can more easily load them from my home computer. I'll be sure to include them in future blog posts.

For now, this tired Lincoln buff is going to cut the blog short to do some tweeting and catch up on email. Tomorrow The Amazing Abe Adventure takes us to Arlington Cemetery for Veterans Day ceremonies and to the National Mall. I'll get to see the Lincoln Memorial up close and personal. Can't wait.

To all the kind people I met today - at the waffle house, the Fords and the National Archives - thanks for your warm welcome. I'll be writing more about you later, so please come back.

Welcome to new visitors, thanks to returning readers

2009-11-09T05:10:00.003-06:00

I'm thankful for the many loyal readers who visit Lincoln Buff 2. Lately, I've been a bit lax in doing fresh new blog posts as I've worked to catch up on some other obligations. I'm back...

Bursting with Lincoln lore
When I started this blog, it was because I was learning so much about Lincoln that I just knew I'd explode if I couldn't share all of this great knowledge. I also wanted to help spread enthusiasm about the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln in celebration of the bicentennial of his birth.

As I took a Lincoln course at Heartland College, attended lectures at the McLean County Museum of History, the Lincoln Colloquium at Knox College, Bicentennial events in Springfield and the Illinois History Symposium in Jacksonville, I shared stories about the things I learned and the people I met who knew so much more about Lincoln than I do.

I also wrote about Lincoln books, Lincoln productions and Lincoln sites. Watch for more of the same.

Fun stuff to come
I'll soon be sharing stories about Washington, D.C. sites with connections to Lincoln, helping you to experience just a little of the enthusiasm I feel as I visit these sites. Later, I'll also have more for you as I share what I learn at scholarly events.

Tweeting bits of Lincoln every day
Until I can get some blog posts written, please look for me on Twitter. I watch for and retweet things others are posting about Lincoln, the Civil War and our nation's history during the 19th century. I also tweet links to articles I find about Lincoln events or new Lincoln books and I try to let you know of as many Virtual Book Signings at the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop in Chicago as I can.

On Twitter, you'll also find a little of me - my strong belief in lifelong learning and a positive attitude. You'll see an occassional tweet about a few musician patriots I follow, like the Oak Ridge Boys and Lee Greenwood. Once in a while, I'll retweet a tweet about communication or social media, because I believe so strongly these are keys to keeping history alive for a new generation of learners and mature learners who love being connected as much as I do. And besides, Lincoln was the great communicator, wasn't he?

For the most part, my tweets are about Lincoln, but once in a while, I just may have to retweet something that has nothing to do with Abe, but which will make you smile. I don't think the storyteller who charmed the prairie would mind at all, do you?

Watch for Lincoln Buff 2 on YouTube
One of my favorite non-Lincoln-related tweeters is Mark Ragan, CEO of Ragan Communications. Thanks to a cool little video clip he did recently, I bought myself a flip camera, with which I'm supposed to be able to easily film and upload videos to YouTube. I've built my YouTube channel and have lots of ideas. As I see sites, when I can, I'll try to capture a few minutes of the experience so you'll feel as if you've been there, too. Keep your fingers crossed and please overlook crooked camera angles. We'll see how this next venture goes.

In the meantime, try to learn something new about Lincoln everyday. Check out my left-hand sidebars for lots of ways you can do that. And, whenever you can, spread a little of this Lincoln enthusiasm yourself. You'd be surprised how often people really do want to learn more about Lincoln, but just haven't taken time to do it themselves. With a little prompting, you can get many people to pick up a Lincoln book or watch a piece about Lincoln online.

Thanks for visiting. Come back often.

Ann

Authors explore Grant, Teddy and more on VBS

2009-11-05T06:05:00.005-06:00

Be sure to stay close to your computer tonight for another interesting Virtual Book Signing from the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop in Chicago. Daniel Weinberg invites two authors to speak about their books on American presidents.

Here's the scoop
It's Thursday, November 5, at 6:00 pm CST. Featured authors are Joan Waugh, author of U. S. Grant: American Hero, American Myth. and Peri Arnold, author of Remaking the Presidency: Roosevelt, Taft and Wilson 1901-1916.

Waugh book
The VBS website says, "U.S. Grant: American Hero, American Legend is an insightful blend of biography and cultural history, Joan Waugh traces Grant's shifting national and international reputation, illuminating the role of memory in our understanding of American history."

Arnold book
This is the first comparative study of the three Progressive Era presidents, examining the context in which they served, the evolving institutional role of the presidency, and the personal characteristics of each man.

Miami Lincoln buffs: Town hall coming your way Nov. 1

2009-10-22T21:39:00.006-05:00

If you thought Abraham Lincoln's bicentennial celebration was all wrapped up on his February 12th birthday, think again.

The U.S. Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission (ALBC), state and local commissions, communities, colleges, universities and more continue to celebrate the legacy of our 16th commander-in-chief.

Check out this information the ALBC shared with me about a Nov. 1 event in Miami, Fla.

Henry Louis Gates Jr., Alonzo Mourning join the celebration
As Miami joins in the celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday, the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission is proud to host a Lincoln Town Hall exploring the theme of “Lincoln, Miami and the American Dream.”

The Nov. 1 Town Hall will be led by Channel 4 anchorman Antonio Mora. Respected panelists, including Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez, Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho and the Knight Foundation’s Alberto Ibarguen, among others, will weigh in on the impact that Lincoln’s life and words have on the Miami of today.

Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr., Director of the W.E.B. Dubois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University, will also join the dialogue and discuss his new book, Lincoln on Race & Slavery.

In addition, attendees will be treated to the musical works of the Ambassador Chorale of Florida Memorial University and the orchestra of the New World School of Arts, as well as an excerpt from the work “Lincoln’s Portrait”, narrated by former Miami Heat player Alonzo Mourning.

All events are free and open to the public, but an RSVP is required for the Town Hall. Please visit http://www.hmsf.org/lincoln/events.html for more information on event times and locations, and to find out how to RSVP. Like always, you can connect with us and join the discussion today through:

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/Abraham.Lincoln.Bicentennial.Commission and
Twitter http://twitter.com/lincoln200yrs.

Mount Pleasant's not just for threshermen

2009-10-22T06:11:00.004-05:00

People who know me well will know that I'm not just a Lincoln buff, but also a fan of steam engines. Though I've never made it to the mecca for steam enthusiasts, Mount Pleasant, Iowa, I still hope to someday.

Now Lincoln buffs have a reason to go there, too. Check out this information from the college's website about a Lincoln event today:

Lincoln events planned for Iowa Wesleyan College

Author Burrus Carnahan will speak about his book Act of Justice: Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and the Law of War on Thursday, October 22, at 11:00 a.m. at Iowa Wesleyan College.

The program will be held in the Chapel Auditorium as part of the Forum series. The Friends of the Harlan-Lincoln House at Iowa Wesleyan College are sponsoring the event.

Act of Justice examines how President Abraham Lincoln came to issue the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Carnahan explains that Lincoln did not think he had the authority as President, under the Constitution, to free the slaves. However, he came to understand that he had authority as commander-in-chief of the United States armed forces to free the slaves in the territory that was in rebellion against the Federal Government. He believed that freeing the slaves was in the military interest of saving the Union.

The book is available now in the Iowa Wesleyan College Bookstore and will be available at the College Chapel the day of the presentation. Following the presentation, the author will sign copies of the book.

The Iowa Lincoln Bicentennial Commission has included this event on their calendar of events for this fall. The Bicentennial Commission and Iowa State Historical Society will bring their new traveling exhibit History on the Move: Abraham Lincoln and Iowa to Iowa Wesleyan that day. Mount Pleasant 5th grade classes will tour at specified times, and the exhibit will be open to the public immediately following Carnahan’s presentation until 1:45 p.m. The exhibit will be parked on the driveway northwest of the College Chapel, off of Broad Street.

The Harlan-Lincoln House on the Iowa Wesleyan campus will be open for tours following the presentation until 2:00 p.m. Brochures that detail Harlan and Lincoln sites in Mount Pleasant will be available for anyone who wants to take a self-guided driving tour of these sites. There is no charge for any of these activities.

Burrus Carnahan is a foreign affairs officer in the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation at the U.S. Department of State. Previously, he was a private sector consultant on international arms control issues and served for 20 years as a lawyer in the U.S. Air Force, where he specialized in the law of war. He has participated in several international negotiations on arms control and the law of war and is author of numerous articles on those subjects. Carnahan is also a lecturer at George Washington University Law School.

Carnahan has local connections; both of his parents attended Iowa Wesleyan, and Carnahan Road is named after his ancestors.

Three stops you'll want to make in Springfield

2009-10-14T20:51:00.004-05:00

Ever since the week of Lincoln's birthday, I've wanted to tell you all about three of my favorite shops in Springfield. Today, I got just the nudge I needed.

Tinsley's - A Springfield treasure
My journalist friend, Pete Sherman, of The State Journal-Register wrote about Tinsley's Dry Goods, a quaint little shop next to the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices. The store has been in Springfield almost since Lincoln first came to the prairie community. It was established in 1840.

Granted, today's owners haven't been there that long, but Dana and Ron Homann are sure to make you feel at home, answer your questions and share their pride in the legacy of the 16th President.

Be sure to read Pete's article. You'll not only learn about Tinsley's but also about how the Homanns are giving back some of the blessings they're reaping during the bicentennial year.

Turn the corner - Turn the page
Around the corner from Tinsley's is another Springfield treasure. Stepping through the doors of Prairie Archives Antiquarian Booksellers and past the big friendly dog lying in the doorway is like stepping back in time.

The store is just what an antiquarian bookseller's haunt should be. It's old, a bit musty smelling and full of cozy, tattered chairs where you can sit a spell and immerse yourself in books twice as old as you are. It's one of those places the book lover in you will never want to leave.

Owner John Paul and his staff know that. They'll let you wander aimlessly for hours through the stacks, if that's your book hunting style, or help you in the quest, if you're seeking something special.

You don't have to go to the store to buy their books, as they sell them through Abe Books. If you buy online, though, you'll miss the experience, so next time you're in Springfield check it out. You'll be glad you did.

A kid's kind of place
Caddywampus across the street from the Lincoln Home visitor's center is another little shop you won't want to miss. Mr. Lincoln's Inc. Souvenirs & Gifts is bright and clean and uncluttered. It's the kind of gift shop many of us remember from grade school field trips - the kind of place where a kid can find something to buy no matter how little money he's got in his pocket.

The store meanders through several rooms in the basement of an old home. You'll find t-shirts and top hats, pencils and postcards, statues and souvenir spoons, ball caps and busts (of Lincoln, of course).

But even better, you'll find a friendly face - a gent with a child-heart not unlike Lincoln's - to welcome you warmly and brighten your day. On my first trip to the store, the owner, Tom Rebman, and one of his buddies made me feel as if I'd known them forever. They were interested in my visit to Springfield and my passion for Lincoln and they were both full of vinegar. I had so much fun kidding around with them that I didn't want to leave.

I was planning to return to Springfield the following day, grandkids in tow, for a couple events at Lincoln's Home. When I told Rebman and his buddy, they scored lots of extra brownie points in my book. The two acted as if they couldn't believe I had grandkids and guessed my age at ten years younger than I am. Remember, I said they were full of vinegar, but, hey, a gal has to take a compliment when she can get one. I'll take one like that any time - and I'll stop in that shop any day!

I did stop in again - with four kids in tow, ages six to 14. They all had equal amounts to spend, and it didn't take them long to find exactly what they wanted - all different, all fitting their interests, all within their budgets. Yep, that's just the kind of place I want to take my brood. And Rebman had just as much fun kidding them as he did teasing me.

More Lincoln on the horizon
If you're following my blog regularly, I'm afraid I'll let you down the next couple days. I'll be in Springfield for the Lincoln Legacy Lecture series at University of Illinois - Springfield tomorrow night, at the Illinois State Museum for a Lincoln exhibit open house Friday night and at the Lincoln Colloquium on Saturday. Gotta keep learnin' if I'm gonna keep doin' this blog, ya know, so off I go.

Do me a favor. Learn something new about Lincoln yourself this weekend, okay?

Lincoln Bicentennial events still going strong

2009-10-13T21:54:00.000-05:00

Did you think Lincoln’s birthday #200 was over? Think again. Across the country, there are still events every week. I just ran out of time and energy to tell you about all of them.

My friends at the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission aren’t going to let me slack, though. They’ve got news to share so, by golly, I’ll share it.

Lincoln and education

First, head to the Land of Lincoln in October for a national conference about Lincoln’s role in American higher education.

Here’s what the bicentennial folks have to say:

“Prominent government officials, land-grant college presidents, and respected academics and experts on higher education will come together to discuss ‘Lincoln and the Morrill Act: The Unfinished Work of Public Universities’ on Oct. 23-24 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

“This conference will explore the historical significance of the Morrill Act, and how it is applicable to current issues of higher education. Conference speakers will include Jim Leach, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Martha Kanter, U.S. Undersecretary of Education, and Peter McPherson, President of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, among many others. Speakers will discuss the important role land-grant colleges can play in developing the work force of the future and create life-long learners in a global society.

“Through moderated panels and interactive discussions, conference goers will delve into the past and future of higher education, as they never have before.

“This event is free and open to the public, but an RSVP is required. Please visit http://www.morrillact.illinois.edu/ for more information or to RSVP.”

Lincoln in art and photography

Later in the month, you’ll want to head to Newark, New Jersey for the Lincoln presentation by photographer Deborah Willis. And, in November, that same community will present a town hall panel discussion on race, ethnicity and freedom.

The bicentennial folks say:

“On Oct. 28, respected photographer Deborah Willis will unveil and discuss her new work entitled “Lincoln as Monument, Lincoln as Icon.” Held at the Essex County Historic Courthouse, this event will explore the various depictions of Abraham Lincoln in art and photography. Using examples ranging from the 1870s to the present, Willis will lead the audience in a discussion of this iconic American figure, and how changing artistic depictions of him have impacted public perception.

“In addition to the presentation and discussion, attendees have the unique opportunity to take docent-led tours through the Historic Courthouse, and even take a photo with the Borglum statue of Abraham Lincoln prior to the presentation.

“Deborah Willis’ show is also a wonderful opportunity for attendees and community members to familiarize themselves with Lincoln and his legacy prior to our town hall discussion on Nov.12 at the Newark Museum. A panel of esteemed speakers, including Pedro A. Noguera, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education, Jeff Johnson, award-winning journalist, social activist and political commentator, and James O. Horton, Historian Emeritus at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, will lead a stimulating discussion on the topic of “The Humane City: Race, Ethnicity and Freedom in Urban America.”

“Panelists will discuss issues surrounding our urban communities today, and how we can collectively utilize the resources available in those communities to work towards a more successful future. This event seeks to critically examine the current situation in urban America when viewed through the lens of differences in race and ethnicity, while bringing together a group of scholars who are willing to give their recommendations for how communities in urban America can best achieve their collective potential.

“Both events are free and open to the public, but an RSVP is required. Please visit http://lincolnliveson.com/ for more information or to RSVP.

Social media buffs – follow Lincoln at 200
You can also connect with the bicentennial commission and join the discussion through:

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/Abraham.Lincoln.Bicentennial.Commission and
Twitter http://twitter.com/lincoln200yrs.

Virtual book signing features Civil War author, captivating photographer and historian

2009-10-12T07:01:00.006-05:00

What are you doing at noon Central Time on Saturday, Oct. 17? If you don't have plans yet, plan on eating a late breakfast or an early lunch so you can watch Virtual Book Signing. Or, if you're not concerned about crumbs in your keyboard, grab a sandwich and sit down at your computer at noon.

Daniel Weinberg and his staff at the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop have another interesting Virtual Book Signing planned. They'll be hosting:

Barton A. Myers, author of Exceuting Daniel Bright: Race, Loyalty and Guerrila Violence in a Coastal Carolina Community 1861-1865 and
historian Ron Elliot and photographer John Snell, authors of Through the Eyes of Lincoln: A Modern Photographic Journey.

Lincoln buffs in the Chicago area can drop by the shop to watch the events firsthand. The rest of us - yes, even Lincoln buffs in Australia, England and Brazil - can watch live online.

Don't fret, though, if you have other plans Saturday. I'll be in Springfield at the Lincoln Colloquium, but I know I can find it in the Virtual Book Signing archives later. If you've missed many other Lincoln and Civil War authors, check out the archives. You'll find some interesting and engaging interviews there.

State of the blog 2009

2009-10-09T20:14:00.004-05:00

A year ago today, I set out on a maiden voyage, a trip on uncharted seas, an excursion not unlike Abraham Lincoln's first flatboat trip. I started writing this blog.

In honor of its first birthday, I thought perhaps I owed my readers - the faithful as well as the new and the occasional - a "state of the blog" address. Some of you may not realize where I've been and others may wonder where I'm going with this little adventure.

Like Lincoln, I might not know of the obstacles in my path nor the sights I'll see along the way. Nonetheless, I'll take my best shot at telling you what I've learned on the journey and where I hope to go from here.

The birthplace
Officially, this blog was born on Oct. 9, 2008, as a way to disseminate all the information I was learning about Lincoln in a Heartland Community College class, "The Life and Times of Abraham Lincoln."

Really, though, it was born the same day I was, more than 57 years ago, in a hospital room just a block from Knox College's Old Main. Yes, I was born within a stone's throw of a Lincoln-Douglas debate site.

I often kid around and say that the wind blew some Lincoln dust my way the day I was born. I really do believe, though, that growing up in close proximity to places where Lincoln's legacy lives did make me want to learn more about him.

Glancing over my shoulder
Let's look back at this past year. Since the blog was born, I've:

Been to Springfield, Jacksonville, Galesburg, Peoria, Bloomington and Decatur in search of Lincoln.
Heard a bunch of Lincoln scholars speak.
Watched plays about Lincoln and heard musicians pay tribute to him.
Met and befriended authors I'd never dreamed of seeing.
Celebrated Lincoln's 200th birthday in the same room as the President of the United States.
Met Richard Dreyfuss and Stedman Graham.
Read a bunch of Lincoln books and heard a lot of Lincoln audio books.
Written more than 180 blog posts and more than 1900 Twitter tweets.
Stayed up too late, awakened too early and fallen asleep at my keyboard (thus the fun birthday cake image).

My blog has had almost 6800 visits from more than 3900 unique visitors. They've come from 1500 cities in 69 countries and every state in the U.S. I've heard from people in Australia, Brazil and England. I've got followers who are students, teachers, authors, photographers, doctors and more. On Lincoln's 200th birthday, more than 200 people visited the blog.

I've written about many of my Lincoln experiences, shared my opinions on books and told my readers about Lincoln events across the country. My blog posts hit their peak and my sleep suffered the most in February as I tried to keep up with all the bicentennial events surrounding Lincoln's birthday. As the year progressed, my energy began to wane, other duties needed my attention and my posts became less frequent.

My mission remains the same, regardless of the frequency of my articles. I am writing this blog and maintaining a Twitter page to share my passion for the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln and to teach others about him, too.

Forging forward
This year was just the first in the young life of my blog, Lincoln Buff 2. I hope to stay at this for a long time to come, and to eventually begin writing with more frequency than I did the last few months. Once I get caught up on some other obligations, I'll be able to do that.

As much as time allows, I hope to:

Point you to Lincoln-related events.
Tell you about Lincoln books - old and new.
Share stories about Lincoln - both well-known and seldom-told.
Introduce you to others who have Lincoln connections.
Chronicle a trip to Washington, D.C. and Gettysburg.

