Want to see what you may have missed?

If you weren’t able to celebrate the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth in person, it’s not to late to see some of the events you may have missed. As they have been so often, our friends at C-SPAN were there to chronicle some of the happenings.

I had the opportunity to be there myself for several of these, but even I couldn’t be in Washington, D.C. and Springfield at the same time, so the C-SPAN videos allowed me to catch up on the ones I didn’t see.

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum events
On Sunday, Feb. 8, I had the opportunity to attend two events where several of my favorite Lincoln scholars or enthusiasts presented. You won’t want to miss:

• Eric Foner’s talk, “Reflecting on Lincoln”
• The panel discussion moderated by Lincoln memorabilia expert Daniel Weinberg and featuring Lincoln collectors Philip Kunhardt III, Jack Smith, Louise Taper and Frank Williams

Senator Dick Durbin speaks at Lincoln Tribute Dinner
Monday, Feb. 9, Senator Dick Durbin spoke in Washington, D.C. on “What Lincoln Means to Me.” Durbin is a co-chair of the U.S. Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, a long-time supporter of the need for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and a public servant representing the district Lincoln lost to Stephen A. Douglas in 1858. His devotion to keeping the legacy of Lincoln alive is deep-seeded, sincere and much appreciated. We’re fortunate to have him and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood as champions of Lincoln both in Illinois and for the nation.

Congressional Bicameral Celebration from the U.S. Capitol
On Lincoln’s 200th birthday, Feb. 12, 2009, a special celebration was held in our nation’s Capitol. C-SPAN was there to capture the festivities, including remarks from President Barack Obama. As we waited in Springfield for a Lincoln luncheon to begin, one of my Lincoln buff friends who is a great champion of technology and one of the most social media-savvy fellows I know, was watching coverage from Washington on his cool compact notebook computer. I wasn’t able to that, so I was thankful to find it online later. I think you will be, too.

President Obama speaks at Abraham Lincoln Association Banquet
I was also fortunate to get my ticket early, before we even knew President Obama was coming to Springfield for Lincoln’s birthday bash. Being there when he spoke was almost surreal. It was one of those times in life where you take something in and try to savor every morsel of it, but feel almost as if you’re on the outside looking in. It’s great to have the C-SPAN video of the speech to listen to again and again to recreate the historic moment and to reflect on this new President’s words about the President we’ve long revered.

C-SPAN – Champion of Lincoln legacy
The bicentennial week festivities play only a small part in the commitment C-SPAN has for teaching people about Lincoln through the worldwide web.

C-SPAN continues to promote Lincoln. For earlier coverage of Lincoln events, authors and publications, be sure to return often to:

• Lincoln 200 Years,
• Book TV,
• Booknotes and
• Q & A.

You’ll also want to check out the C-SPAN book, Great American Historians on Our Sixteenth President, edited by C-SPAN's CEO Brian Lamb and co-president Susan Swain. Profits from the book go to a great cause, as C-SPAN is directing any royalties from the sale of the book to the nonprofit C-SPAN Educational Foundation which creates teaching materials for middle and high school teachers.

My C-SPAN connection
It’s always neat when you have a brush with greatness. My first personal encounter with C-SPAN came in the 1990s when the network came to my hometown of Galesburg (Ill.) to film the Lincoln-Douglas debate reenactment at the Knox College’s Old Main.

My job at the time kept me from participating directly in the event, but many folks whom I knew from the community were dressed in period dress, some of my customers were actors in the production and the store where I worked catered food for the cast of hundreds. I did get to join the audience for a few minutes late in the afternoon and felt the importance of the legacy this piece would leave.

In 2005, when I attended several days of events surrounding the opening of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, C-SPAN was there. They filmed many of the events I attended, including the dedication ceremony visit by our 43rd President George W. Bush and a then-senator who was to become our 44th President, Barack Obama.

During one of the events, I got to ask a question of a three-generation panel of Lincoln scholars – David Herbert Donald, Harold Holzer and Matthew Pinsker. I knew I wanted to someday do work related to Lincoln, but lamented that I feared I may be coming at it too late in life. I asked the panel, moderated by Brian Lamb, for advice. Their advice was sincere, direct and heart-felt: “Come to events like this one. Study Lincoln. Get to know those who share your passion.” That’s what my journey and this blog are all about.

