Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Long days, short nights, but worth it

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.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Ann,

I'm an entrant in the Lincoln Essay contest, and they're supposed to announce the winners Wednesday morning. I couldn't make the event this year, and I'm dying to know if I placed, or even, gasp, won.

I'd really appreciate any info you could find out.

Sincerely,

Brian Rose

Greg Brown said...

Nice site Ann. I live here in Champaign, though I come from western New York, and among my 100 or so books on the Civil War are about 30 on Lincoln. One of my all time favorites is Frederick Trevor Hill's "Lincoln the Lawyer." If you don't have this early history (1911, I think) you need to order a facsimile edition. Hill's thesis is that Lincoln was a great president in large part because he was a great lawyer. And he backs it up with interviews with then living Lincoln contemporaries from the circuit, their published reminiscences, a tribute upon is death by the Illinois Supreme Court, and statistics (when he left Illinois for the White House, Lincoln had argued more cases in front of the state Supreme Court than any other lawyer in the state.) And it's still one of the most readable biographies on Lincoln ever written.

Ann Tracy Mueller said...

Brain,

I replied to you by direct message. There were more than 160 entrants, but I don't have the names of the winners. If I did, I would not want to release them without the permission of the Forum. If I find out I can, I'll let you know.

Best wishes with your studies.
Ann

Ann Tracy Mueller said...

Greg,

Thanks for kind words and the info on the Hill book. I have not used it, so will pick up a copy. Much of my research for two of my book-length projects will have a direct connection to the legal career, so I will need that work.

Great to hear from you. Please visit the blog again and share your comments.

Best wishes,
Ann

Ann Tracy Mueller said...

Greg,

Thanks for kind words and the info on the Hill book. I have not used it, so will pick up a copy. Much of my research for two of my book-length projects will have a direct connection to the legal career, so I will need that work.

Great to hear from you. Please visit the blog again and share your comments.

Best wishes,
Ann

Ann Tracy Mueller said...

Greg,

Thanks for kind words and the info on the Hill book. I have not used it, so will pick up a copy. Much of my research for two of my book-length projects will have a direct connection to the legal career, so I will need that work.

Great to hear from you. Please visit the blog again and share your comments.

Best wishes,
Ann