When I started this blog, I wanted each blog post to be my own work, written in my own words and with my own "voice." As time went on, though, I realized that wasn't always possible. Either my time was too short or the events were too many. So, from time to time, the only way I could get the news to you was by sharing someone else's "canned" press releases.

I'll still be doing that some. The U.S. Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission has some events coming up they'd like me to share. For the most part, those will come to you in their format.

When I have time to read Lincoln-related books, I'll craft my own book reviews. And, when I attend events, I'll try to give you a first-hand account.

For other articles on my blog, you may see a combination of my voice and someone else's press release. The important thing is that I'm spreading the word about Lincoln and you're reading it.

Please, if you enjoy Lincoln Buff 2, tell your friends, and if you're interested in little bits of Lincoln info, as well as links to other Lincoln news, you'll want to follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/lincolnbuff2. And, maybe someday, you can read one of the books I plan to write about Lincoln.

Thanks for your loyalty and for giving me a reason to learn and to share. It's been a year I'll never forget. Long live Lincoln's legacy!

The rest of the story

2009-10-03T22:05:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, I told you about a practical joker who used to play Lincoln's New Salem acquaintance, Jack Armstrong, in the production,"Abe Lincoln in Illinois."

Years ago, the joker, John "Jay" Slaven, left a note in a chair directing the finder to a lead chest with a treasure of gold coins. Here's a follow-up to that tale.

After columnist Dave Bakke's stories about the treasure hunt ran in The State Journal-Register, one of Slaven's descendants came forth with the news that he has the coins described in the letter. They aren't buried after all.

It's a tough break for the finder of the letter and the man whose lot she's digging up, but good deal for the guy who inherited the coins. Check out Bakke's story to learn more.

The owner of the lot does have a bit of buried treasure though - a bunch of old bottles. Gee, maybe he could say, "These bottles belonged to Abraham Lincoln," and cash in on eBay. People have made stranger and more outlandish claims.

Clary's Grove boy gets last laugh

2009-10-02T06:06:00.011-05:00

Tales of Lincoln's New Salem years have always been among my favorite Lincoln lore, discounted, of course, by the knowledge that much of what we hear about that era is tainted through memories twisted by time and gilded with an aura of grandiosity. As Billy Herndon conducted his oral history project with New Salem residents, Lincoln became larger than life - and so did many of the tales and the characters.

Ya gotta like those Clary's Grove boys though - the ornery critters who came out of the woods like mountain lions ready to kick and scratch and wrestle their way to a place of authority in the little village. Yet, according to legend, it was the railsplitter Lincoln who outwrestled them and earned their lifelong respect, which they demonstrated by electing him captain in the Black Hawk War.

Trick or treasure

One of my longtime favorite columnists is Dave Bakke of The State Journal-Register. He ran a column earlier this week about some folks who were digging for gold right in the heart of Springfield, Ill. The short of it is that this lady bought an old chair at an auction and found a note about buried treasure on 5th Street in Springfield. She actually started excavating the lot to look for it! For the long of it, read Bakke's version.

The story gets better, though. Bakke heard from a former State Journal-Register employee who remembered a practical joker at the State Journal-Register. Former classified ad manager John “Jay” Slaven just happened to use the pen Chauncey Wolcott to sign his practical jokes. Who was the author of the treasure note? You guessed it - none other than good old Chauncey.

Unfortunately, Slaven passed away in 1976, so the treasure hunter can't ask him if this was but another of his fun-filled pranks. She's going "crazy" trying to decide if she should keep on digging.

As a Lincoln buff, I tend to see stories in relation to Lincoln's legacy and legends. And I'm thinking Clary's Grove boy Jack Armstrong (pictured above) would have been pretty proud of old Jay Slaven for this bit of orneriness. You see, Slaven performed for years in the play "Abe Lincoln in Illinois" His role - Jack Armstrong! Don't you suppose Jack, Jay and Abe are up there snickering at this one?

Judge Ruben Castillo to reflect on Lincoln and the American Dream

2009-10-01T06:49:00.008-05:00

If you're in Chicagoland, you won't want to miss an upcoming Lincoln event. Thanks to my friend, David Early at the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, who sent this information to me. His press release contains everything you'll need to know, so I've included it in its entirety.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN & THE AMERICAN DREAM:
Judge Ruben Castillo on Lincoln’s Leadership for a Multicultural World

Abraham Lincoln likely never envisioned today’s multicultural society. However, even in his day, the United States grappled with the immigration issue. What lessons for today can we find in Lincoln’s steadfast commitment to the ideals of freedom, democracy, and equality of opportunity?

On October 12, at the Chicago History Museum, U.S. District Judge Ruben Castillo of the Northern District of Illinois will reflect on Lincoln’s legacy and its impact on immigration policy, human rights, and citizenship in the United States today.

The program is free and begins at 6:30 p.m. A reception precedes the event at 5:30 p.m.

“Abraham Lincoln and the American Dream: Lincoln’s Leadership for a Multicultural World” is a free program sponsored by the national Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and presented in partnership with the Chicago History Museum, the National Museum of Mexican Art, and the Newberry Library. Seating is limited and reservations are encouraged by visiting the CHM’s Web site at http://www.chicagohistory.org/ .

“The legend of Lincoln has withstood the critical test of time,” said Judge Castillo. "Lincoln’s thoughts on issues that cause constant debate in our country, still serve as a great, guiding beacon in the 21st century.”

Judge Castillo was appointed to the Federal bench in 1994 by President Bill Clinton. He is the son of a Mexican father and a Puerto Rican mother, and is the first of his family to graduate from college. He earned his bachelor's degree from Loyola University in Chicago, working nights as a clerk at the Illinois Circuit Court of Cook County. He earned his law degree from Northwestern University in 1979.

For five years, he was an associate attorney with the firm Jenner & Block, before being appointed an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois in 1984. In 1988, he became a regional counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund, before returning to private practice with Kirkland & Ellis in 1991. He has served as a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission since 1999.

The U.S. Census Bureau projects that minorities, which now account for roughly one-third of the U.S. population, are expected to become the majority in 2042. By 2050, the Census Bureau projects the nation will be 54 percent minority. Even sooner, by 2023, minorities will comprise more than half of all children.

“The American values of freedom and democracy, which Lincoln so eloquently articulated, are immutable,” said Eileen Mackevich, ALBC executive director, “even as American demographics change rapidly. As we become more and more multicultural, will Lincoln continue to hold the American imagination? The Lincoln Bicentennial has give us the opportunity to explore this issue and we look forward to Judge Castillo’s perspectives.”

WHAT: “Abraham Lincoln and the American Dream: Lincoln’s Leadership for a Multicultural World”
WHO: Ruben Castillo, U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois
WHEN: Monday, Oct. 12, 2009 *Reception at 5:30 p.m. *Program at 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark Street, Chicago

About the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission & Foundation
Congress established the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission to recommend appropriate ways to commemorate the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln in 2009. The Commission is predicated on the premise that it will function as a public-private partnership. Congress appropriates funds for administration. Private funding is necessary, however, to produce programs, events and materials planned for the Bicentennial. To support the public-private partnership, and insure that Lincoln activities continue into the future, the Commission established the ALBC Foundation [a 501(c)(3) based in Washington DC] in 2007. For more information, please visit http://www.abrahamlincoln200.org/.

Observant observer ALO one-ups me - maybe

2009-09-30T21:27:00.004-05:00

In case you haven't discovered them, I'm joined in cyberspace by several other Lincoln buffs who blog. We all have a unique perspective on Lincoln and have covered a variety of different Lincoln-related topics during this bicentennial year. Each of us stays on the lookout for things we think the rest of you will enjoy and, interestingly enough, we don't often duplicate each other's efforts.

Sometimes, we pick on or tease one another - in private or online. We're pretty darned supportive of each other and aren't particularly competitive. Today, however, my buddy at The State Journal-Register, Mike Kienzler, who blogs as The Abraham Lincoln Observer (ALO), poked a little fun my way. He found a really bizarre story about an athlete who, believe it or not, had Abraham Lincoln tattooed on his neck. ALO shared it in his blog - with the challenge, "Ann Tracy Mueller, top this.

I didn't know we were having a competition. You be the judges. Here are the cards in our latest hand.

Lincoln Buff 2 (aka Ann Tracy Mueller): Knox College Lincoln Studies Center gets a National Endowment for the Humanities grant of darned near a million bucks, which will aid Lincoln studies and promote the Lincoln legacy for years to come
ALO (aka Mike Kienzler): Some overpaid jock spends his money inking his body up. It just so happens the image he chooses is Lincoln. This dude will be washed up in a few years and his body art long forgotten, but Lincoln scholars not yet born will use the Papers of Abraham Lincoln, Herndon's Lincoln and other Lincoln Studies research.

I don't know, Mike. The tat is cool, but I think my hand trumps yours. Nice try.

Lincoln's gone digital in a big way

2009-09-30T20:56:00.005-05:00

Want to know where to find Lincoln? Ask a Lincoln scholar.

Matthew Pinsker, the Brian Pohanka Chair of Civil War History at Dickinson College and author of the book "Lincoln's Sanctuary: Abraham Lincoln and the Soldiers' Home," has been hard at work of late on a variety of digital Lincoln projects. He talks about them in his latest blog post.

Pinsker also recently contributed to a special Lincoln issue of the Journal of American History. You'll want to be sure to check out the section, "Building the Digital Lincoln," made possible thanks to a partnership between the Journal of American History and the House Divided Project at Dickinson College. This nifty article tells you everything you ever wanted to know about doing Lincoln research in the digital age.

As I told Dr. Pinsker when a friend first shared it with me, "WOW!" It's truly unbelievable how much Lincoln material is available right from the comfort of you computer. You'll want to save it as a favorite and go to it often. I know I will. Thanks JAH and Dr. Pinsker. Great stuff!

So that you can find Building the Digital Lincoln later, I've added a link in my Study Lincoln sidebar on the left side of this blog.

National Endowment for the Humanities awards Lincoln Studies Center $850,000 grant

2009-09-26T10:56:00.005-05:00

Do you hear it?

Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray!

What is it? It’s the sound of Lincoln scholars around the world celebrating the largest educational grant awarded this year by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to an educational institution. And, it’s going to an entity on the Illinois prairie where the legacy of Abraham Lincoln is alive and well.

Digging into Lincoln
Since the founding of the Lincoln Studies Center at Knox College in 1998, the center’s co-directors Rodney O. Davis and Douglas L. Wilson, have been working hard to make Abraham Lincoln primary source material more accessible to the masses. Yet, their collaborative work on Lincoln goes back at least a decade earlier, and their footsteps down the hallowed halls of Old Main tread back nearly four decades to the early 1960s.

Old Main at Knox College is remembered, even revered, as the place where, on Oct. 7, 1858, thousands of people gathered to hear one of the great debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas.

Davis and Wilson, both Distinguished Service Professors Emeritus at Knox, first shared their love of history and literature with Knox students in the classrom. Yet, when they retired from teaching, their work didn’t stop. Instead, they dug in even deeper.

Their first major project under the auspices of the Lincoln Studies Center was the Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress, which includes more than 20,000 documents from Lincoln’s presidential years.

Even before that huge undertaking, the pair had sifted through the work of Lincoln’s law partner, Billy Herndon, to publish previously hard to find and nearly impossible to read documents in one volume, Herndon's Informants: Letters, Interviews, and Statements about Abraham Lincoln. This 1997 University of Illinois Press publication is invaluable to Lincoln scholars.

Each of the two have done numerous other Lincoln- related works, many of which are award-winning. If you find a Lincoln scholar who tells you their work hasn’t been touched by the Lincoln Studies Center, I’d question the depth of their research.

“We the People” project
The Lincoln Studies grant is awarded through the NEH “We the People” program. “We the People” is designed to encourage and enhance the teaching, study, and understanding of American history, culture, and democratic principles.

The grant does have one stipulation. Over the next five years, Knox must raise $2.5 million in matching funds.

According to an article on the Knox website, the funding “will establish a permanent endowment for the Lincoln Studies Center, providing long-term support of the directorship of the Center – intended as a position of distinction for a major scholar in Lincoln studies – and enabling program enhancements, including the addition of a new staff position and the dissemination of primary sources pertaining to Lincoln and Lincoln scholarship to scholars, students and the general public.”

Board includes leading Lincoln experts
The Lincoln Studies Center’s Board of Advisors is comprised of eight accomplished Lincoln scholars, who each serve four-year terms. If you study Lincoln at all, you’ll recognize many familiar names – people who’ve contributed much to the studies of our 16th president and continue to help keep the legacy alive - both on today's board and earlier ones as well.

The current board includes:

Michael Burlingame
William C. Harris
James M. McPherson
Edna Greene Medford
Matthew Pinsker
Gerald J. Prokopowicz
John R. Sellers
Ronald C. White, Jr.

Past board members include:

Gabor Boritt
Collum Davis
Jennifer Fleishner
William E. Gienapp
Allen C. Guelzo
Harold Holzer
Robert W. Johannsen
William Lee Miller
Lucas E. Morel
Philip S. Paludan
Mark E. Neely, Jr.
Thomas F. Schwartz
John Y. Simon
Kenneth J. Winkle

What you can do
If this is good news to you and if you’ve reaped the benefit of the Lincoln Studies Center’s work in doing your own research, you may want to say “thanks” with your own financial gift. Though $2.5 million is a huge number and it will take some large gifts to make it happen, every little bit helps – not only to match the grant, but to help Lincoln scholars for generations to come.

Even though my work on Lincoln is just beginning, I already see the value of the Lincoln Studies Center and the work they do there. I dropped my check in the mail yesterday. Won’t you join me in helping to meet the match?

The college plans a national fundraising effort, but if you’re like me and you want to say congratulations with your own gift now, here’s a link to the Knox Office of Advancement webpage, where you can find contact information. Just be sure you include a note to indicate you want your funds to go to the Lincoln Studies Center NEH match.

And, you can do two more things:

Next time you see Rodney Davis or Doug Wilson on the Lincoln circuit, say “Congratulations – and thanks for all you do!”
Drop a note to the NEH to thank them for their investment in this worthwhile cause and their bicentennial birthday gift to Lincoln.

The white dove sleeps in the sand

2009-09-17T22:25:00.025-05:00

Mary Travers died yesterday. I’m sad. And, I think Abraham Lincoln would have been, too.

My Mary connection

The first time I remember hearing a song by Peter, Paul and Mary was in 1966. I was the oldest of five children riding home from school in a red wood-paneled 1963 Ford Country Squire station wagon, affectionately called Nellybelle.

In the car with us were my friend, Cindy, and her sister, Charlie. At my sister’s insistence, Charlie sang a song for the “little kids.” It was called “Puff the Magic Dragon.” Right there, that day, I was hooked on folk music and shortly thereafter on Peter, Paul and Mary.

Through my high school years, Peter, Paul and Mary’s songs were with me often – “Blowing in the Wind” as I learned to pick a few chords on a guitar, “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” “If I Had a Hammer” and “Leaving on a Jet Plane” as I joined arms, swayed and sang with friends at hootenannies, and the album, “The Best of Peter, Paul and Mary: Ten Years Together,” as I went off to college.

In the dorm, I often placed that black vinyl disc on a revolving turntable when I was homesick for dear friends or longed for peace in the turbulence of the times.

As I grew older, had my own family and a van instead of Nellybelle, I listened to Mary’s smooth voice and powerful harmony on a cassette tape.

When CDs came out, one of the first ones I got was – you guessed it – another one of Peter, Paul and Mary.

In the late 80s or early 90s, the group “played Peoria.” Seats at the concert were first come, first serve, so my hubby and I got there plenty early. It paid off. We got within a few rows of the stage. No matter how many times you’ve heard or sung one of their songs, there was just nothing like being there, seeing them a few feet away, hearing them in person and joining in as they said “Sing along.” It truly was one of my most memorable evenings.

While Mary fought cancer these past few years, I prayed for her often. I really did want her to be healthy and happy, but being a little selfish, I guess also just wanted to hear her in concert one more time. I'm sure I was not alone. We'll miss her.

Mary’s Lincoln connection

The same year my parents bought that red wagon, the car in which I learned to drive, Peter, Paul and Mary sang at the Lincoln Memorial when Martin Luther King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech. They were there again on the 40th anniversary of the speech in 2003.

Two lines from their civil rights anthem, “Blowing in the Wind” speak to me most strongly tonight.

I’ve often thought that if Mary Travers had lived in Lincoln’s time she would have been another Harriet Beecher Stowe. When I hear, “How many years can some people exist before they’re allowed to be free?” it’s as if I’m transported back to Lincoln’s day.

I listened to Peter, Paul and Mary YouTube videos and read their song lyrics tonight. I thought of our peace-loving Mary, our white dove, when I heard, “How many seas must a white dove sail before she sleeps in the sand?”

You sailed for us all, Mary, and as you did you soared into our hearts. We love you. Sleep well, our friend.

To Peter, Paul - and Mary’s beloved family

Thank you, Ethan Robbins, for sharing your lovely wife with us all those years, and to you, Alicia, Erika and children for letting your mom and grandma sing us her songs.

To Ethan and family and to Mary’s dear friends, Peter Yarrow and Noel “Paul” Stookey, I know my heartache is nothing compared to yours. You’re all in my prayers.

Peter and Paul, your music will always define my past and remain with me in the future. Thank you and God bless.

Watch Virtual Book signing tonight, Sept. 15

2009-09-15T05:21:00.004-05:00

Looking for something fun to do this evening to celebrate Lincoln? You don't even need to leave the comfort of your computer monitor. Just tune in to Virtual Book Signing for a "Celebration of Abraham Lincoln and the Arts."

Yep, it's today, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009 at 5:30 p.m. Central Time.

Lincoln expert and Abraham Linocln Book Shop owner Daniel Weinberg and company will host guests from Chicagoland's Ravinia Festival. Though this is a private event, not open to the public like most book signing events, you're invited to watch the live webcast. Virtual Book Signing events are always entertaining, so you won't want to miss it.

The live panel discussion features artists commissioned by Ravinia commissioned to help North America’s oldest summer music festival celebrate the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial. They include composer Elbio Barilari, composer Lita Grier, composer Ramsey Lewis and choreographer Venetia Stifler. The panel is hosted by Ravinia’s President and CEO Welz Kauffman.

The event will feature some of the magnificent music produced for Ravinia during this Bicentennial commemoration of Lincoln's birth and also a video segment about Jazz legend Ramsey Lewis and his remarkable new composition. Live performances include the Lincoln Trio, soprano Michelle Areyzaga and pianist/speaker Welz Kauffman.

I had the opportunity to hear the Lincoln Trio at Bloomington's David Davis Mansion earlier this year, and their performance alond was a treat. Getting to hear all these artists in a discussion at once should be even more exciting. Hope you can watch it.

The live broadcast is sponsored by Ravinia Festival, Virtual Book Signing and Abraham Lincoln Book Shop, Inc. Ravinia Festival gives special thanks to Kartemquin Films and WTTW Chicago.

Ravinia Festival has brought the finest in music and performance to the Chicagoland area since 1904.

Congratulations, ALO

2009-08-17T22:43:00.006-05:00

As I was ready to shut down my computer for the night, I did the same thing I often do at the end of the evening. I went to the website of newspaper that was Abraham Lincoln's friend, The State Journal-Register. I usually check to see if my fellow blogger, Mike Kienzler, The Abraham Lincoln Observer (ALO), has posted a new article.

Tonight, I found not a new blog post, but breaking news on the home page, reading, "SJ-R metro editor wins senior spelling bee at fair." Now, considering that Kienzler isn't much older than I am, I was hoping it wasn't him. I'm not ready to be called "senior" any more than I have to. I knew, though, that it was surely my ALO buddy. He's the most eagle-eyed editor I've ever known. In fact, he's so good, he can almost find a typo before a reporter's fingers hit the wrong key.