I didn’t count on having to answer a question myself, though, but Lamb did what he does so well. He asked the million-dollar question – the one that makes the interviewee look inward – and he asked it of me: “If you wrote about Lincoln, what would you write about?”

I didn’t know the answer to the question that day. I just knew then I wanted to help tell the Lincoln story. After three years of introspection, hours of study and time spent in the Lincoln community, I can answer that question, and I have Lamb and his network to thank for it.

Over the next couple years, I’ll be developing my plans for the Lincoln topics I know I can best cover. Along the way, I’ll keep sharing Lincoln-related information with the rest of you. Thanks for visiting Lincoln Buff 2 blog.

And, Mr.Lamb, thanks for asking the question that made me look at my Lincoln interests in a deeper light. You’ll never know what it meant to me.

Lincoln’s friends in the media

In 1864, Abraham Lincoln said of a local newspaper, “The Journal paper was always my friend; and of course its editors the same.” I do believe even today, 145 years later, Lincoln would still say the same about this Springfield paper, now called The State Journal-Register. If you’ve been watching online, their bicentennial coverage has been incredible. Please continue to watch their website and read the printed version where it’s available for all the latest in Lincoln news, especially of the happenings in Springfield.

Media back then not always so kind
Back in Lincoln’s day, the media wasn’t always as kind as they are today. In many cases, they were just out-and-out mean and nasty to that tall, awkward fella from Illinois. I recently heard a speaker muse that he wondered if the press could get away today with what they did then. Lincoln really was bashed – in articles, letters to the editor and cartoons. Next time you’re at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, check out the slanted room – a magnificent, but troubling symbol of the way the media portrayed him.

Cheerleader and friend
Today, though, that Illinois newspaper’s not Lincoln’s only friend in the media. If he were to repeat that compliment now, it would surely include another entity. I do believe Lincoln would say, “The Journal paper and C-SPAN were always my friends; and of course the paper’s editors and the network’s founder the same.”

You know, I’m not really sure if it’s C-SPAN founder and Chief Executive Officer Brian Lamb’s personal passion for Lincoln that propels the network to devote so much interesting and educational programming to Lincoln and Lincoln-related books, places and events, or if it’s that he’s such a smart businessman who knows people need and want to hear stories that inspire. One thing’s for sure – Lincoln does inspire.

Not always a C-SPAN fan – or any other
Mr. Lamb (and the rest of the world via the worldwide web), I have a confession to make. I’m not a TV person. Okay, it’s out – sort of like making a confession to a 12-step group.

It all started when I was a little kid. Sometimes we had a TV, but poor reception, other times, the one we had didn’t work. That was okay, though. You see, we didn’t need one. We had books – and games – and imaginations. And, yes, some of those books were about Lincoln – and some of the things we imagined were days in a one-room schoolhouse.

So, when I attended the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum opening in 2005, I barely knew what C-SPAN was all about. I didn’t watch it – any more than I watched any other television station.

C-SPAN and Lincoln
I remembered that in 1994 the network had produced a reenactment of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates at Knox College in my old hometown of Galesburg (Ill.). I remembered that the deli in the grocery store where I worked* had catered the box lunches for the event, and I could even tell you most of what they had in those boxes. You see, it interested me – not because there were some with turkey sandwiches and some with ham, not because they contained a serving of a deli salad, a bag of chips, a cookie and a drink.

It interested me because Old Main, that historic building which I sometimes drove by on my way to work as a grocery clerk like Lincoln - and where Sandburg paused on the way to his milk route and was inspired to tell the Lincoln story - had been selected as the place where the C-SPAN documentary would keep history alive.

Again in 2005, C-SPAN was at it – this time documenting many of the events surrounding the opening of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. They covered the symposium with 23 Lincoln scholars and the dedication ceremony with President George W. Bush and other dignitaries speaking, including a lesser-known public servant, a Senator named Barack Obama. Did you know you can still watch that ceremony today online? It’s just as inspiring to hear both Presidents, Senator Dick Durbin, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and others speak online today as it was in Springfield on that historic April day.