And, he'd recently advanced through his local and regional contests to reach the state contest. So, it came as no suprise that this wordsmith and editor extraordinaire is a champion tonight. Read the breaking news about his championship and the article on the paper's special state fair blog.

You know what, though? Mike Kienzler is champion every day. We can count on him to keep the legacy of Lincoln alive. That makes him a winner in my book, no matter how well he can spell.

If you follow the ALO blog, too, be sure to drop in and leave a comment to congratulate him. I'm going to leave mine right now.

© Copyright 2009 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

Three degrees from Lincoln

2009-08-11T19:06:00.009-05:00

When I started this blog, it was to honor the life and the legacy of Abraham Lincoln in celebration of the bicentennial of his birth. That mission hasn’t changed. You may wonder, therefore, why I would use Lincoln Buff 2 as a forum to tell you about a novel that has nothing to do with the 16th president.

Bear with me while I explain. Then, after I do, if you understand, please read about this marvelous book – and the author who so handily crafted the story.

The way I see it, we can make a connection between this novel and Lincoln. They’re just three degrees apart:

One degree from Abraham Lincoln is his biographer, Carl Sandburg
Two degrees away is Carl Sandburg biographer, Penelope Niven
Three degrees away is Jennifer Niven, Penelope’s daughter and author of Velva Jean Learns to Drive

I’d like to use this interconnectedness to justify this blog post, but first let me tell you why.

Penny’s talk
Two decades ago, I was the front-end manager of a supermarket in Galesburg (Ill.). I’d left college midstream nearly twenty years earlier to get married and raise a family. One evening, sometime around 1990 or so, Penelope Niven was speaking at Carl Sandburg College on the most obvious of subjects, her upcoming Sandburg biography.

If you ever get a chance to meet Penny Niven, you’ll find her, as I did, to be one of the most charming and upbeat people you’ve ever met. You will find it hard to leave the encounter without catching the enthusiasm she radiates.

As I was at a turning point in my life, longing to return to school and share what I learned, either as a teacher or a writer, a number of things about Penny’s speech struck a chord with me that night. The strongest, though, were two comments that originated with Jennifer.

The first was the answer a pre-teen Jennifer gave when asked to share with her class her parents’ occupations. Jennifer’s response went something like this, “My father is a teacher and my mother is obsessed with a dead guy.”

The second happened a few years later. As Penny was lamenting the time it was taking to do her 800-word biography, the writer quipped, “I’ll be fifty before I get this book done!”

Her wise daughter responded, “Mother, you’ll be fifty anyway.”

So why does this matter? Well, maybe because after that talk, I finished college, turned fifty, and am now obsessed with the dead guy with whom Penny’s dead guy was obsessed. Jennifer’s words and her mother’s wisdom in passing them on have motivated me to pursue my dreams. But, I’ll likely be 60 before I get my book done!

The least I can do for Jennifer, though, is tell you about her book. It’s certainly not hard to say good things about Velva Jean.

Jennifer learns to read – and write
Jennifer Niven is a striking young lady – very photogenic. Yet, in spite of all the photos I’ve seen of her, one of my favorites is of her as a little girl with her nose between the pages of a great big book.

I imagine it taken was about the same time Jennifer crafted her own first book. Twelve years ago, I was there when she shared the volume with a Hendersonville, N.C. audience as she and her mother spoke about their careers. The young author’s early effort didn’t look much different than those many of our children designed in their early school days, but my bet is that Jennifer knew who she was as soon as she created it. She was a writer.

I first encountered Jennifer’s work in her non-fiction books about Arctic exhibitions, The Ice Master and Ada Blackjack. Jennifer’s research and storytelling skills are phenomenal. She brought those long gone explorers to life. Both books held me spellbound as I waited on pins and needles to see how things turned out.

Velva Jean is born again
Yet, even before these books, young Jennifer had reached a pinnacle few writers ever do. She was awarded an Emmy for her screenplay of a film titled Velva Jean Learns to Drive, which she wrote in 1995 while still a student at the American Film Institute.

Velva Jean was born on the pages of a short story Penny wrote, resurrected on screen by Jennifer and is born again between the covers of this new book.

What a glorious rebirth it is! Not only is the story reborn but, in the book, the character is reborn through a religious conversion.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. If I were to describe the book in one sentence, I’d say this: Velva Jean Learns to Drive is a coming-of-age story about a girl in the 1930s and 40s from the Appalachian hills who dreams of becoming a singer in Nashville.

It’s that and much, much more.

The characters in Jennifer’s book really are so believable you think you’ve known them all your life. They’re people you can love, hate and feel real pity for. She draws you into the story so well that you truly can sense a panther on your heels, feel the exhilaration of a wild ride down the mountain in a bright yellow pickup truck, smell the putrid fumes of a train wreck.

Not your mama’s mountain tale
Some might argue that certain aspects of this book could be stereotypical – a mountain family with an ailing mom, a wandering dad, a big sis who married young and had a brood of kids, a traveling preacher man, a family-owned store and people who’ve never left their small town.

Yet, that’s what makes this book worth reading and significant historically. The scenes Jennifer paints really are the past as it was in the rural south – and not so different from the rest of the country at the same time. We can read her book and climb back into the limbs of our own family trees. In fact, some of the stories spring from the branches of her own.

From that angle, we can see much more. In her characters, we see ourselves and those around us. Families in her book are dysfunctional. Whose aren’t? People in her book have hopes and dreams for themselves or others. They love intensely and hate immensely. They propel each other and hold each other back. They want the best for their community and they want to fight progress. Some have all they’ll ever need or want, while others spend each day dreaming dreams they fear will never come true.

The appeal of Velva Jean is not that Jennifer Niven has blazed a new trail through those mountains of old. It’s that she’s taken the personalities we all know, the experiences we’ve all lived and she’s brought them to life anew. In Velva Jean Learns to Drive, we all see a little of ourselves and our pasts. As Jennifer tells Velva Jean’s tale, our stories, too, are born again.

She’s not done yet
There are few authors who grab me and hole me spellbound, so strongly that I can’t wait for their next book. Penny does, Richard Bach does (I want to soar like Jonathan. What’s wrong with that?) and Jennifer does.

Fortunately, I don’t have to wait long for her next one. The Aqua-Net Diaries, Big Hair, Big Dreams, Small Town, the memoir of her high school days in Richmond (Ind.) is due out soon. The title alone should give you a hint why she could write about Velva Jean so well. Now, Jennifer’s hard at work on her fifth volume.

Who knows? At this rate, Jennifer might just catch up with my friend, Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer, who’s pounding out his 34th book, And, I’m sure I’ll love every one of her books as much as I do his.

Another Lincoln link
Oh, and that whole Lincoln connection thing? There are two more. Velva Jean’s dad and brother shared the same first name – Lincoln. So, if you decide to do as I did and drop all things Lincoln to read this book, it’s okay. Really, it is.

Poet paints lyrical Lincoln portrait

2009-08-08T18:48:00.008-05:00

Do you remember when you were little and you cherished that time with a favorite bedtime story, not only because of the tale, but also because of the time alone with the loved one who told it?

Do you ever have that feeling still? You cherish every page of a book you’re reading and you don’t want it to end – either because of the story, the characters, or the way the author paints word pictures upon each page and draws you in.

I had that feeling recently.

Before Lincoln’s 200th birthday in February, I began a book, The Lincolns: Portrait of a Marriage, by Daniel Mark Epstein. I was moved by Epstein’s lyrical style and reminded almost immediately of the work of an earlier Lincoln biographer, Carl Sandburg.

Written as only a poet can
Like Sandburg (who, by the way, is from my hometown), Epstein is a poet. Believe me, this poet’s ability to weave words, craft colorful character cameos and draw dramatic dioramas places his presidential portrait on a plane with few others.

Because of this, on one hand, I didn’t want to put the book down from the first day I opened it; yet, on the other, I never wanted to have to stop reading it. Due to other demands on my time, I was lucky to have Epstein’s words with me for a very long time.

Portrait became not my bedtime story, but my lunch time treat. On weekdays when I didn’t have other plans or commitments, I’d go to my van, push the seat back from the steering wheel and spend my lunch hour with the Lincolns, viewing them through Epstein’s eyepiece. I looked forward to the time alone – with the President, Mrs. Lincoln, Epstein and his cast of characters.

I finished the tome today, and I hope what I have to share will inspire you to take a look at this tale, too.

Why this book stands alone
The story Epstein tells is the same one we’ve heard time and again. Lincoln meets Mary, dumps Mary, marries Mary. They have two sons, one dies. They have two more, another dies – this time in the White House. Lincoln the lawyer becomes Lincoln the legislator, then Lincoln the President. They move to the White House, where Mary overspends on her wardrobe and “flub dubs for that damned old house,” while Union soldiers do without the essentials they need. The South surrenders and days later John Wilkes Booth snuffs out the light of the Great Emancipator.

Same old story, right? Why would it be different this time than the many other times we’ve read it? I like to think one reason is because, with a poet’s insight and sensitivity, Epstein shows us a different Abraham and Mary.

He shows us Abraham as a father who has a love for his country and compassion for its people as powerful as for his tag-a-log buddy, Tad. Epstein also shows us the Mary others fail to, a woman who loved her husband, loved her children and suffered in ways few can understand – and he does it with a caring and compassion unparalleled in other works.

Many historians have taken Mary for face value – focusing on all the obvious faults manifested through her mental state and the difficulty it caused in her relationships. Others have painted her a victim, nearly glorifying her. Yet with Epstein, it’s almost as if he’s on the inside looking out, feeling her pain, sensing her rage and understanding her love. I like to think the portrait he paints is more balanced, homing in on the good, but not dusting away the bad as if it never happened.

He shows us a marriage that endured – through it all, until death came between them. Appropriately enough, Epstein’s story stops there.

A taste of the poet’s imagery
Throughout the book, Epstein’s words worked together to pull me in and keep me coming back, but I have to share just a couple of my favorite lines to give you a taste, too.

You may be familiar with James Shields, the man Lincoln was set to duel in the early days of his relationship with Mary. Epstein’s introduction of Shields in the book will always be one of my favorite passages.

James Shields was a short man, with a square jaw, jutting chin, and deep-set eyes under a broad brow. Nevertheless, he got one’s attention when he walked into a room, limping slightly, pressing on as if against a headwind on the deck of a ship.

The passage above is just the beginning of Epstein’s colorful description of the Irishman who came by seafaring vessel from Belfast as a youngster. You’ll find the continued imagery which makes this my favorite when you turn to page 37 in the book.

Epstein’s work will endure
In this volume, just like in those familiar bedtime stories, I knew the characters, I was touched by the beginning, and the ending was as sad this time as it was the first time I heard it.

Yet, Epstein’s portrait of the Lincoln marriage is crafted so that it sheds light on those corners of the image where the sun rarely reaches. You know how Thomas Kinkade can make a painting look as if the light is glowing right through the canvas? Epstein gets this effect with his words. In so doing, we see the marriage, the President and Mrs. Lincoln as never before.

The Lincolns’ marriage may have been cut short on that fateful day in 1865, but Epstein’s panorama of it will bond to the walls of his readers’ memory long after the last page is turned, allowing the legacy to live on.

As for me, I’m thinking it may be a very long time before another luncheon dessert satisfies me like this one.

Clearing the thickets and building the nest

2009-07-19T09:28:00.006-05:00

If you visit my blog regularly, you’ve surely noticed the lack of entries of late. Or, if you’re a new visitor, you may be wondering why you should return to a blog that hasn’t had a new entry for two weeks.

First, let me apologize. I know many of you have come to look forward to the little morsels I find about Abraham Lincoln or Lincoln books and events. I, in turn, look forward to sharing.

Last October, while I was taking a community college course about Lincoln, I began this blog. As I was learning, I was sharing. It just seemed selfish not to. I love learning and I love “teaching.”

Writing, I believe, is a form of teaching. The writer’s classroom consists not of desks in a room or seats in a lecture hall, but words on a page, a computer monitor or, now, even the screen of a mobile device. It’s amazing how this classroom has grown.

So, don’t worry. This isn’t a last blog post. What it is, however, is a window into the past and a lens looking toward the future.

Bringing dreams to life
“Out there, somewhere, there’s a dream. You just have to catch it.”

In my life, I’ve chased and caught many of the same dreams most people pursue – someone to share my life with, a home of our own, children, a career.

Along the way, I’ve seen lots of our shared dreams come true, and I’ve pursued some individual ones as well. Here are just a few of my own:

As I pursued my other dreams, I’d set my college education aside midstream. I got back on board and finished it when I was 41 and a brand-new grandmother.
I wanted to write for a newspaper. In 1998, that dream came true when I had my first freelance book review published in The State Journal-Register, the paper Lincoln called his friend.
As I learned of the plans for a Springfield (Ill.) library and museum honoring the 16th President, I looked forward to it for years. I was the seventh person in line on the day it opened to the public and wrote of the experience for two central Illinois newspapers.
I started a seven-year plan in 2002, when I first learned of the celebrations planned for the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth. I wrote, “I want to be doing significant Lincoln-related work by his 200th birthday.” I had to set this plan aside for awhile, and worried it was a dream that wouldn’t come true. Yet, as dreams often do, when things began to fall into place – the Lincoln course, the blog, the opportunity to attend many Lincoln-related events – it was better than I’d ever imagined possible.

The next dream – even bigger than the rest
With other dreams behind me, I’m now ready to move on to the next – and it’s a big one!

I’ll soon begin work on my own Lincoln books. I know it will be a lot of long days, short nights and painful battles making words work together just so. It will also require research beyond anything I’ve ever done in the past – making sure no stone is unturned, perusing hundreds of existing works on Lincoln and my proposed related subjects, spending long hours pouring over primary sources, trying to find some truth in all the myth and everything mythic that surrounds this subject who is gargantuan.

Before I begin
Before I begin, however, I must make sure conditions are right. I can think of endless imagery to describe what I’m going through right now, but two come to mind most strongly – a thicket and a nest. Let me tell you why.

Those of you who know me know I’m not a person who has just one thing going on at a time. I’ve never just gone to work, come home at night and settled into the nest. I’ve nearly always had another job or obligation, including but not limited to, apartments, school, and outside interests.

I’m also one of those people who buys magazines boasting, “Organize your life,” on the front cover, but then adds that volume to the stack in the box in the closet. It’s topped by two other boxes before the next “Conquer clutter” volume finds its way into the house. Creating order has always taken a back burner to all the other things I wanted to or had to do. And, I’ve always saved all those things I “might need for a story some day.” Never mind that I couldn’t have found them anyway. Just knowing they were there somewhere was comforting – sort of.

What wasn’t comforting was realizing I couldn’t move forward without clearing the way. I knew I had to clear the thicket before I could truly forge my Lincoln path. So, folks, that’s why I’ve been absent from cyberspace. I’m sorting and purging and organizing the things I’ve gathered in the past.

The image accompanying this blog post is a thicket behind the lean-to on a barn at New Salem. As I looked at it, I remembered some of the stories I’d read in John Hallwas’s Western Illinois University course, Literature of Illinois.

When early settlers came to Illinois, they often encountered such scenes and had to forge through the thickets and bramble bushes to get to the beautiful virgin prairie lying on the other side. I imagined what it must have been like for Lincoln and his family as they moved westward. And, then, the thicket became a symbol for me. Clear the path, Ann, and you can start your journey. You can write your book.

So, I’m currently working to get all those things I “might need someday” well organized so I can find them when I do. And, as I do, I’m building the nest where my books will be germinated, incubated and hatched.

Still learnin’ and comin’ back
While I’m spending evenings and weekends on this other project, I haven’t set my quest for new Lincoln knowledge aside, though. I’m listening to books on tape on my commute to work and reading the latest Lincoln books over lunch and when I can steal a few minutes here and there. You’ll hear all about them eventually.

So, please, come back. I will. In the meantime, if you haven’t read all my previous posts, please do. I’ve written more than 170 articles about Lincoln since last October. Though a few are time-sensitive, most are not. Please scroll down on the left-side of the blog to the Labels area or the Blog Archive, or just use the Search at the top left to seek a Lincoln topic in which you’re interested. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll find something you’ll enjoy reading.

And, don’t worry. I’m not leaving you. I will be blogging again soon, even as I begin research on my books. Until then, please, continue your quest to learn more about Lincoln. I’m continuing mine.

Appeal of A. Lincoln - and kindness of strangers - are universal

2009-07-05T08:44:00.011-05:00

Sometimes, when you set out on a journey to explore your own interests and to satisfy your own hunger for knowledge, you find some pleasant surprises along the way. Some of the greatest unplanned gifts along my Lincoln trail have been the many fine people I've met in person or in cyberspace who share an interest in or passion for Abraham Lincoln.

Recently, a reader left a comment on my blog. He told me he, too, had been interested in Lincoln as a small child. He directed me to his own Lincoln blog. With a few clicks of the mouse, I was transported to another place and time. The blogger, Sebastio Albano, wrote of a small Brazilian boy who ventured into a dark, out-of-the-way room in the basement of a church several decades ago. There he discovered a face in a book which seemed to pull him in. You guessed it. The image was Abraham Lincoln - and the small boy is now the man, Albano.

As an adult, Albano made a pilgrimage to Springfield to see the Lincoln sites. Thirty years later, he still remembers his visit to Lincoln's Home. Just as strongly, he remembers the kindness of a stranger who sat down beside him and extended a kindness which transcended generations, cultures and continents. This stranger made Albano's trip even more special by going out of his way to take the Brazilian to see yet another Lincoln site, his tomb. In his excitement, Albano didn't get the stranger's name. He regrets that.

When I heard the story, I thought of one of my favorite journalists, The State Journal-Register's Dave Bakke. Bakke and I have been in touch off and on by email for a number of years now. We share a common admiration for a late Illinois investigative journalist, Rick Baker. In fact, both of us keep Baker's books near our work areas as inpiration (and I keep Bakke's there, too.)

Bakke's really, really good at telling stories like this one. He's also really good at using his column to reach out and reconnect people with long lost friends, family, even cherished objects such as lost rings and long-forgotten baby books. His column brings people together and often extends a cord which entertwines with others to create a rope binding the present and the past.

When I shared Albano's story with my fellow Lincoln blogger, State Journal-Register metro editor Mike Kienzler, who blogs as Abraham Lincoln Observer (ALO), he thought Bakke might like the story, too, and pitched it for me. Just maybe, the three of us together can help Albano find his friend and say "Thanks." And, please, no bad jokes about how many journalists it takes to tell a Lincoln story or find a Lincoln friend.

One more little coincidence makes this story even more significant. It appears today in the State Journal-Register, though Bakke first thought he'd run it earlier. This just happens to be the final day of a conference in England. The conference theme - The Global Lincoln.

Sebastio Albano's story shows us Lincoln is indeed global. It also leaves us wondering - would he have freely experienced such a gift of thoughtfulness in the U.S. if Lincoln hadn't lived? You see, the kindness Albano recieved was bestowed by a black man.

Be sure to read:

Do you have your own global Lincoln story? If so, let me know. Let's keep sharing our enthusiasm throughout the world - in the bicentennial year and beyond.

In case you were wondering...

2009-06-25T22:34:00.007-05:00

... I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. My absence from the blogosphere is due, in part, to other obligations. I've been tackling some long overdue projects at home and, quite frankly, many evenings I'm just too tired to blog. That must mean I'm getting old!

Still plenty of Lincoln news out there
There's still plenty of Lincoln news on the horizon - good books coming off the presses, events happening across the company and a general, all-around enthusiasm for Lincoln. I sure do wish I could write about each and every thing I hear of. Maybe someday I'll be able to find the time to do that.

In the meantime, I'll share what I can when I can. I am reading one very engaging Lincoln book now and have a whole stack of them to get to later. I listened to a book on tape a few weeks ago and still need to review it. And, I've got three more in the car to listen to over then next few weeks. You'll get to hear about all of them - eventually

Follow me on Twitter
Until then, please follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lincolnbuff2.

I'm tweeting and retweeting about:

Lincoln books,
Lincoln documentaries,
Lincoln events,
Lincoln sites,
Lincoln-related articles and
comments people make about Lincoln.

And sometimes, I'll retweet something simply because it makes me smile and I hope it can do the same for you, like the one about the little kid who thought the Gettysburg Address was where Lincoln lived.

Though I'd love to be writing about everything Lincoln that crosses my path, most days, I just can't. Twitter is a way that I can still keep you in the loop somewhat on Lincoln happenings. If you're not following yet, please do. I was at 300 followers yesterday, but seem to be down one today. Please join the other 299 who follow Lincoln Buff 2 to learn more about Abraham Lincoln.

Thanks for reading and come back soon. You never know when I'll get a few minutes to write or will run across a really cool story I just have to share. If the stars align as I think they will, there's a fantastic one coming very soon, so y'all come back now, ya hear?

1 President + 2 authors + 43 Americans = Great book

2009-06-17T22:24:00.007-05:00

In 1998, I wrote my first review of a Lincoln book. It was of Harold Holzer’s The Lincoln Mailbag: America Writes to the President, 1861-1865.

When I received the assignment, I didn’t know Holzer from Adam. I didn’t have any idea he’d have more than 30 books under his belt within the next decade and be one of the most recognized names in Lincoln scholarship. If you would have told me then that seven years later I’d meet the man, and four years after that, I’d consider him a mentor and friend, I’d have answered, “Yeah-h-h-h, ri-i-i-i-ght!”

But, he has, I did and he is. It’s funny how this crazy thing called life plays out.

Today, I want to tell you about one of Holzer’s latest books. Not because he asked me to. (He did not.) Not because he answers my questions, no matter how ridiculous they may be. (He does.) Not because he’s the chair of the U.S. Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. (He is – and he’s one fine spokesperson.)

I want to tell you about In Lincoln’s Hand: His Original Manuscripts because it’s a really neat book. But Holzer didn’t produce this one alone. As he’s done occasionally in the past, the author joined forces with another Lincoln scribe, Joshua Wolf Shenk. If that name is familiar, it’s because Shenk “wrote the book” on Lincoln and depression. It’s titled Lincoln’s Melancholy: How Depression Changed a President and Fueled His Greatness.

A winning combination
The duo combined images of documents in Lincoln’s own handwriting with photographs and supporting artwork, then topped the creation with commentary from 43 Americans. And, these weren’t just any Americans. They included in their ranks all living former Presidents, a past Supreme Court Justice, leading Lincoln scholars, actors who’ve portrayed Lincoln, famous politicians and writers, big name film makers and more.

This diverse group presents an unprecedented look at the Lincoln legacy through a multi-faceted wall of windows. The book is even more unique in that some of the panes have since shattered. We’ll never again have an opportunity to get a fresh perspective on Lincoln from three commentators who recently passed away – the patriarch of Lincoln scholars David Herbert Donald, the great American historian John Hope Franklin and legendary author John Updike.

In Lincoln’s Hand serves not only as a valuable resource for accessing many of Lincoln’s most famous words and seeing them in their original form, complete with the emancipator’s strikeouts and edits. It’s also a very attractive, easy-to-read volume which would make a cherished gift or a great conversation piece on a coffee table. It’s meant to be looked at – often – and read and discussed.

But wait, there’s more
In Lincoln’s Hand is an official publication of the Library of Congress Bicentennial Exhibition, “With Malice Toward None.” Though the celebratory exhibit of original Lincoln documents is no longer on display at the Library of Congress, it’s hitting the road, stopping for a time in museum and libraries across the country. Check to learn the approximate dates the exhibit will be in a venue near you.

You can also learn more on the exhibit website.

© Copyright 2009 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

On the road to knowledge

2009-06-17T05:25:00.002-05:00

You’ve gotta love audio books. How else can you learn while you’re driving?

I have a 30-minute commute to and from work each day, and I’ve grown to look forward to my classroom on wheels. Recently, I listened to two Lincoln-related audio books, though to the non-Lincoln buff, they might not seem so.

Illinois general turned president
The first of the two is Grant: A Biography (Unabridged) by John Mosier from the Great Generals Series.

A fellow history buff from Galesburg, retired Judge Harry Bulkeley, bears an uncanny resemblance to the great general, portraying him in Civil War Reenactments and even in two television documentaries.

I chose the Ulysses S. Grant bio for a couple reasons. I wanted to learn more about this Illinois icon my Galesburg acquaintance brings to life, and I knew I needed to know more about the general and his service to better understand Lincoln and the Civil War.

So what did I learn?

First, I learned how little I know about the Civil War. In corporate-speak, it’s my Lincoln growth area. But, I also learned more about the general, his life and his leadership style. Mosier paints a mural of Grant’s life and military accomplishments as vivid as those panoramic walls WPA folks used to paint in post offices across the country back in the 1930s and 1940s.

Through the book, the reader learns a lot about the often misunderstood Grant – a family man, an artist, a brilliant military strategist. Mosier also teaches about the battles of the Civil War and military leadership in general not only through the Civil War, but throughout history in the U.S. and abroad.

I really wished I were listening to this not in a car, but in a room with a timeline across the wall and a map of Civil War battlefields in front of me. Because I don’t know either of these nearly as well as I should, I felt at sometimes that I were sitting in a sidewalk café in a foreign land, not understanding what was said around me. But every once in a while, I heard morsels in my native language so interesting that I couldn’t help but linger to hear more.

So, though much of the military strategy and Civil War specifics were foreign to me, I learned – tons. I have a much greater appreciation for Grant - the man, Grant - the General and Grant - the President, and I’ll listen to this again someday when I can visualize Grant standing on a battlefield and leading his men to victory. And, maybe, I’ll even read the book – that is, if I ever run out of Lincoln books. Alas, I don’t see that happening any time soon with a new one coming out each week.

The audio book has a very helpful introduction by Wesley K. Clark and is narrated by Brian Emerson, a comfortable voice to listen to any time of day.

Little stories with a moral
I also just finished listening to an unabridged edition of Aesop’s Fables, narrated by Jonathan Kent. I’m embarrassed to say that though I’ve started them numerous times, I’ve never before made it through all of these classic tales. This time, I did.

It was important to me that I understood them, as this was one book which Lincoln is supposed to have read early in life – and which is to have influenced him throughout life.

Many of the stories were familiar, of course. You just can’t go through life without being exposed to them and many of the morals are things I’ve heard over and over. I just didn’t realize they came from Aesop.

Though Kent’s voice is soothing to hear, there are some times when, in portraying a particular character, it’s more annoying than pleasant. That’s rare, though, and not a deterrent from the value of the book in general. And, for some reason, this particular copy was difficult to hear. I’m not sure if it was just a defect or what, but I had to listen at full volume. My husband just about blew us all out of the van when he popped out the CD to listen to oldies and we heard our first 60s song at the highest level on the dial!

More to come
I’ve also been turning the pages of several books (but not while I'm driving), so I’ve got more reviews to share in the coming days – this time of Lincoln books. Keep watching. I’ll try not to stay away so long this time.

© Copyright 2009 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

New Lincoln exhibit opens Monday

2009-06-12T05:48:00.003-05:00

Though farming wasn't the career of choice for Abraham Lincoln, he certainly had connections to agriculture throughout his life. A new exhibit at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum shows this, and last night I got to see it at a preview reception for museum members. The exhibit, "How Vast and How Varied a Field' The Agricultural Vision of Abraham Lincoln," opens to the public on Monday, June 15.

Watch my blog for more on this fine exhibit and some of what the speaker had to say last night about Lincoln and agriculture. I'll write more in the next few days.

© Copyright 2009 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

Emerson on Lincoln

2009-06-10T05:40:00.011-05:00

Not Ralph Waldo though...

For the past few years, I've heard of this enthusiasatic young Lincoln scholar who stumbled upon a trunk of long lost Mary Todd Lincoln letters, dug much deeper than the letters and wrote a book, The Madness of Mary Lincoln. On Monday, I got to meet him.

Jason Emerson is a former National Park Service park ranger at places like Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Gettysburg National Military Park, and the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (the Arch) in St. Louis. A short biography on his website says he was also a costumed interpreter at the Genesee Country Museum in Mumford, NY, a professional journalist, a newsletter publisher and a freelance writer.

Emerson spoke at the United Presbyterian Church in Peoria, which last year hosted a visit from Lincoln scholar Joshua Wolf Shenk. Emerson's visit was sponsored by Illinois Central College (ICC) Community Programs for Adults, ICC Social Sciences Department and the church.

Leaving his legacy
Emerson is also the author of Lincoln the Inventor, a great little book about the device for which Lincoln obtained a patent. He's got three other projects in the works:

the forthcoming biography of Robert Todd Lincoln, upon which he was working when he stumbled on the lost letters,
the publication of a previously unpublished manuscript, The Dark Days of Abraham Lincoln's Widow, As Revealed by Her Own Letters, and
the introduction for a reprint of the classic W.A. Evans book, Mrs. Abraham Lincoln: A Study of Her Personality and Influence on Lincoln.

Dark Days and the Evans book witll both be published by Southern Illinois University Press in 2010.

Emerson has also written scores of reviews and scholarly articles and even appeared recently on a Lincoln documentary. He made the big time with his Mary Lincoln book, and he's now given numerous lectures on his books, but I think that first documentary was a real high point for him. With that appearance he joined the "Society of Lincoln Talking Heads," a pretty prestigious group, if I might say so myself.

A few good laughs and a lot of substance
Jason Emerson is a pretty funny guy. He kept the audience laughing with his lecture Monday night, but he got serious when he needed to. Mary Todd Lincoln is a subject which calls for some serious research and some serious introspection and, as Emerson points out, people have written of her life from many different angles. Those views often oppose each other and paint her in a kaleidoscope of different lights.

What color is the lens through which Emerson sees her? It's not rose-colored, but it's not jaded either. This author has no agenda - not psychobabble, not feminism, not Mary-bashing. He's out to portray her time in a Batavia (Ill.) in the clearest light he can, and to look at the insanity case through the new view presented by Mrs. Lincoln's letters to and from Myra Bradwell.

If you ever get the chance to hear Emerson talk, please go. You'll enjoy it. And, by all means, read his books. I got my copy of Madness and also a copy of Inventor for my 11-year-old grandson, who was celebrating his birthday on the day of Emerson's talk. I'll be reviewing both here later this year, so watch for them.

Until then, keep your eyes and ears open. You never know when you may learn of the next great undiscovered find in American history. The steamer trunk Emerson stumbled across is not the last repository of stories yet untold.

© Copyright 2009 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

Pursuing Lincoln

2009-06-08T06:03:00.005-05:00

My blogging presence has been a little less lately, as I've been catching up on things at home. This week, I'll be on the road a couple days pursuing Lincoln, so I won't have as much time to blog, either. I'll try to fill you in on these events later when I can.

I get to meet Lincoln author Jason Emerson tonight and to attend a foundation members reception for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum's exhibit, "Illinois Stories: 'How Vast and How Varied a Field,'" later in the week.

Emerson is the author of The Madness of Mary Lincoln and Lincoln the Inventor. He's currently working on a long overdue biography of Robert Todd Lincoln, which should shed new light on this much overlooked Lincoln son.

The ALPLM exhibit features the first John Deere tractor. (No, it wasn't invented in Lincoln's lifetime.) I'm really excited about that event, as my date for the evening will be my 11-year-old grandson. He's joining me as a belated celebration of his birthday, which is today. Happy birthday, fella.

© Copyright 2009 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

Lincoln Buff 2 featured by two other bloggers

2009-06-03T06:13:00.005-05:00

One of the greatest benefits of sharing the legacy of Lincoln online is the fellow Lincoln buffs and all around really cool people you meet around the world. Two of them actually wrote about my blog this week. I am flattered and thankful.

Recently, I told you about Ed Newman's Ennyman's Territory blog. You'll want to check it out. He's an individual with amazingly brilliant and diverse talent - not only a gifted writer but an accomplished artist, as well.

Mike Kienzler of the Springfield, Ill. newspaper, The State Journal-Register, writes The Abraham Lincoln Observer (ALO) blog. In an article yesterday, he wrote about our mutual Lincoln friend, photographer David Wiegers, and added a few words about my interview with Newman. Coincidentally, about ten years ago, I occasionally wrote freelance book reviews on Illinois-related subjects, including Lincoln, for the SJ-R. My books page editor, the late Doug Pokorski, reported to Kienzler. Though we've never met, and I hadn't even exchanged emails with him until Doug passed away suddenly a few years ago, I'm grateful for the opportunity Mike gave me to get my words in print. Thanks, ALO.

Of course, I love it when people read my blog. That's why I write it. But, please, check out Ed's and Mike's, too. You'll be glad you did.

© Copyright 2009 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

Read my interview on Ennyman's Territory

2009-05-31T15:18:00.004-05:00

I recently posted a comment in response to another blogger's article about the Lincoln-Douglas Debates. Surprisingly, he asked me for an interview about my interest in Lincoln. The interview is posted today, so here's a link if you want to know more about what drives me to this Lincoln-mania.

The blogger, Ed Newman, who writes Ennyman's Territory, is quite the gifted artist, poet and writer himself. I think this will not be the last you've heard of him, as he, too, may be the subject of one of my blog posts someday.

© Copyright 2009 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

McPherson succinctly packages the Lincoln story

2009-05-30T21:56:00.006-05:00

If there is one thing Pulitzer Prize winning author James M. McPherson has learned from his studies of Abraham Lincoln, it’s economy of words. While Lincoln said more in two minutes than his fellow speaker at Gettysburg did in two hours, McPherson’s 79-page biography, Abraham Lincoln, captures the essence of the sixteenth president’s life and legacy in a manner equal to that of scores of other books with 10 or 20 times more pages.

Of course, this author can’t paint an full-scale mural of the multi-faceted Lincoln in less than one hundred pages. But that’s okay.

Many who’ve written 500-700 pages haven’t been able to do that either. That’s why you’ll find so many books which cover only one aspect, or sometimes even just one year, of Lincoln’s life.

However, McPherson does hit upon the key personal events and covers the most important aspects of Lincoln’s political and presidential careers. He condenses a very complex life into a Reader’s Digest version - and it actually works.

As the book will surely whet the appetite for Lincoln in many readers, McPherson has helpfully added a few pages at the end pointing folks to the most crucial Lincoln reference works and a number of other fine biographies.

I found only one small error – one which neither McPherson nor his publisher may have known before the book went to print. When he mentions new books in celebration of the 2009 bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth, the author writes of Michael Burlingame’s “three-volume” work. Burlingame’s Abraham Lincoln: A Life ended up being a two-volume set instead.

In the past, when I wanted to share my love of Lincoln with friends or colleagues, I’d give them a compact little volume called The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln. Though I still think it’s an appropriate piece for those who aren’t familiar with the railsplitter’s storytelling ability and powerful use of words, McPherson’s book serves a far more valuable purpose. It paints a beautiful diorama of Lincoln’s life in a miniature thimble. Now, when I want to spark the Lincoln fire in others who don’t read much or aren’t Lincoln buffs, I’ll likely light the match with this great new little volume.

There is one question I hear often these days. Friend and strangers alike say, “I want to learn more about Lincoln. What book should I read?” From now on, my answer will be, “I think the best way to get your feet wet is McPherson. Sprinkle yourself with Lincoln with this book, and you’ll be begging for full immersion in no time at all.”

Congratulations, Dr. McPherson. You’ve shown us you can use as many words as it takes to write an award-winning tale of the Civil War, or pare them down as a 200th birthday present for our greatest president. Sometimes the greatest gifts come in the smallest packages.

© Copyright 2009 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

The great Lincoln mystery - a speech lost

2009-05-29T05:15:00.014-05:00

I thought I knew a lot about Abraham Lincoln - that was until I moved to McLean County, Illinois, often lauded as Lincoln's home away from home. His ties to the Bloomington area are far stronger than the casual Lincoln enthusiast could ever imagine. Though I can't share them all in this article, I can tell you that today is the anniversary of Lincoln's most infamous - and most curious - Bloomington connection, his "Lost Speech."

Lincoln delivered a speech at Major's Hall in Bloomington on May 29, 1856 at a gathering in which the Illinois Republican party was formed. Legend has it the speech was so mesmerizing those there to report upon it set their writing instruments aside and forgot to record what may have been one of history's most powerful speeches. That may be true. The great orator surely spoke of slavery that day, and many contend Lincoln likely echoed many of the same sentiments a week or so later in a speech at Peoria, Illinois.

Or could it be, as one of my Lincoln friends speculates, that it was intentionally "lost," so as to avoid leaking the "trade secrets" of the new party?

Learn more
To read more about the Lost Speech, see:

"Bloomington was the scene for Lincoln's famous 'Lost Speech'" by Bill Kemp, archivist/librarian at the McLean County Museum of History
"Abraham Lincoln's Lost speech" by Roger Norton, author of Abraham Lincoln Research Site.

The power of the written word
If you come to Bloomington today, you won't be able to stand in Major's Hall, where Lincoln delivered the speech. That building is long gone, and in its place is a parking garage. You'll find a plaque to mark the spot, though - a simple, but powerful, reminder of the importance of the written word in keeping moments in history from slipping into oblivion.

Coincidentally, Lincoln himself spoke of the power of the written word in "Discoveries and Inventions," a speech he presented just two years later a couple of blocks from Major's Hall. The site of that speech still stands, and Rhoda and Lowell Sneller have made the text of the speech available to all through their Abraham Lincoln Online website. In that speech, Lincoln said, "Writing -- the art of communicating thoughts to the mind, through the eye -- is the great invention of the world."

Don’t miss Lincoln as he meets the press

2009-05-28T20:29:00.002-05:00

On Friday, June 5, 2009 you won’t want to miss Virtual Book Signing live online at 6 p.m. Central Time. Lincoln presenter George Buss will discuss Abraham Lincoln’s life and presidency with several members of the media.

Those joining Buss are:

Eric Zorn, editorial columnist
Patrick Reardon and John Patterson, political reporters
Kane Farabauh, radio journalist

The event, sponsored by Abraham Lincoln Book Shop and the Abraham Lincoln Association, will be moderated by Bob Lenz and will last an hour or until the journalists and online viewers are out of questions.

What to expect
Buss will join the journalists in a roundtable discussion, answering questions from the media and those received by email from the audience watching live from home. There’s one hitch though – all questions have to be directed not at Buss, but at his alter ego, President Lincoln, and not just at any time in his life but on that fateful day, April 14, 1865. So, as the Virtual Book Signing folks, who just happen to be from Chicago, warn it’s no fair asking if the Cubs are going to win the World Series.

I can tell you with no reservations you’re in for a good time. Buss is quite the Lincoln. He knows his subject and has a wit not unlike that of the sixteenth president. He’s stood in Lincoln’s shoes – and under his hat – for a number of years now. In 2008, he was joined by Tim Connors, who played Stephen A. Douglas to Buss’s Lincoln as the pair commemorated the sesquicentennial of the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas Debates in the same cities where the prairie orators faced off 150 years earlier.