The debates and the Museum opening aren’t the only ways Lamb and his network honor Lincoln. Through the years, a number of Lincoln authors have been invited to speak about their books on Booknotes, Book TV and Q & A.

Just recently Lamb and Susan Swain came out with their own book based on many of those interviews, Abraham Lincoln: Great American Historians on Our Sixteenth President.

For some time now, C-SPAN has dedicated a website to Lincoln in celebration of his 200th birthday. You’ll want to be sure to visit it, as there are hours and hours of Lincoln programming there and more to come.

Don’t get too far from your TV this next week, as C-SPAN is sure to be covering many of the Bicentennial events. Will I turn the TV on now? ‘Fraid not, but I won’t miss their coverage.

Once again, as in 2005, I’ll be there to savor firsthand the events they’re filming. Then, when I return home from Springfield, I’ll be able to watch some of them over and over on C-SPAN online. I hope you join me.

If only all of us could be so lucky to have friends as loyal as Lincoln’s. I have been.

* The Galesburg store where I worked, Giant Foods on East Main, is now closed, but was my first career. Even then, my dream of someday studying a former store clerk from New Salem was alive and well. As I counted the office each morning, I paused on the rolls of pennies, savoring the symbolism they represented, and thought to myself, “Someday I’m going to write about Lincoln…” And I am! (Lincoln’s not my only subject, though. Sometimes I write from the heart. When the store closed, I did just that. Even though I wasn’t living my dream back then, those days weren’t wasted. Read why.)

Thanks and best wishes, Congressman LaHood

I can barely remember a time when the name Ray LaHood was not synonymous with Central Illinois politics. As a Lincoln buff, I’ll also never forget the day I heard that Congressman LaHood, Senator Dick Durbin and an author whose Lincoln book I’d reviewed, Harold Holzer, were to co-chair the newly formed Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. It was years before the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth, which is now less than two months away.

As LaHood and fellow Lincoln buffs look forward to the celebrations surrounding Lincoln’s Feb. 12 birthday, the Congressman is looking forward to a milestone in his own life – his retirement from public service in early January and, subsequently, more time with his family.

Thousands of touchpoints
LaHood has represented the people of the 18th Congressional District of Illinois in our nation’s capital for seven terms, but his public service started long before. Since the late 1970s, he’s served in a number of public roles, including as:

• District Administrative Assistant, for Congressman Tom Railsback
• Member of Illinois House of Representatives
• Chief of Staff for U.S. House Minority Leader Robert Michel

Even earlier he was serving the people, working for the Rock Island Youth Services Bureau and the Bi-State Planning Commission. Although I didn’t know it until I did my research yesterday, LaHood also served as a junior high school social studies teacher for six years. It’s no wonder he’s been involved in keeping the legacy of Lincoln alive. That teacher gene never leaves, it seems, no matter where life takes one.

Lincoln lovers would be interested to know that in today’s 18th District, LaHood serves most of the same communities Lincoln served in the 7th District from 1847-1849.

Media respect well-earned
The Peoria Journal-Star, which has chronicled LaHood’s story since his early days in politics, has honored the outgoing servant with a tribute today. You can learn more about this man with Lincoln ties and his own personal legacy in these additional pieces:

• Q&A with Ray
• Officials' thoughts on LaHood
• Ray LaHood timeline
• Going out on top

While you’re at it, you might also want to listen to Q & A on C-SPAN for Brian Lamb’s interview with Congressman LaHood.

LaHood's farewell
Congressman LaHood also wrote his own farewell, which appeared as an op-ed piece on the Journal-Star website late Sunday. I find it interesting that one of the things LaHood mentions is his mentors, Railsback and Michel. He also offers words of wisdom for the Congressman-elect Aaron Schock. Schock will serve us well, I believe, but even better with LaHood passing on his words of wisdom.

Lincoln's growth, too, was enriched through his mentors - in New Salem, in law and in politics. He also made the transition from protege to mentor when he took on Billy Herndon. But, those are stories for another day. (This section added Dec. 8.)