I had the opportunity to hear Buss and Connor more than once last year, and I heard Buss and Lenz do a similar presentation with media in Peoria. I often found myself thinking I really was in the presence of the President and, more than once, I had a good laugh.

Check it out. You’ll be glad you did.

Join the Abraham Lincoln Association
Not a member of the Abraham Lincoln Association? Can you think of a better way to honor his legacy and celebrate the bicentennial of his birth? It’s as easy as clicking this link and following the instructions on the Abraham Lincoln Association website.

It’s a great organization with fine people who are also committed to keeping the Lincoln legacy alive, and events like this one are just one of the ways they do so.

Burlingame answers call to teach in Springfield

2009-05-27T05:00:00.010-05:00

There's excitement in the air in Springfield today. Michael Burlingame is coming to town, and not just to do research at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM) this time. He's coming to live and teach and, okay, to do research, too. After all, he's Michael Burlingame. He's the guy with the mantra, "Get down and dirty in that primary source material." He's the guy who lives the mantra. His new two-volume Abraham Lincoln: A Life is proof positive those primary sources still hold plenty of unmined treasures.

Since 2007, the University of Illinois (UIS) has been without a Lincoln scholar. Philip Shaw Paludan held the university's Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies until his death that year. Burlingame will fill the post well. He feels fortunate for the opportunity. I've walked into the ALPLM library before and spotted Burlingame sitting at a table doing research. He looks so natural there. And, you can be assured he'll spend plenty of time at those tables, as well as in many other repostitories large and small across the prairie state where newpapers, letters and more hold Lincoln stories yet untold.

Burlingame's not the only one who is lucky. We are, too. For decades, many of the leading Lincoln scholars were on the east coast, including Burlingame. We've been blessed with the brilliant Rodney Davis and Doug Wilson in the Lincoln Studies Center at Knox College, Vernon Burton at the University of Illinois until his recent retirement, and others here and there in the Midwest from time and time, but it seemed a shame that the town where Lincoln spent more years than any other didn't have a scholar of this caliber in recent years. Now, we do. And, this Lincoln buff for one is pretty excited about it. Hope you are, too.

Please join me in congratulating Michael Burlingame on this wonderful new opportunity - and UIS on their wisdom in bringing him here. As Steven Covey would say, it's a win-win. What a birthday present to Abraham Lincoln in his bicentennial year!

Learn more
Please read Pete Sherman's story in today's State Journal-Register to learn more about Burlingame's new opportunity. To learn more about Burlingame and his work, visit his website, too.

Lincoln Buff 2 on Twitter, too - Check it out

2009-05-26T05:30:00.006-05:00

When I started this blog, my mission was to share my passion for the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln and to help readers learn more about Lincoln as I do. Sometimes, this has become a daunting task. There are hundreds of Lincoln events this year. It's difficult to share them all.

In addition, real life has this way of getting in the way - and sometimes I can't ignore the things I have to do to do the things I want to do.

What I really want to do is develop real blog posts - articles with my own voice which tell the Lincoln story or point you to books, events, article and even more bits of Lincoln lore. It seems you enjoy this, as many of you come back often to my Lincoln Buff 2 blog. I don't want to let you down, so I'll still do that when I can. When I can't, there's another way to learn more about Lincoln - follow me on Twitter.

I take a little time each day to share all the cool Lincoln things I've run across on Twitter. Whether it's an article I've found, an event that's coming up or an interesting picture someone's shared of a Lincoln site, I'll tweet or re-tweet so you can enjoy it, too.

I'm sorry I've been lax at blogging lately. One reason was because I was studying for a continuing education exam for my real job. That's done and I feel a true sense of accomplishment as I earned an industry designation in the process - my sixth. I'm also a bit busy with family obligations right now, so can't blog as regularly as I'd like. Please do visit both my blog and Twitter often, though. I'll Tweet almost daily and blog as I can.

In the meantime, don't stop looking for Lincoln yourselves. You'll be surprised where he turns up in this bicentennial year.

© Copyright 2009 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

Thank you, Dr. Donald

2009-05-19T06:01:00.006-05:00

Imagine you’re in a room with a hundred or so other people – many of them leading Lincoln scholars – and you have in front of you a panel of three of the top. One has written nearly 30 books to date and isn’t even close to stopping, another is a young academic and author in the early years of his career, but already far more knowledgeable about the subject at hand than others who are much older, and the third is the patriarch of living Lincoln scholars.

They’ve gathered to celebrate the opening of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM) – to honor the man whose life and legacy have consumed so much of their own lives and helped to create their own legacies. The three are gathered on a panel moderated by the C-SPAN legend Brian Lamb – a panel brought together to share the perspectives of three generations of Lincoln scholars. The scholars’ names – Harold Holzer, Matthew Pinsker and David Herbert Donald.

Dr. Donald passed away Sunday, May 17, at age 88. I don’t want to believe it, but it must be true. I read it on the New York Times book page.

I can tell you what you’ll read anywhere – that Dr. Donald’s 1995 “Lincoln” was among the most comprehensive single volume Lincoln biographies for years, only to be surpassed by recent works accessing scholarship not available when he did his research.

I can tell you he’s a link in the long chain of Lincoln scholars - that the work of Ida Tarbell, which inspired Donald’s mentor James G. Randall of the University of Illinois, then Donald, lives on today in the lives of those he’s mentored, like Pinsker and Jean H. Baker and others whose names evade me at 5 a.m.

I can tell you he’s a two-time Pulitzer Prize winning author.

I can tell you he held a place of honor and respect in a community of brilliant men and women who share a common bond, even when their opinions differ, who support each other through years of research, who just understand the chord that ties them and can with one look across the aisle in a crowded symposium venue say, “Yep, that’s just what I was thinking.”

Even more, though, I can tell you that just thinking of this man and what he’s meant to my life brings tears to my eyes. In 2005, when I attended the opening celebrations of the ALPLM, I was just another Lincoln enthusiast who had long awaited the opening of the museum honoring our most popular president, my state’s favorite son. I’d admired Lincoln as long as I could remember. I knew about as much about him as any other very amateur history enthusiast and a little more than most Illinois residents, but not much. I was seeking something, not sure where it would take me, and I felt deep down that the answer lie in the sixteenth President.

There was a question and answer session at the end of the panel. I had the opportunity to address Holzer, Pinsker and Donald and my question was something like this, “Do you think someone breaking into the Lincoln community at this stage of life can do significant work on Lincoln, and what advice do you have for them?”

Though the generations separated this 80-something scholar and his 50- and 30-something counterparts, they were unanimous in their answers, “Read, attend scholarly events, surround yourselves with others who share your passion.”

I have, and my one regret is that I don’t know if Dr. Donald knew how much it has changed my life. I wrote a thank you note last Thanksgiving, on my favorite Lincoln note cards. I told Dr. Donald about this blog, thanked him for his encouragement and wished him well. But, I didn’t mail it. I’m not sure why. Maybe I thought just having a Lincoln blog wasn’t enough. Maybe I wanted to be able to say, “Dr. Donald, look, I did it. I wrote my own Lincoln biography.”

Someday, I will. And, you can believe you’ll read his name in the acknowledgements.

For now, I say, thank you, Dr. Donald. Your scholarship, your kind gentle ways, and your encouragement to a middle-aged woman in pursuit of her dreams will continue to inspire me until my name, too, is etched on an obituary page.

My sympathy goes out to Dr. Donald’s wife, his son Bruce and family, and his other family – the legion of scholars who’ve lost their Lincoln dad. He will be missed.

Read more
Here are others’ accounts of Dr. Donald’s life and legacy.

Authors talk about Lincoln/Truman books today

2009-05-16T08:51:00.004-05:00

Daniel Weinberg of Chicago’s Abraham Lincoln Book Shop invites Matthew Algeo and Larry Tagg to Virtual Book Signing today, May 16 at 12 noon Central Time.

Please join them as they talk about:

Algeo’s book, Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure, and
Tagg’s book, The Unpopular Mr. Lincoln.

Virtual Book Signing is free, it’s online and you can even submit questions for the authors. If you haven’t checked it out yet, please do.

If you miss the show online today, check the Virtual Book Signing website periodically. They’ll post in online before long. In fact, right now you can hear Weinberg’s visits with other Lincoln authors, including:

Harold Holzer
James McPherson
Michael Burlingame
Philip Kunhardt, III
George McGovern
Ronald C. White, Jr.
Catherine Clinton
Daniel Mark Epstein
David Leroy
Daniel Stowell
And more.

Hallwas book earns Midland Authors highest bio honor

2009-05-14T17:49:00.021-05:00

John E. Hallwas is the quintessential Illinois historian and his latest book, Dime Novel Desperadoes: The Notorius Maxwell Brothers, captures the socio-economic forces at work in Illinois during Lincoln's time. Though the book is not a Lincoln bio, news of the Hallwas volume belongs on these blog, and good news it is.

The Society of Midland Authors has just awarded its highest honor for a biography to Hallwas. The University of Illinois Press, which published this and others among the author's 24 volumes, shared the following information with me today. In a future blog post, I'll share more about the book, the Society and Hallwas.

Please join me in wishing John Hallwas congratulations on this well-deserved honor.

Dime Novel Desperadoes takes top honor
"Dime Novel Desperadoes: The Notorious Maxwell Brothers," by Illinois author John E. Hallwas, received this year's Midland Authors Award for "Best Biography from the Midwest" at an awards banquet in Chicago, at the Congress Plaza Hotel, on May 12.

An exciting account of robbery, gunfights, manhunts, and lynching, "Dime Novel Desperadoes" recovers the long-forgotten story of Ed and Lon Maxwell, outlaw brothers from Illinois who once rivaled Jesse and Frank James in national notoriety. The 300-page narrative, illustrated with more than forty photographs, also delves into the cultural and psychological factors that produced lawbreakers and created a crime wave in the post-Civil War era.

In announcing the award, Robert Remer of the Society of Midland Authors referred to "Dime Novel Desperadoes" as "a great biography, massively researched and powerfully written, that probes deeply into the lives of the outlaws and the violent era in which they lived."

The Society of Midland Authors, established in 1915, has been giving awards for outstanding literary works from the Midwest for more than fifty years. Previous award winners have included such notable Midwestern writers as Gwendolyn Brooks and Dave Etter in poetry, Saul Bellow and Kurt Vonnegut in fiction, and Bruce Catton and Studs Terkel in nonfiction.

Commentators on, and reviewers of, "Dime Novel Desperadoes" have referred to it as "a fascinating true crime story," "extremely well written and . . .massively researched," "a superb narrative," and "a masterwork."

It is the 24th book that Hallwas has written or edited, related to the history or literature of Illinois. He is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Western Illinois University.

Learn more about the book

I wrote about Dime Novel Desperadoes and Hallwas last fall shortly after the book came out. Learn more about the author, the Lincoln connection and the book by reading my Nov. 16, 2008 article, "The Spark that got the Fire Burning."

Follow Lincoln Buff 2 on Twitter

2009-05-09T21:39:00.004-05:00

After a failed attempt at tweeting in Springfield the week of the bicentennial, I'm now a bonafide twitterer - or is it tweeter? Nonetheless, I'm doing it! I've now got more than 100 followers on Twitter.

I'm not quite sure how I'll use this valuable communication tool in the long run. I can see so many opportunities to meet my vision - to inspire others by sharing the Lincoln legacy. Recently, I've been re-tweeting other people's Lincoln-related tweets. The tweets may be about an event, or a book, or a Lincoln site they've seen. I rarely re-tweet quotes. So often, quotes are falsely attributed to Lincoln. I just don't have time to verify each and every one. I'll only use one if I've read it in the works of leading Lincoln scholars who do their homework on such matters.

I hope to do more with Twitter - use it to link to news stories, events across the country, to promote Lincoln books. With my schedule right now - other responsibilities and an exam I'm preparing for - re-tweeting will be about it. But, keep watching. Who knows what surprises I'll have for you. Check it out at: http://twitter.com/LincolnBuff2.

Please keep visiting my blog, too. I've got a couple of really cool stories planned over the next week or so - about others who are as passionate about following their passions as I am about following mine. And, if you read my blog at all, you can't miss my passion. ;-)

To all those mothers out there in Lincoln Buff land, have a Happy Mother's Day! Ann

© Copyright 2009 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

“He’s somebody we can all learn something from”

2009-05-09T09:23:00.035-05:00

I just can’t not do it. If you’ve got a passion, you know what I mean. You pursue it because you’re drawn to it, you must do it, you just can’t not do it.

For me that passion is Abraham Lincoln – sharing his story, using it to inspire others, learning from it myself. Fortunately, this blog connects me to people who share that passion. When I can find the time, I like to tell their stories. Sometimes, they tell their own stories so well, I need serve only as the conduit through which the story flows to the rest of you. This is one of those times.

David Wiegers, a Lincoln buff from Gurnee (Ill.), was one of the earliest followers of my blog and one of the first to post a comment. Wiegers has his own passion. He’s crossed the United States photographing Lincoln statues – more than 200 of them. When he was featured recently on WILL television, Wiegers captured the essence of why so many of us are drawn to the Lincoln legacy. He said of the sixteenth President, “He’s somebody we can all learn something from.”

I recently asked Wiegers to tell me a little about his passion, including his plans for a book featuring the Lincoln statues. He did such a fine job telling the story that I see no need to rewrite it. So, Dave, congratulations! You’re the first guest author on Lincoln Buff 2.

A Life Worth Remembering: The Monumental Legacy of Abraham Lincoln

by David Wiegers

“Every statue should tell a story. It should portray a moment in our nation’s history or a man’s life that’s worth remembering.” Sculptor Gutzo Borglum

President Abraham Lincoln certainly lived a life worth remembering. He lives and is remembered by his eloquent words and remarkable life. One of the most important ways we remember Lincoln and the life that he lead is through the monuments and statues we have erected commemorating his life and times.

There are more statues, monuments and memorials dedicated to President Abraham Lincoln that any other American. In the United States there are approximately 225 “major” or “significant” pieces of public and private art erected to honor Lincoln in the United States . Outside America numerous statues honoring the memory of Lincoln stand in many foreign countries. Lincoln is memorialized in Mexico , Russia , Cuba , England , Scotland , Norway and Austria .

The 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln has arrived and, monuments celebrating the life of the 16th president continue to be dedicated in the United States despite the fact that Lincoln has been dead for 144 years. In the past 24 months alone, new statues commemorating the life of Abraham Lincoln have been erected in:

Springfield (Ill.)
Sterling (Ill.)
Pontiac (Ill.)
Jonesboro (Ill.)
Hodgenville (Ken.)
Tacoma (Wash.)
Lockport (Ill.)
Washington (D.C.)

In 2009 and 2010, new Lincoln works will be dedicated in:

Jacksonville (Ill.)
Bloomington (Ill.)
Shelbyville (Ill.)
Metamora (Ill.)
Hillsboro (Ill.)
Decatur (Ill.)
Hillsdale (Mich.)
Louisville (Ken.)
Springfield (Ken.)
Leavenworth (Kans.)
Gentryville (Ind.)
Gettysburg (Penn.)

Others are surely in the planning stages and not yet announced to the public.

With the Bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth being celebrated in 2009 and 2010, I believe that it is time for an updated, definitive work on the statues of Abraham Lincoln. It has been over 50 years since the last books on this subject were published.

In 1932, the first comprehensive cataloging of the bronze statues of Abraham Lincoln in the United States was done on behalf of the Lincoln National Life Foundation. The book was Heroic Statues in Bronze of Abraham Lincoln, written by Franklin B. Mead and was published by The Lakeside Press. Mead’s work covered only “heroic” or life-sized or larger studies of Lincoln . A good portion of the book was given to a complete telling of the story of a new Lincoln work commissioned by the Lincoln National Life foundation and created by the noted sculptor Paul Manship entitled The Hoosier Youth.

Donald Durman’s book, He Belongs to the Ages – The Statues of Abraham Lincoln, was published in 1951 and F. Lauriston Bullard’s book, Lincoln in Marble and Bronze, came out in 1952. Neither of these books is in now in print.

My book will update the literature on the subject of Lincoln sculpture and make available a complete catalog of all of the “major” public statues of Abraham Lincoln and select private pieces.

The purpose and ultimate goal of my project is to release a book that will update the information collected by Durman and Bullard and include updated information and photographs of the statues of Abraham Lincoln featured in those authors’ books. I will also tell the story of the works created and dedicated since 1952.

In the first sentence of the preface to his 1951 book, Durman said, “For many years there has been a need for a definitive work on the statues of Abraham Lincoln.” I believe that it is once again time for a new definitive work on the statues of Lincoln.

My project to document the statues of Abraham Lincoln will commemorate and celebrate the life of Abraham Lincoln by compiling in one place the 225 or more statues in the United States dedicated to Lincoln’s life, virtues, thoughts and ideals.

Between September of 2004 and April of 2009, I have visited over 30 states and have photographed 200-plus Lincoln statues in parks, public building, museums and private collections.

One thing that I hope comes about as a result of my book is a greater appreciation of these works of art. So many of these marvelous images of Lincoln are in deplorable shape and need cleaning and restoration. Perhaps raising the awareness around the country to the plight of some of these statues may help spur local communities and corporations to step forward with the funds to restore them.

The book, which has been photographed and written by Dave Wiegers, is not complete. I have just started to write the background on the statues I have selected for in-depth treatment. There are still about 15-20 new statues to be dedicated over the next 12 months and it is my intention to include as many of the new Lincoln works being erected around the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial in this work.

I am currently working a book proposal and readying it to send out to prospective publishers. Once a publishing house has agreed to take on this book, it will take approximately a year to get the book to print.

Lincoln Buff 2 says “Thanks”
Dave, I’m sure readers will appreciate as much as I the sharing the story of your passion with us.

Featured photos
The photographs above are of Wiegers and of a Lincoln statue recently dedicated in Springfield (Ken.).

Wiegers says the Kentucky statue is significant for two reasons:

The sculptor is a woman from California, Paula Slater (pictured with the new statue.) There aren’t many major Lincoln pieces by women.
It commemorates Lincoln’s parent’s marriage and his search for their marriage certificate in Washington County, Ken.

The Morencai Lincoln home is near there, as is the homestead where Nancy Hanks and the Lincolns lived. Weigers says, “It a beautiful area and worth a side trip if you get down towards Hodgenville.”

See where the statues are
In case you're wondering where the existing statues are, there's a really cool interactive map on the PBS website which celebrates the fine documentary, Looking for Lincoln, produced by the Kunhardts. The map links to photographs Wiegers took of the statues.

Know of another new or planned Lincoln statue?
Please share the news with Dave at dbwiegers[at sign]comcast[dot]net. He’s also learned of statues planned in :

Joliet (Ill.)
Lincoln City (Ind.)
Rapid City (S.D.)

*My thanks to Mike Kienzler, aka The Abraham Lincoln Observer, of The State Journal-Register. With his editor's eagle eye, Mike noticed I had the forgotten the "i before e" rule in spelling Dave's name. Dave, I am so sorry. I've fixed it. Ann

Museum nixes Lincoln request – Is there still hope?

2009-05-05T00:55:00.011-05:00

I was in the midst of writing a blog post about a doctor’s quest to learn if Abraham Lincoln had a rare cancer. I’d planned to publish the story before a Philadelphia museum board’s decision about allowing testing on an artifact with Lincoln’s blood. The decision was made one day earlier than had been speculated. The answer is no. I’m going to share what I learned anyway. I think it still has relevance.

Here’s my planned article, revised only slightly based on the decision.

A tall, gangly fifty-six-year-old man with sallow complexion, deep-set gray eyes, hollow cheeks and a dark-whiskered jaw suffers from a mysterious medical condition. Try as they might, medical experts can’t seem to put a finger on it. They’ve got suspicions, but it will take further tests to know for sure what ails this famous patient.

Sound like a case for House, M.D.? You're not far off. John Sotos, M.D., is a medical consultant on the popular television series and a cardiologist. Sotos wants to solve a 144-year-old medical mystery. Instead of needing help from a class of medical residents, though, he needed the blessing of a museum in Philadelphia.

Sotos, also author of The Physical Lincoln, wants to test a strip of a pillowcase stained with the sixteenth president’s blood and brain matter for a rare genetic cancer syndrome, multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B (MEN2B).

Why?

House - oops, I mean Sotos – tells me it’s about the medicine and the history associated with Abraham Lincoln, not the DNA.

Sotos apparently told the media he’s not giving interviews, so I felt fortunate to get any comment at all from him. I thought I would. This guy once went out of his way to track down information for me about Lincoln and the California missions. Anybody who’ll offer to drive anywhere in California traffic is my hero! I figured it couldn’t hurt to ask.

Because of the doctor’s request, board members of Philadelphia’s Grand Army of the Republic Museum and Library were faced with a weighty decision. Should they or shouldn’t they let Sotos test blood from the strip of cloth in their collection? What were the scientific and ethical implications? They were expected to make a decision on the matter at a meeting Tuesday, May 5, 2009. They made it on May 4. They said no.

Gee, this sounds familiar
Though this may be the first time the issue has come up for the museum board, it’s certainly not the first time the issue has been discussed – or that Lincoln’s DNA has been requested of a museum. In fact, a panel formed to look into the issue in the early 1990s seemed to get the ethical issues out of the way back then.

In June 1989, Darwin Prockop, M.D, Ph.D approached the National Museum of Health and Medicine (NMHM), wanting permission to test Lincoln artifacts there for Marfan syndrome, a genetic condition responsible for physical characteristics like Lincoln’s –great height, unusually large limbs, a squint in the eye.

Marfan syndrome first hit the Lincoln radar in 1959 when Dr. Harold Schwartz saw a young patient with the disorder. The youngster just happened to be from a branch of Lincoln’s family tree – and wasn’t the only family member with the disorder.

In looking at Prockop’s request, the need for further investigation into the scientific and ethical aspects seemed clear. By 1991, a conference was held and a panel formed to discuss the issue. A second panel met in 1992.

If I’m reading the accounts correctly, the consensus was that ethically it was okay to proceed, but that scientifically it wasn’t a good idea - then. It was feared the irreplaceable specimens would be damaged or destroyed in testing.

But, as Norbert Hirschhorn, M.D. points out, testing has advanced in the years since. Hirschhorn, a physician specializing in international health, was recognized by President William Jefferson Clinton as an “American Health Hero.” His work with rehydration therapy has saved lives of millions of third world youngsters.

Hirshhorn has researched medical conditions that may have affected famous people from the past, including Lincoln. He recently presented a paper on the effect of elemental mercury on Lincoln. However, Hirschhorn says he wouldn’t test for mercury because so much environmental pollution has taken place since 1865 that he believes any result of testing for mercury would be meaningless.

What would Robert Todd Lincoln say?
Some say this decision would be easier if Lincoln had living descendants. There are none. There is one guy we can ask, though.

In the pool of Lincoln scholarship, Jason Emerson has just begun his swim, but already he’s made a big splash. His first book, The Madness of Mary Lincoln, used previously undiscovered letters to show us a side of Mary Todd Lincoln never before exposed. His latest book is Lincoln the Inventor. And, he’s currently at work on a definitive biography of Robert Todd Lincoln, due out within the next couple years.

I figured Emerson knows Robert Lincoln as well as anyone. He should, after living in the famous son’s world day in and day out. Many have speculated – both in the 1990s and now – what Robert might have thought about this issue.

Emerson also knows Sotos’s book and calls it “the best Lincoln tome I've read in many years.” He said, “if any medical theory about Lincoln is correct, his has convinced me.”

Yet, from his knowledge of Lincoln’s longest living son, the scholar does not believe Robert Lincoln would have agreed to testing - for two reasons. Emerson said, "As he once wrote to William Herndon, the measure of a man was his public work, not his private aspects, and medical testing of DNA Robert would see as an invasion of privacy; secondly, I believe Robert would think it completely irrelevant whether his father did have cancer or Marfan or anything else since it did not affect his job performance before he died."

Voices from the past
I checked in with some of the people involved in the early 90s for their reflections on the earlier request. I also asked how they think new knowledge about Lincoln’s health would impact the Lincoln legacy. I spoke with Prockop himself, panel member Dr. Cullom Davis, then senior editor of the Lincoln Legal Papers Project, and Marc Micozzi, M.D., Ph.D, director of the NMHM at the time.

Since his request to test for Marfan syndrome twenty years ago, Prokop has moved on and left his request behind. Yet, along the way, he set up a lab at Tulane University where a much more accurate test can now be done for Marfan. He wonders if, while we’re testing for MEN2B, we might not want to test for Marfan, also.

“Wouldn’t it be interesting, too,” Prokop speculated, “if we could sequence Lincoln’s genome - to look for the seat of his genius – to see what collection of genes makes somebody better – to see what makes a good human being.”

A genome, Prokop explained is the whole collection of genes in an individual or animal.

Prokop sees three things that could come of such testing:

Learning what disease(s) Lincoln had
Reassuring others who also suffer from Lincoln’s ailment(s)
Providing a database of an outstanding individual for all time

Prokop suggests that perhaps it’s time to bring together a new commission to explore the issue. It would be interesting to see who would be chosen to serve on such a commission.

Davis called the earlier panel an interesting combination of experts – pathologists, geneticists, museumologists, a representative of a Marfan organization and a lone historian, Davis, chosen due to his work on Lincoln. He remembers the interesting perspectives each brought to the table.

At one point Davis was asked, “How would Abraham Lincoln react to all this?” He told the committee, “You’ve asked me an impossible question. It can’t be answered with any certainty.” Why is it that people always have “What if” questions about Lincoln?

Davis reminded the panel that Lincoln was open-minded about science and inventions. In fact, one of his early speeches was about “Discoveries and Inventions.”

“Yet, that’s not to say Lincoln would have approved,” Davis said. “If you’d asked him, he wouldn’t have understood. He had a keen interest in science, even held a patent, but this is a question you can’t pose of a man who has been dead 140 years.”

Emerson validated Prockup’s comments when he said, "If Lincoln did have cancer or MEN2B or Marfan or any other chronic degenerative disease, and DNA proves it, it will simply be used to magnify his apotheosis to show that he was even 'greater' than we thought because he fought off a debilitating disease in the midst of his other trials (the same argument for his 'depression" and many other theories), but I don't see how it truly affects his life story and his public works."

So what can we learn if we test Lincoln’s tissue – for this or anything else?

Harold Holzer, co-chair of the U.S. Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and author, co-author or editor of 34 books on Lincoln, said it best, "The scholar—and the general public alike—can’t help but be curious about what science can tell us about history. Anything that encourages the two disciplines to work together in search of knowledge can only be good—no matter how 'bad' the information it might yield. I for one do not think Lincoln’s remains or DNA should be regarded as sacred relics; Lincoln’s memory rests in his words and deeds, and is amply recalled in statues and images, manuscripts and documents, along with authentic relics of both his life and death."

The real question – Is this the right specimen?
The question seems to be less whether tests should be done, but whether the specimen from Philadelphia is the right one to test. Why not go to the NMHM to test the Lincoln relics there? Some of those I interviewed asked this question.

Hirschhorn believes DNA testing should be done where it is certain that the blood is Lincoln's and notes that there is also bone that can act as a control.

Holzer said, "I say do the DNA test on whatever authentic blood and bones we have. However, the key word here is 'authentic.' I am not convinced that the provenance of this particular textile is unimpeachable, nor does anyone know that it has been compromised over the years by reverential (but DNA-spreading) touching and feeling. If someone wants to do a DNA test, once and for all, it should be performed on the bone fragments from Lincoln’s autopsy, still preserved and unmolested at the National Medical Museum. A definitive test deserves to be free from the taint of doubt."

A bigger question – Where, oh where will Lincoln go?
Yet, one authority close to the earlier case says there's another story here. When asked about the earlier commission, Micozzi chose instead to speak of a bigger concern. He’s quick to point out that Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where the NMHM resides, is slated to close next year. Don’t you wonder where Lincoln's hair, blood and bone fragments will end up then?

Hopefully, not in a box in a warehouse somewhere.

House, move over. This sounds like a case for Indiana Jones.

Epilogue
I was reminded early one morning by an enthusiastic six-year-old in Spiderman pajamas who popped his head in my library that projects like the one Sotos proposes are about preserving Lincoln’s legacy for future generations. My little buddy quipped, "Grandma, are you writing an email about Lincoln? That's nice that you do that."

What's in the best interest of these little ones and those not yet born? Is it a benefit to them to allow the testing? That’s a question we need to answer.

And, don't we owe it to future generations to make sure the artifacts have a home where they can continue to teach about real heroes - in whatever way that is?

Learn more
For more information on Lincoln’s DNA, read:

Glen W. Davidson’s 1996 article, “Abraham Lincoln and the DNA Controversy”
The 1978 Time magazine article, “Abe’s Malady”

A debt of gratitude
Among other sources, information in this article came from the articles listed above and articles in the Philadelphia Inquirer on April 13 and May 4.

I also owe a great debt of thanks to: Jason Emerson, Collum Davis, Norbert Hirschhorn, Harold Holzer, Marc Miccozi, Darwin Prockup and John Sotos. Each of these men helped me by guiding me to primary or secondary sources, answering my questions or granting interviews. Thank you, gentlemen.

Philadelphia board rejects request to test Lincoln artifact

2009-05-04T21:33:00.004-05:00

I've been following the story of a request by John Sotos, M.D. to test a blood-stained pillowcase to determine if Abraham Lincoln had a rare cancer. In fact, I'm pulling together the last of a fairly comprehensive story about the issue. I had some super interviews with some pretty cool people. I thought the museum board was meeting to make their decision tomorrow night, May 5, 2009. I was trying to bet their announcement.

I just ran across a story posted in the Philadelphia Inquirer shortly before 9 p.m. Central Time today, May 4. The request has been denied - for now. Read all about it here.

But, come back to my blog later. I'm still going to wrap up this story. These people had some interesting perspectives. They were willing to share them and I still intend to do it.

© Copyright 2009 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

New Salem times seven

2009-05-02T07:31:00.003-05:00

President Lincoln, thank Governor Pat Quinn and the General Assembly for the supplemental appropriations bill that will allow visitors to see your old stomping grounds seven days a week.

Yep, that’s right folks. New Salem will be open every day beginning May 15, 2009 – and with additional seasonal staff. They’re going to make your visit memorable in this bicentennial year, so head on down there and step back into the world of Lincoln, Ann Rutledge, Mentor Graham and the Clary’s Grove Boys. (As of today, the website does not yet reflect the new hours.)

To learn more about New Salem:

And the expanded hours, see Ann Gorman’s article in today’s State Journal-Register.
Read an engaging little book, Lincoln’s New Salem, written by Benjamin Thomas. His single volume, Abraham Lincoln: A Biography, is still among the best after more than 50 years. Guess Lincoln scholar Michael Burlingame must think so, too, as he edited the most recent edition of that one.

Learn about Lincoln's funeral train in Bloomington May 3

2009-05-01T21:26:00.007-05:00

If you're in Central Illinois Sunday, you'll want to see a great exhibit commemorating Lincoln's funeral train. My friend, Jeff Woodard, of the McLean County Museum of History asked me to pass this information along to you, but I was busy with a couple non-blog Lincoln stories and didn't get it done until now. My apologies for the late notice.

Here's the info from Jeff's press release, and I've added a bonus at the end - places where you can learn more about Lincoln's trip back home to Illinois.

Reflections: The American Funeral
During Abraham Lincoln’s historic funeral train journey to Springfield, IL, in 1865, it passed through Bloomington, IL. To commemorate this event more then 140 years later to the day, the McLean County Museum of History is bringing Reflections: The American Funeral to the community on Sunday, May 3.

This mobile museum depicts Lincoln’s final farewell and features sections honoring other U.S. Presidents, fallen public safety officers and military veterans as it traces the history of funeral customs in America. The exhibit is sponsored by Calvert & Metzler Memorials Homes.

From the cross-country funeral procession for Abraham Lincoln to the national outpouring of grief for Elvis Presley, America has a rich history of mourning the dead.

Reflections: The American Funeral explores these traditions, beginning with Native American burial mounds and ending with the diverse rituals practiced across the country today. Produced by Michigan-based MRA, it’s earning high praise from visitors who sign the Guest Book: “Awesome!” “Great educational tool!” “Amazing! Brings out a lot of things we don’t think about.” “Very, very moving.”

The Bloomington stop
The McLean County Museum of History will host Reflections on May 3rd at the Jefferson St entrance, located at 200 N. Main St., Bloomington, IL. The exhibit is open to the public, free and handicap-accessible. Hours are 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 3, with special presentations beginning at 1:00 PM.

Please join us to honor one of our greatest presidents; there will be presentations on the Funeral Train and Period Morning Quilts beginning at 1:00 pm. The Mourning Quilts talk will be presented by Kyle Ciani an Associate Professor in the History Department and affiliated faculty for Women and Gender Studies at Illinois State University.

The exhibits
Spread out across 1,000 sq. ft., thoughtful display areas reveal how we mourn the dead.

The Lincoln exhibit features a reproduction of Lincoln’s casket and traces the near 3-week funeral procession.
“Arlington National Cemetery” honors our country’s veterans and the more than three million Americans buried in our national cemeteries.
“Glory, Glory Hallelujah” showcases President John F. Kennedy’s rider-less horse – empty boots reversed in the saddle – trotting briskly in his funeral procession and Rosa Parks, who was the first woman to lie in state at the Capitol Rotunda.
“The Lord is My Shepherd” is a poignant tribute to fallen public safety officers killed in the line of duty. “
The Final Curtain” pays homage to celebrities, including Marilyn Monroe, Dale Earnhardt, and Elvis.

Reflections: The American Funeral has been touring across the United States since summer 2008, stopping at state capitols, universities, veteran events, and mortuary schools, funeral homes and industry conventions. During January Inauguration celebrations, both Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., and Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore, MD, hosted it. February saw it displayed at Lincoln Tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery to commemorate the Lincoln Bicentennial.

Learn more

For more on the funeral train:

Bob Burleigh penned a great children's book, Abraham Lincoln Comes Home. It's illustrated beautifully by renowned childrens' artist Wendell Minor.
Chris Vallillo sings of "Lincoln's Funeral Train" on his CD, Abraham Lincoln in Song.
Roger Norton chronicles the funeral train's journey on Abraham Lincoln's Assassination Site.
I just discovered a book by Scott Trostel: The Lincoln Funeral Train: The Final Journey and National Funeral for Abraham Lincoln. I'll have to add this to my "must read" list.
Fellow Lincoln blogger Geoff Elliott, author of The Abraham Lincoln Blog, also reminded a couple of us this evening that there's fine coverage of the funeral train in Dorothy Meserve Kunhardt and Philip B Kunhardt's beautiful volume, Twenty Days.

Please, will you help tell the story?
I may not make it to the exhibit, due to other obligations, and I'm bummed! If you see it and wish to share your observations of the Bloomington event, please send it as a comment to my blog. I'd be glad to share it.

The day Lincoln got canned

2009-04-28T05:19:00.006-05:00

Think you’re about to read a story about Abraham Lincoln getting fired from a job? Think again. That title was just a hook to draw you in so you’d read about a fun project, which will also put food in the bellies of those who need it in Central Illinois.

Read all about a construction project featuring three Lincoln-related sculptures made of cans – and if you’re in Springfield, stop by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum by May 3, 2009 to see the Canstruction.

Build your own Illinois building
And, while you’re at it, don’t miss this story about an Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and Old State Capitol project where you can print kits to build your favorite Lincoln-related buildings – something as simple as one of the Lincoln-Berry store at New Salem, requiring only two pieces of card stock, or as elaborate as the Old State Capitol, with 41 pieces of card stock in all.

As for me, I’ll be printing and building Knox College’s Old Main so I can display it below my William Gray watercolor print of the site of the 1858 Galesburg Lincoln-Douglas Debate. A plaque on that building inspired Carl Sandburg to write about Lincoln, culminating with his six-volume biography. The story, the historic edifice and the print have inspired me for more than 25 years in my studies of Lincoln and Sandburg.

May you, too, always find inspiration to follow your dreams.

© Copyright 2009 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

Don' t miss Virtual Book Signing

2009-04-25T06:14:00.004-05:00

Our friends at the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop are busy getting ready for another Virtual Book Signing - today, Saturday, April 25, at 12 noon Central Time.

Be sure to watch as Daniel Weinberg visits with :

Fred L. Reed III, author of Abraham Lincoln: The Image of His Greatness and
Marc Egnal, author of Clash of Extremes: The Economic Origins of the Civil War.

Virtual Book signings are free, live and available again later online at no charge. They're a great way to hear an author talk about the book, the subject and the writing and research process. Weinberg's a great interviewer and you can even submit questions online for authors to answer while you're watching. If you're in Chicagoland, you can even drop in the shop to watch the taping. Check it out!

Thank you, Governor Quinn

2009-04-24T05:03:00.006-05:00

Lincoln buffs and others who are passionate about keeping the history of Illinois alive join together in a big round of applause for Illinois governor Pat Quinn, who has reopened our historic sites, closed by our last governor in what seemed to be a short-sited attempt to ease a budget crunch. Never mind that it was the Lincoln Bicentennial year. That other guy just didn't care!

This Lincoln buff is thrilled about all the site reopenings, but particularly excited about the opportunity for people to again see the birthplace of my favorite Illinois bard, Carl Sandburg. I was born a mile or less from the home, my uncles have owned a grocery store just down the block for more than 50 years and I write for a living today as a direct result of attending a Sandburg Days writers workshop in the late 90s. Oh, and did I mention I won the Sandburg Days trivia contest two years in a row?

You can read all about the site reopening in the Galesburg Register-Mail, not hailed as Lincoln's Friend like its sister paper, The State Journal-Register, but a pretty fine publication, nonetheless.

Birthplace website and Sandburg Days
Be sure to visit the Carl Sandburg Historic Site website to learn about the place where the prairie poet breathed his first breath and where his ashes rest. (As of this writing, the website has not been updated, though, with news of the reopening.)

And, if you're looking for something to do this weekend, head to the Burg for Sandburg Days. I'll be there, excited that my mentor and friend, John E. Hallwas, will again offer his writers workshop. He'll also give a presentation about his latest book, Dime Novel Desperadoes, at my favorite book haven, the Galesburg Public Library. And those are just some of the events!

You oughta join us.

© Copyright 2009 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

You never know who you’re going to meet

2009-04-18T19:24:00.008-05:00

In recent blog posts, I’ve written about the sessions and lectures I attended at the 2009 Illinois History Symposium, “Abraham Lincoln in Ante-bellum Illinois: 1830-1861,” held from March 26 - 28.

This post is about one of the most interesting people I met during the entire symposium, his work on Lincoln and the mark he’s leaving across the globe.

In the future, I’ll tell you about:

Ron Solberg’s fun session, “Whizbangs on the Prairie: A History of the Traveling Salesman in Illinois,” and
a visit to a site on the Underground Railroad, Woodlawn Farm, near Jacksonville, (Ill.)

Floating across campus
I was still on a cloud as I walked across the Illinois College campus in Jacksonville on Friday evening, March 27, 2009. After all, I’d just met Richard Dreyfuss, reconnected with my Lincoln friend Harold Holzer and met Holzer’s lovely wife, Edith.

And, if that wasn’t enough, I was now on my way to hear Dreyfuss and Holzer present “Lincoln Seen and Heard.” As I took one of the many sidewalks which seem to intersect the rolling campus at all sorts of angles, I met up with a mustachioed man in tie and jacket going the same direction. I asked if he were heading to the presentation, too, and asked, “Shall we head over there together?” He agreed.

When I inquired where he was from, the man answered, “England” and explained that he was there to present a paper on Lincoln and the Blue Mass (mercury). This was exciting. I told him I’d read about the topic, was planning to attend that session and looking forward to it.

We reached our destination, a beautiful chapel on campus, and went our separate ways. I was meeting a friend, and I’m not sure where my walking companion ended up sitting.

My fellow sojourner that evening was Norbert Hirschhorn, M.D. He’s a quiet contemplative man, who seems kind and gentle, yet has an air of mystery about him. That shroud of mystery cloaked a person like few I’ve ever met.

Leaving a legacy
I knew Hirschhorn was a physician, but what I didn’t know until he was introduced before his speech was what a powerful legacy this man is leaving. Let me tell you a bit about it now. Some of it is worth saving for later.

Those of you who grew up in the sixties may remember that some of us thought we could save the world. Yes, I know - some from the sixties remember very little.

While some dropped out, others settled into jobs and families, not too unlike the generation before us, except that we somehow thought we could juggle even more than our parents. In trying to do so, we were often overwhelmed, and our dreams of making a difference seemed to fly out the window.

A very few did follow their hearts – to lands far and wide – and really did help save the world. When the moderator read his introduction, I learned Norbert Hirschhorn is one of those people.

For four decades, Hirschhorn’s had a career in public health, which included award-winning research, teaching, and management of complex, multi-disciplinary projects, both in the United States and abroad. He was a co-developer of the life-saving method of oral rehydration for diarrhea in adults and children, from the bedside to national programs. For this, he was honored with awards from the Dana and Pollin Foundations, and commended by President Clinton as an “American Health Hero.”

As a consultant, Hirschhorn has worked around the world on maternal and child health issues.

Hirschhorn helped establish and guide the USAID-funded Egyptian National Control of Diarrheal Diseases Project, developing research and programmatic strategies in coordination with Egyptian, American, private sector and United Nations agencies. The project reduced childhood mortality from diarrhea by over 60 percent over a decade, saving an estimated 300,000 lives. Since then, worldwide, millions of lives have been saved with this treatment.

After a stint teaching in Minnesota, Hirschhorn directed the Division of Family Health at the Minnesota Department of Health. He says he’s semi-retired now, yet he still helps the World Health Organization research tobacco industry documents and tobacco control and lectures at Yale University School of Public Health – all this while living in London and Beirut.

Gotta have a hobby – or two
In his spare time … (How is it that people like this can fill their time so fully and so productively?) In his spare time, Hirschhorn serves as a medical historian, doing research for publication in academic journals on illnesses of Abraham and Mary Lincoln, Emily Dickinson and Louisa May Alcott.

His work on Lincoln and the blue mass brought him to Jacksonville and provided the fodder for his Saturday symposium session.

In the mid-nineteenth century, blue pills (known as blue mass) were given for any of a number of ailments. These pills contained elemental mercury, and Lincoln took them. Of course, we now know no one should take a substance as toxic as mercury.

Hirschhorn’s research shows the impact the use of mercury and the decision to stop taking it had on Lincoln’s health, his life and, yes, even on the way he ran our country. The best of Hirschhorn’s work is his closing, when he raises yet another Lincoln “what if” question. But I’m not going to spoil it for you. You’ll want to read the paper yourself and you can on his website, http://www.bertzpoet.com/.

A couple of unexpected twists
Okay, now you’re confused, aren’t you? You thought I said this fellow was a doctor, but his website has “poet” in the name.

Yep, this guy is a renaissance man – not only saving the world and searching for answers in the past, but writing powerful poems today. I’ll tell you about some of them and some of Hirschhorn’s other creative work in a future article.

But, for now, there’s just one more little twist which adds to the power of this story. When he was just a child, Norbert Hirschhorn was a Holocaust survivor, escaping with his parents. I think the world is pretty lucky that refugee couple and their young son made it to freedom. This man is leaving his mark, and it's in indelible ink.

Looking back – looking forward
As I told a coworker of my new Lincoln friend and discoveries about how full his life has been, I was once again on a cloud. I knew when I began pursuing my Lincoln passion in earnest that, like those paths on campus, mine would sometimes intersect at crazy angles with people I’d never expected.

I knew I’d meet world-renowned Lincoln scholars, and I have. They’re the greatest, most supportive group of people I’ve ever met. Yet, what I’ve also found is that among the ranks of Lincoln buffs are people like Sacha Newley, Stedman Graham, Richard Dreyfuss and Norbert Hirschhorn with their own special stories. And this Lincoln buff cherishes the privilege of sharing them. Thanks, Bert, for yours.

A great way to spend a rainy day

2009-04-17T16:39:00.009-05:00

I’m finally down to chronicling the last day of the 2009 Illinois History Symposium, “Abraham Lincoln in Ante-bellum Illinois: 1830-1861” – just three weeks late. I attended the symposium from Thursday, March 26 through Saturday, March 28.

March 28 was a gloomy rainy day, just the type of day you want to spend inside. My time attending sessions in classrooms at Illinois College couldn't have been better spent.

In this article, I want to tell you about a:

morning session with Samuel Paul Wheeler and Raymond Lohne and
a brown bag lunch with Eileen McMahon.

In a future article, you’ll be able to read about:

lectures by Norbert Hirschhorn, M.D. and Ron Solberg and
a visit to Woodlawn Farm.

The symposium was nearly as neat as the bicentennial activities in Springfield the week of Lincoln’s birthday, and I even think I may have learned more in March than I did that week in February. That’s okay, though. The bicentennial was a combination of scholarly and commemorative events, while this was primarily a place for intellectual growth. Mission accomplished on both counts.

Wheeler sets the stage for Lohne
I first discovered Samuel Wheeler last fall. I was taking a course on Abraham Lincoln at Heartland Community College and voraciously pouring over the Internet to learn as much as I could about him. One of the first Lincoln sites I stumbled upon was Lincoln Studies, maintained by a Southern Illinois University graduate student, Wheeler.

Wheeler’s site was super – had lots of great links to other websites, and even a video clip lauding the benefits of Google Books in his research. Social media has a way of creating a familiarity, which can even border on friendship. As I read Wheeler’s blog, I felt a brother/sisterhood of sorts – Lincoln siblings we were. When I read the blog post announcing that he’d been awarded his PhD, I couldn’t have been happier for him or prouder of what he’d accomplished.

So, when I learned Wheeler was presenting a paper on his dissertation topic, I knew this was one session I wasn’t going to miss. Wheeler borrowed a phrase from one of Lincoln’s poems when he named the session, “Every Spot a Grave: The Poetry of Abraham Lincoln.”

I’ve mentioned Wheeler’s website in my blog and have also added comments sometimes to his, so that “Lincoln family” bond I mentioned earlier was evident when I saw the smile on his face as I introduced myself and Wheeler recognized the moniker on my name tag.

This young man is enthusiastic, engaging and knowledgeable. As he spoke of Lincoln’s poetry, with some early works of verse better known than other of the sixteenth president's pieces, it was with passion for his subject and a gleam in his eyes.

Wheeler’s dissertation is not yet in manuscript form or on the receiving end of an offer from a commercial publisher or university press, but I think it’s only a matter of time. This recent grad/new professor is like so many of us this year – busy trying to keep up with the influx of Lincoln information and activity due to the bicentennial – and, like anyone else beginning a new career, meeting himself coming and going. My bet is that when he’s ready, he’ll have publishers begging to print his book. If they don’t, they’re missing out!

Lincoln addresses an important audience
Raymond Lohne, a Chicago area professor who immigrated from Germany as a child, presented a paper titled, “The Electric Cord in the Declaration of Independence: The Secret Behind the Speech.”

I knew nothing of Lohne ahead of time, and judging by the title of his speech, didn’t think it would be anything in which I’d be very interested. After all, I was going to this session to hear my buddy Wheeler. I knew I’d enjoy listening to him and especially enjoy his topic. I figured I could “tolerate” sitting through Lohne’s lecture and maybe grasp a thing or two.

Lohne told of a time Lincoln was speaking in Chicago. When he learned of a large contingent of German immigrants in the audience, he crafted a speech which would reach these listeners.

Lohne’s presentation touched me much more than I’d expected. My husband, too, immigrated to an ethnic Chicago German neighborhood as a child. Hearing Lohne, who isn’t a product of the Illinois prairie, show his interest in Lincoln was moving, and even more so was hearing him show a connection between Lincoln and an ethnic group close to my own heart.

I guess I never stopped to consider how Lincoln’s appeal touched new Americans even in the mid-1800s, or how important the support of those German-Americans was to his run for the presidency.

I’ll be watching for more of Lohne’s work – and listening spellbound the next time, just as I did this time. “Tolerating” a speech in which I wasn’t interested? Hardly. Instead, I was mesmerized – and I’m sure I would be all over again!

If you want a taste of Lohne’s work, read his books:

Just the information I needed
This blog, my earlier freelance book reviews and my full-time job in communications for a large corporation are all the result of a wrong number provided by directory assistance about 10 or 11 years ago.

I was a few years beyond completing my long-awaited bachelor’s degree and had recently attended a Sandburg Days Writers Workshop in Galesburg (Ill.). My college professor, John E. Hallwas, also the presenter at the workshop, had recently completed his book, The Bootlegger: A Story of Small-Town America.

In appreciation to Hallwas and tribute to his fine work with Bootlegger, I wanted to submit a book review for publication. I thought I’d try a scholarly review to the Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. Instead the directory assistance operator gave me the phone number for The State Journal-Register, I did a popular review of the book, and it and other reviews helped me create a portfolio which led to a full-time communications position.

Yet, in the back of my mind, the little voice kept whispering to me, “When are you going to write a piece for the Journal?” I still love doing book reviews, yet my goals have changed some. I love studying Lincoln, and one of the items on my “bucket list” is to do a scholarly piece for the publication.

In a brown bag lunch session, “Writing for the Illinois State Historical Society: How to get your research articles printed in the Journal,” I got all the information I needed. Now, all I need is the time to do it. Thank, you, Eileen McMahon, for a great session. It will be a while yet, but I’ll be sending something your way. I aim to cross that item off my list.

Readers, if you want to know how to submit articles to the Journal, you’ll find submission guidelines on the society website.

Much to be learned on a Jacksonville Saturday

2009-04-17T14:50:00.005-05:00

Over the past few weeks, bit by bit, I’ve shared my memories of the 2009 Illinois History Symposium, “Abraham Lincoln in Ante-bellum Illinois: 1830-1861.” I attended the symposium from Thursday, March 26 through Saturday, March 28.

In the next few blog posts, I’ll tell you about some of the Saturday events I attended, including a:

breakfast program with Mark Steiner presenting,
morning session with Samuel Paul Wheeler and Raymond Lohne,
brown bag lunch with Eileen McMahon,
lectures by Norbert Hirschhorn, M.D. and Ron Solberg and
a visit to Woodlawn Farm.

There’s too much for one article. You’ll have to wait until later blog posts for some of these. I’ve got some pretty cool things to share.

Steiner on Lincoln, the lawyer
One of my fellow Lincoln bloggers, Brian Dirck, has a great book out through the University of Illinois Press, titled Lincoln the Lawyer. I’m not a lawyer or even the least bit knowledgeable about the law, yet Dirck’s book kept me engaged and made it easy to learn about Lincoln’s legal career.

Had I not read his book, I’m not sure I would have been as interested in hearing Mark E. Steiner’s talk. Steiner, a professor of law at Southern Texas College of Law, presented his lecture over breakfast at the beautiful Hamilton’s Banquet Hall in old downtown Jacksonville (Ill.).

Steiner answered the question, “Has the Lawyer Lincoln Theme Been Exhausted?” This is a spinoff on a question Lincoln scholar James G. Randall first asked in his 1936 article, “Has the Lincoln Theme Been Exhausted?” in the American Historical Review.

Mark E. Neeley, Jr. addressed the question again in 1979 in his essay, “The Lincoln Theme Since Randall's Call: The Promises and Perils of Professionalism,” in the Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association. And, across the country in classrooms, lecture halls and symposium venues like Hamilton’s, the question is asked and answered again and again.
So what did Steiner have to say that was any different than what we’ve heard over and over? He talked of important advances in Lincoln research, such as the Lincoln Legal Papers and digitization of other crucial documents and records related to Lincoln.

He pointed to books as compact as one of Allen Guelzo’s (unfortunately I can’t remember which title – they’re all good) and as vast as Michael Burlingame’s 2,000 page, two-volume Abraham Lincoln: A Life.

And the answer, of course, is still, “The topic exhausted? No way.” You can learn more about the lawyer Lincoln and Steiner’s work on the topic by reading his book, “An Honest Calling: The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln,” published by the Northern Illinois University Press.

And, if you’re asking me whether to read Dirck’s or Steiner’s, the answer is “Read both.” Each provides a unique view about Lincoln and his career as a lawyer. I advise reading Dirck’s first. I think it sets the stage, then follow up with Steiner’s.

But don’t stop there. Keep your eyes open for another book about that same prairie lawyer. Guy Fraker, a lawyer himself from Bloomington (Ill.), is working on a book to be published by Southern Illinois University Press – in 2010 or 2011, I believe. Last I knew, the working title was “The Eighth Judicial Circuit: Lincoln’s Ladder to the Presidency.” I really don’t think anyone knows more about the circuit than Fraker, so this book will be well worth the wait. And, if you hear of a time when Fraker will be speaking, you won’t want to miss it. He’s scheduled at venues throughout Illinois through the Illinois Humanities Council’s Road Scholars Program.

For those of you across the United States, if you ever get the chance to hear Steiner talk, be sure you do. He’s a pretty funny guy. Not, however, as funny as Guelzo, who is a real hoot – and a brilliant scholar, to boot.

© Copyright 2009 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

Guillory to read Lincoln Poems in Decatur April 19

2009-04-16T20:32:00.005-05:00

My Lincoln friend, Dan Guillory, is still hard at work sharing his poems. This weekend you can hear him at the Decatur Public Library. He asked me to let you know.

Even if you've seen Guillory read his Lincoln poems before you won't want to miss this one. I've heard him three times now and he always keeps his presentations fresh and new. Here's what he asked me to share.

Read all about it

Dr. Dan Guillory, Professor Emeritus of English at Millikin University, will present another reading from his recent book, The Lincoln Poems, at 2:00 PM in the Madden Auditorium of the Decatur Public Library on Sunday April 19, 2009. April is National Poetry Month, and Professor Guillory will focus on poems that have not been previously performed at the Library. Copies of his book will be offered for sale after the reading.

The Lincoln Poems was one of only 21 books from across the country chosen for presentation at the National Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration in Springfield on February 12, 2009. Before the poetry reading, Dr. Guillory will share his impressions of that special day, including the Bicentennial Banquet, where President Obama spoke briefly. Dr. Guillory will also have on display some of the artifacts he collected on the Bicentennial day, including Lincoln “First Day of Issue” stamps and envelopes, a Lincoln coffee mug, the Bicentennial Banquet menu, and other items of interest.

In partnership with Melody Arnold and Brent Wielt of the Macon County Conservation District, Dr. Guillory presented an all-day Lincoln workshop for Macon County schoolteachers on March 21, 2009. The day was very successful, according to the evaluations. The teachers went in three vans on a tour of Lincoln sites in and around Decatur. The workshop will be repeated on Wednesday June 10, 2009.

Dr. Guillory will also be recording The Lincoln Poems during the week of April 13th, and the finished audiobook will be released as a CD by Mayhaven Publishing. Finally, Dr. Guillory has signed another contract with Mayhaven for a new book entitled People and Places in the Land of Lincoln.

First impressions

2009-04-15T18:01:00.005-05:00

They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression. If that’s the case, I’m sure I’ve gone down in history as making a complete fool of myself upon meeting one of my favorite actors.

Why?

If you had a chance to meet a famous film star, one whose career spanned your entire adult life, who earned an Academy Award for Best Actor and a nomination for another, who won several Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards for Best Actor or Best Supporting Actor, what would your first words be? Probably not, “Dreyfuss, you outbid me!”

Well, I met Richard Dreyfuss and, oh my, did I ever blow it! When I should have said, “Mr. Dreyfuss, it’s such a pleasure to meet you. I’ve enjoyed following your career. I’m really looking forward to your presentation this evening,” instead I gave him crap - for outbidding me by 15 bucks on a batch of Lincoln books as a silent auction was about to end.

I’m lucky, I guess. That - or Dreyfuss is a good sport.

Instead of saying, “Who do you think you are, and what makes you think you can treat me so disrespectfully?” he struck up a conversation with me about another book on the silent auction block, a biography of poet Edgar Lee Masters, who once was Clarence Darrow’s law partner, and about a print of an early Illinois governor, John Peter Altgeld.

Dreyfuss really just seemed to be enjoying hanging out, being a regular person, looking at the same type of auction items you might see at any central Illinois fundraiser, except perhaps that the Lincoln and Illinois history themes were a bit more prevalent.

Lincoln Seen and Heard – and Dreyfuss honored
I met Dreyfuss at the March 27th silent auction and banquet for the Illinois State Historical Society’s 2009 Illinois History Symposium, “Abraham Lincoln in Ante-bellum Illinois, 1830-1861,” at Illinois College in Jacksonville (Ill.).

Dreyfuss was there to do a dramatic reading of “Lincoln Seen and Heard” with Lincoln scholar and U.S. Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial co-chair, Harold Holzer.

The production is a powerful work, created by Holzer. It uses images of Lincoln taken before his significant speeches and Lincoln’s words, with Holzer’s narrative to cement the two. Dreyfuss was powerful as he read Lincoln’s speeches, while Holzer’s soft-spoken narrative was as comforting as a favorite teacher lovingly reading a classic children’s book to a room full of fourth-graders in an old brick elementary school.

The evening began with a magnificent concert about which I’ll be sure to tell you later (when I find the program) and ended with Dreyfuss being awarded an honorary doctorate from Illinois College.

I’ve been a proud observer of such moments before – especially, when watching my daughters receive their diplomas - yet watching the excitement Dreyfuss felt as he received his robe, mortarboard and stole was pretty cool, too.

And getting my photo taken with him and Holzer was even cooler. Most of the other people were getting their photos taken with just Dreyfuss, but as I explained to the actor, I’m a Holzer groupie, too. After all, Holzer’s the quintessential Lincoln buff, and one who always inspires me to learn and share more about Lincoln, too.

A fond farewell
My final words to Dreyfuss may have seemed as silly as my first. As I got ready to walk away, I gave him a hug and said, “I’m proud of you.”

Why? Because I know what it feels like to wear that mortar board and toss that tassel late in life. I got my first degree when I was 41 and I’ll never forget looking up as I walked back from the stage and saw the pride in my parents’ faces.

Proud of someone for an honorary degree, you wonder? You bet!

Richard Dreyfuss has spent decades entertaining generations of Americans and today he’s spearheading an organization dedicated to making civics curriculum a mainstay* for American students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. I put a lot of hard work into earning my diploma. His path is different, but his distinction is clear. He’s a star student in my book – however you turn the pages.

* I’ll be writing about this effort in a future blog post. But first, I have to get the information from Dreyfuss. With the enthusiasm he feels for this, I don’t think the task will be too difficult.

Seven score and four

2009-04-15T05:01:00.005-05:00

One hundred forty-four years ago this morning, Lincoln breathed his last breath. I'd be remiss if I didn't take this time to remind you to visit Ford's Theatre when you're in Washington, D.C. It just reopened recently after extensive renovations.

Lincoln Buff 2 and friends are going to experience the Ford's for the first time this November as we take our own Lincoln trip in honor of the bicentennial. Though I'm sure it will be a very emotional time being right there where he was shot, I'm looking forward to this, yet another memorable Lincoln experience.

Take time today to stop to remember Lincoln and his life and legacy. I know I will.

© Copyright 2009 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

Continuing coverage of Jacksonville 2009 - Poets extraordinaire

2009-04-14T21:32:00.003-05:00

In recent weeks as I’ve had time, I’ve shared my continuing chronicle of the events of the Illinois State Historical Society’s 2009 Illinois History Symposium, “Abraham Lincoln in Ante-bellum Illinois, 1830-1861.”

When I last wrote, I shared my recollections of the Friday luncheon program featuring Michael Burlingame. Let’s pick up where we left off – but first we need to step back a few decades for the intro, then few weeks earlier for part of the story and a day earlier for the rest.

A poet and you don’t know it
My maternal grandmother was a tiny little lady, never five feet tall and increasingly shorter the older she got. Yet, her small stature held great wisdom. Though she had but an eighth-grade education, she was one of the smartest people I’ve ever known – and I’m hard-pressed to find someone who could remember as many birthdays as well as she could.

Grandma was also known for reaching somewhere deep – maybe into a big pocket on one of the home-sewn calico aprons she always wore – and pulling out witty sayings or pieces of verse. She drew upon one of her favorites whenever someone accidentally said something that rhymed. Grandma would say, without fail, “You’re a poet and don’t know it, but your feet sure show it.”

Now, as wise as Grandma was, that never seemed to make much sense to me. I’d look down at my toes, thinking perhaps the short big toe and longer second one were the mark of a poet. That was the one thing that seemed to differentiate me from all of my friends. Alas, though, my feet let me down. I never was very good at verse. Narrative seemed to be my gift.

Poets and we all know it
On the other hand, the presenters at the afternoon session I attended were poets – no doubt about it.

I first met Dan Guillory a few months earlier at a poetry reading in Bloomington, and again at Springfield he week of the bicentennial. Once again, at Jacksonville, Guillory read from his Lincoln Poems, and once again, he wowed the crowd.

Oh, my goodness, I can hear you, Grandma. I wasn’t trying to rhyme, really I wasn’t!

Please be sure to read my earlier accounts to hear about Guillory’s readings at the McLean County Museum of History and the Vachel Lindsay Home. It will paint a clear picture of the palate of poems we heard at the symposium presentation.

The other poet presenting was someone I’d just met at lunch the day before, when we gravitated to each other around a round banquet table. At first there was a seat between us, but as we strained to talk across the empty seat, it made sense to sit next to each other. I knew immediately this college professor from Washington, D.C., by way of Chicago, was a delightful tablemate, but it would be quite some time before I’d realize what a gifted person she was.

You know how sometimes you meet someone and there’s no “getting acquainted” period? You just feel as if you’ve known the person forever, and you share a friendship – almost magically - from the moment you meet? Martha Vertreace-Doody is that kind of person. We enjoyed each other’s company at lunch, walked to my car to get a notebook and walked across campus to the next event.

Vertreace-Doody even convinced me that I should attend the Thursday evening event at the Duncan Mansion, where she would be dressed in 19th century period costume. What I didn’t realize was that the mansion event would set the stage for her poetry reading on Friday afternoon.

You see, a few years ago, this 21st century big-city woman became the voice of a 19th century prairie governor’s wife – the one who lived in that mansion. From diaries and letters, Martha Vertreace-Doody began to craft poems chronicling the life of Elizabeth Duncan, the 4’5” tall (or should it be short) wife of the sixth governor of Illinois, Joseph Duncan. (Grandma would have been tall next to Mrs. Duncan!)

Vertreace-Doody is no novice poet. Quite the contrary. She’s got more than a dozen volumes of poetry under her belt. And, though the Duncan poems are not yet in print - in fact not even all written, I’m sure - there’s no doubt they’re bound to make the grade as another brilliant volume by a talented Illinois author. If the various university presses here in Illinois haven’t got this Chicago poet who writes prairie verse on their radar, they should have!

In retrospect, I wish I’d written down a few lines of this beautiful work to share with you, but I can’t recreate specific poems for you. What I can share is that this poet has found the heart and soul of her subject, a woman much different than herself, and she’s pouring it out in verse so moving it draws listeners in and takes them back to that same time and place. Sure, the poet had Duncan’s own words to draw the stories from, but she weaves a fresh tapestry of verse so intricate the readers can't help but get caught up in it, savoring every detail of each magnificent creation.

That Thursday afternoon, I had to choose between three symposium offerings, all great programs, I’m sure. I’m glad I selected the one I did, not only because the presenters were two people I’ve grown to count among my friends, but also because they’ve created their own legacy of Illinois literature, and I was there to hear them share it. Can’t get much more fortunate than that!

© Copyright 2009 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

See new Lincoln Forum website, check out 2Clicks

2009-04-11T11:05:00.005-05:00

The Lincoln Forum launched their new website this week. Be sure to stop in to look at it.

Lincoln Forum Symposium
If you're planning to attend the 14th Annual Lincoln Forum Symposium, the website says registration forms will be available online April 15, 2009. Lincoln buffs with active Lincoln Forum memberships likely received theirs in the mail already and, if they're like me, sent them back by return mail.

Be sure to visit the website to see the schedule. Once again, the lineup is a "Who's Who" of Lincoln experts. You won't want to miss it.

And, the symposium is at a new, larger venue this year. When I saw Harold Holzer in Jacksonville recently, he was quite enthusiastic about the new location. I'm sure the folks pulling this event together put a lot of research and hard work into this change. Since this will be my first, and long-awaited, Lincoln Forum event, I have nothing to compare it to. I'll just be thrilled to be there. My friends in the Lincoln world tell me this event is so popular that in the past, due to capacity restraints, some folks had to be turned away. Especially in this bicentennial year, it's nice to know more folks can attend. Thanks, Lincoln Forum board.

Willard wows with website
In an earlier post, I told you about a valuable resource for Lincoln buffs created by Lincoln enthusiast Bob Willard. Willard has created a website (a portal of sorts, in techie terms) to take seekers of all things Lincoln to online sources with just two clicks of the mouse. Willard just keeps making it better and better.

Please stop by to check it out.

© Copyright 2009 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

Wish I'd met this man

2009-04-10T21:53:00.009-05:00

This seems to be the day for my favorite journalists to write about my favorite subjects. John Pulliam of the Galesburg Register-Mail penned a tribute today to Cyrus Highlander, a Galesburg (Ill.) High School graduate who spent the later part of his life in the same part of North Carolina where Carl Sandburg settled - the area where he completed his six-volume biography of Abraham Lincoln.

Highlander, who suggested Flat Rock, N.C. and Galesburg be sister cities, died April 4, 2009 in North Carolina at 82.

Pulliam has written a beautiful piece about Highlander, so I won't spoil it by writing about the same things he's shared. You'll want to read it youself.

I will tell you, though, that if you're a Lincoln buff, you need to step into Sandburg's world, too. Only after you've heard the rhythms of the trains behind his Galesburg birthplace and experienced the tranquility at his later home, Connemara, in the mountains of North Carolina, can you understand the forces which created the rhythm and the lyrical quality in his work.

As you traverse the tree-lined streets he walked and pass the same plaque he passed, the one at Knox College's Old Main commemorating the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debate, you'll begin to feel Sandburg's sense of place.

As you stand in the book-filled rooms at Connemara, see Sandburg's green visor and old manual typewriter, and stand on the rocky ledge with its breathtaking view where he went to be alone and write, you'll begin to feel what it must have been like to weave those thousands of words together in tribute to the railsplitter president.

It seems Highlander felt these things, also, and believed these two Sandburg communities needed to build upon that connection. I encourage you to visit both, too. You'll know what I mean.

Here in Illinois, we're optimistic our redeemer governor, Pat Quinn, will save the historic sites from the fate - closure - which our previous chief executive bestowed upon them. Maybe before long, you can once again visit the Carl Sandburg Historic Site.

In North Carolina, plan to spend several hours at Connemara. Go through the home, which is still much as the Sandburgs left it, and be sure to wear comfortable shoes so you can hike the same trails Sandburg hiked.

Unfortunately, Pulliam's tribute was the first time I remember hearing of Highlander. I'm sorry about that. I think we would have had a lot to talk about.

Who knows? Maybe he and Sandburg are already sharing stories about their old Illinois and North Carolina stomping grounds - or better yet, maybe they're listening to Lincoln spin yet another of his yarns.

© Copyright 2009 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

Where is Ann?

2009-04-10T05:01:00.004-05:00

For years now, I've faithfully read the work of a talented, insightful, entertaining columnist, Dave Bakke of the State Journal-Register. You'll want to read his column today to hear more about where Lincoln's first love, Ann Rutledge, was once buried in Old Concord Cemetary near Petersburg - and, some folks think, might still be.

Even if Ann isn't buried there, there are plenty of other New Salem residents still resting there, as Bakke points out:

"There is Jack Armstrong, the roughest of the rowdy Clary’s Grove Boys who Lincoln wrestled to a draw. Armstrong’s was the one Harmening most wanted to find.

Here also are members of the Berry family, descendants of William Berry, who owned the New Salem store with Lincoln.

John Clary, leader of the Clary’s Grove Boys and other members of the Clary family; Jacob Short, Lincoln’s friend; Joshua Short, Revolutionary War soldier; and Ann Rutledge’s father, James, one of the founders of New Salem. They are all buried here."

Unfortunately, the cemetery lies off the beaten path in the middle of a farmer's field. Too bad. Two hundred years after Lincoln's birth, there are still plenty of us studying Lincoln and those formative New Salem years. It would be nice to see where those who touched his life were laid to rest, and as Bakke's source, Bill Harmening, former Menard County sheriff’s deputy, pointed out, to stand where Lincoln stood.

© Copyright 2009 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

Central Illinois Lincoln buffs: See you at the Normal Theatre April 8

2009-04-07T21:40:00.008-05:00

Earlier this year, I told you of a great new Lincoln documentary filmed right here in Central Illinois, Prelude to the Presidency. I missed it myself, due to the bicentennial activities in Springfield.

Tomorrow night, Wednesday, April 8, 2009, at 7 p.m., I finally get to see it, and you can, too. COUNTRY Financial is joining in to sponsor a special showing of the film, with special guests, Producer and writer Alison Davis Wood, Director Tim Hartin and Bloomington lawyer and Lincoln expert, my friend Guy Fraker. The free screening is hosted by the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission of McLean County and the David Davis Mansion Foundation in honor of the Lincoln Bicentennial.

You'll find directions to the Normal and a parking map on the theatre's website.

Won't you join us? I'm sure we're in for a great evening. I can't wait.

Don’t miss Holzer, Waterston Friday night

2009-04-06T22:23:00.006-05:00

Do you have plans this Friday night? If not, how about spending it with Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer and actor Sam Waterston?

Okay, not in person, but in front of your TV in a special performance of “Lincoln’s Legacy and Legend” on Bill Moyers Journal. That’s 9 p.m., Friday, April 10, 2009. Be sure to check your local listing for the exact time in your area.

Moyers bills this as a “deeply moving and intimate performance of poetry and prose written by:

Walt Whitman,
Frederick Douglass,
Allen Ginsburg,
Langston Hughes,
Harriet Beecher Stowe and
many other American writers who have struggled to describe perhaps the greatest of American heroes.”

Wait a minute. What’s this “perhaps” stuff?

Why Moyers? Why now?
Moyers invited Holzer, co-chair of the U.S. Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, and Waterston, who has played the role of Lincoln, after seeing a private performance of the production in February at New York’s Century Club.

“That was magnificent,” said Moyers. “This should be on television, and I intend to put it on.” When you’re Bill Moyers, it’s not too hard to make dreams like this one come true – and on a Good Friday, yet, which just happens to be when Lincoln became our American martyr.

You won’t want to miss it
Many of you have likely seen Holzer on any one of a number of Lincoln-related programs in recent years or read one of his many books – 33 to date. I’ve had the opportunity to review some of them. They’re good. And, you’ve probably seen Waterston on the stage or screen. If so, I don’t have to tell you you’re in for a real treat.

I’m still waiting for an opportunity to hear Waterston in person, but I did just recently spend a Friday night seeing Holzer live when he presented his program “Lincoln Seen and Heard” at Illinois College with Richard Dreyfuss. Wow!

Keep watching my blog. I hope to find time soon to tell you all about that event and some of the other Illinois History Symposium activities.

An incarnation
I will say this much. You can’t go wrong spending a Friday night with Holzer and his friends like Waterston. It’s almost as if Lincoln is there, too. Just ask Moyers, who shared this memory about one of Waterston’s earlier performances:

“Moyers: I saw you some years ago when you were portraying Lincoln at Lincoln Center, as Harold said earlier. And when we left, I was struggling with where when you ceased to exist and Lincoln appeared because--

"Waterston: Bless you.

"Moyers: --he did. He did appear. As I said, it was like an incarnation. How does that happen?”
To hear the answer, watch the show. Friday night, now. Don’t forget.

Jacksonville 2009 continued

2009-04-04T10:34:00.019-05:00

We have some unfinished business here. I told you earlier of my first day or so of the 29th Annual Illinois History Symposium at Jacksonville (Ill.), which was held March 26-28, 2009.

An aside from one of my farmer friends: When I told him I'd been to a symposium, he wrote back to ask, "What do you do at a symposium, anyway? I killed a couple posiums once..." I choose friends who make me laugh - and they always come through.

My reply to him was, "No critters killed - possums or otherwise! ;-)"

Lunch with friends and "Strange-rs"
Another of my newer Lincoln buff friends - one who is an old and valued friend to many Lincoln scholars - Michael Burlingame, was the luncheon speaker on Friday, March 27.

I had the pleasure at that luncheon to have among my tablemates another of my newer Lincoln buff friends, Martha Vertreace-Doody, about whom you'll hear more later, and two of my old Galesburg "friends," Dr. Owen Muelder, and his wife, Laurie.

I had an interesting visit with the Muelders about the rich history of Galesburg, Muelder's encounters as a child with Carl Sandburg and others on the occasion of the Oct. 7, 1958 centennial of the Galesburg Lincoln-Douglas debate, the hope we have for a resurrected Galesburg and the nine-way race for mayor there.

Owen Muelder, of the Underground Railroad Freedom Center at Galesburg's Knox College, was to be presenting at one of the afternoon sessions. Laurie was a long-time teacher in Galesburg's District 205, and though both of us were struggling to remember for sure at the luncheon, I learned later she did have at least one of my daughters in her class at Churchill Junior High School.

Unfortunately, I didn't make it to Muelder's session, as I'd already planned to hear Vertreace-Moody and my friend, Dan Guillory, read in a poetry session at the same time. I'm optimistic, though, that our paths will cross again and I'll get to hear Muelder in a future event.

Congratulations on a well-deserved award
So back to Burlingame, friend and Strange-r. One of the most exciting things about the luncheon was learning that Burlingame was the recipient of the Russell P. Strange Book Award - the third annual, if I'm not mistaken.

According to the release for the 2007 award, the first annual, it's named for Colonel Russell P. Strange, a former vice president of the Society and a lifelong student of history. Col. Strange had an illustrious career as head of the University of Illinois's Air Force ROTC unit and chair of Eastern Illinois University's political science department, his position at the time of his death in 1966.

The award was established by Priscilla J. Matthews, daughter of Colonel Strange. At the time of the 2007 award, Matthews was a Senior Cataloging Librarian at Milner Library and a member of the library faculty at Illinois State University. As far as I can tell, it appears she probably still is.

Burlingame's talk was, as always, entertaining, engaging and humorous - and, even though I heard Burlingame present similar speeches twice on Lincoln's birthday, it never gets old listening to him.

In fact, I was so engaged and so excited about his talk that I had an absent-minded moment once it was over. In my rush to have him sign my copy of his two-volume, 2000-page book, Abaham Lincoln: A Life, I left my camera on the luncheon table. Fortunately, an honest student-worker or catering staff member found it and turned it in to the Illinois Historical Society staff, and Mary Lou Johnsrud, symposium coordinator extraordinaire, kept it safe until I realized it was missing and was able to retrieve it.

He ain't heavy
I'm not surprised I left my camera behind. My backpack, you see, was so full I could barely zip it, primarily due to the magisterial nature of the Burlingame book. It's been a few years since I've carried such a bulging book bag across campus. As I walked to my morning event, stepping back in time and memory to the years of 1970-72, when I traipsed the campus of nearby Quincy College, now Quincy University, I was also reminded of the 1969 song lyrics, "He ain't heavy. He's my brother," and the much earlier Boy's Town theme along the same lines.

All I could think was, "I'll make it across campus with these books. There's no place else I'd rather be right now than with my Lincoln buff brothers and sisters. I can carry Burlingame around. He's not heavy. He's my Lincoln brother."

I got to visit with Burlingame. I got his autograph, and I'm looking forward to the next time we meet on the Lincoln circuit. If my little birdies are correct, I may have that chance later this year in Bloomington. I hope so. I'd love to have my novice Lincoln buff friends and coworkers get to meet and hear him.

But, wait ... there's more
Come back to my blog again soon. I've still got lots to share about the rest of the symposium and other happenings in the Lincoln world.

Hear Lincoln scholars in Central Illinois

2009-04-02T05:02:00.004-05:00

Lincoln Buff 2 is excited that today is the long-awaited lecture by Lincoln scholar James Oakes at the McLean County Museum of History in Bloomington (Ill.) Oakes was first scheduled to come a few months ago, on what turned out to be a horrific airline backup day. He couldn't make it out of New York to get here.

Oakes's talk, "Measure Him by the Sentiment of His Country: Fredrick Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, and the Triumph of Anti-Slavery Politics," will be this evening, Thursday, April 2, 2009, from 7-8 p.m. I can't wait to meet him or to read his book, "The Radical and the Republican: Fredrick Douglas, Abraham Lincoln and the Triumph of Anti-Slavery Politics", which was awarded a Lincoln Prize in 2008.

Besides, my Lincoln friend, Lincoln Bicentennial co-chair Harold Holzer told me last year, "You'll like Oakes. He's fun." Holzers's stamp of approval is all any Lincoln scholar needs in my book. The event is free and open to the public.

On Monday, April 13, 2009, from 7-8 p.m., a British Lincoln scholar I met and got to visit with will be at the museum. Richard Carwardine, Rhodes Professor of American History at Oxford University. Dr. Carwardine will be presenting a lecture entitled "Abraham Lincoln, God and the American Civil War" in the historic gov Fifer Courtroom of the Museum. Carwardine is a delightful speaker who spent as much time asking me about my Lincoln interests as I did trying to learn more about him. I'll be sharing more about him in a future blog post, once I complete some coursework I'm taking for my job.

Hope to see some fellow Lincoln buffs here in McLean County for the Lincoln events. This county, where Lincoln spent so much time, continues to spark interest and educate about the 16th president's time and this area's important role in his life and legacy.

Both events are sponsored by the McLean County Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.