Do you have a LaHood memory?
If so, the Journal-Star would like to hear it. You can email them at news@pjstar.com and they’ll publish highlights before Jan. 6, his final day in office. If I see that article, I’ll publish a link in my blog for those of you outside of Central Illinois. Wouldn’t it be nice if that next article contained some memories from fellow Lincoln buffs?

Lincoln buff/constituent says thanks
Congressman LaHood, thank you for your service to our country and your dedication to keeping the legacy of Lincoln alive. May the roads ahead rise up to meet you with all the joy and fulfillment you deserve. Ann

A look at some new Lincoln books

As I work today to finish pulling together my paper on Abraham Lincoln and his mentors, I wasn't going to take the time to write a blog post from scratch myself. I was just going to draw attention to an article by Desmond Ryan in today's Philadelphia Inquirer. Ryan's "A. Lincoln turning 200: Books on him keep coming; here's a sampling" provides an overview of nine of the dozens of books on Lincoln coming out within the next year. Of course, as I set out to do that in a few words, I realized I had much to tell you myself about these authors and their books.

An all star cast
I've only got first-hand knowledge of one of these books, but I've met or heard several of the other authors speak at some of the Lincoln scholarly events I've been privileged to attend. These scholars/enthusiasts are Harold Holzer, James McPherson, Gary Ecelbarger, Brian Lamb and Ronald C. White, Jr. Each of these gentlemen is committed to keeping the legacy of Lincoln alive, doing so with accuracy and passion, while earning and keeping the respect of their peers. Any of their books will be a welcome addition to your Lincoln library and a great read, I'm sure.

My lack of familiarity with the other authors in no way negates or diminishes their contributions. It just shows how much work is being done in this area, and how far behind I am in learning all the contributors. Susan Swain, Lamb's co-editor, is also a C-SPAN legend. In her work with the network, she collaborated on The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858 series, American Presidents: Life Portraits, and American Writers II: The 20th Century. I can't wait to read Lamb and Swain's anthology of interviews with Lincoln historians.

Eric Foner's book collecting essays with new perspectives by other brilliant Lincoln scholars will certainly be an interesting read, while Fred Kaplan's study of Lincoln as a writer will focus on what I've always felt was one of Lincoln's greatest gifts and strengths. John Stauffer's book parallels the lives of Lincoln and Frederick Douglass and is sure to shed new perspectives on this important relationship.

Ladies and gentlemen - start your reading
So, head to your library or your local bookstore, or get your Christmas wish list ready. With all these new Lincoln books on the shelves, there's no excuse not to celebrate the Bicentennial of his birth (Feb. 12. 2009) by learning more.

© Copyright 2008 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

Hold on for more Holzer

Famed Lincoln author does it again
There are more books written about Abraham Lincoln than anyone except Jesus Christ, and a New York man is the author, co-author or editor of more than 30 of them. Please join me in congratulating Harold Holzer on his latest - Lincoln President-Elect: Abraham Lincoln and the Great Secession Winter 1860-1861 - published by Simon & Schuster and in bookstores this week. It’s already receiving accolades from leading Lincoln scholars.

I first “met” Harold Holzer in 1998, when I had the opportunity to review his book, The Lincoln Mailbag: America Writes to the President, 1861-1865 for The State Journal-Register. It was my second book review and Holzer’s eleventh book. It was seven years before I was to meet the author in person – at an event we’ll both always remember.

An event of historic proportion
Holzer was one of the speakers at the scholarly conference, Lincoln in the 21st Century, at the dedication of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Ill. in April 2005. The roster of speakers at the conference was a Who’s Who of Lincoln scholars, with more than 20 world-renowned scholars presenting. Holzer was on a three-generation panel with a patriarch of Lincoln scholars, David Herbert Donald, and Donald’s protégé and former grad assistant, Matthew Pinsker. The event was moderated by Brian Lamb of C-SPAN.

I got to meet Holzer that weekend and also got to ask a question of the three-generation panel. Today I can’t remember the exact words I used back then, but it was something like, “Do you think it is possible for someone to begin studying Lincoln this late in life and become knowledgeable enough to gain the respect of scholars such as these?” C-SPAN was taping that day, so the memory of the broadcast tapes is surely more accurate than my own.

The three scholars – and Lamb – could not have been more encouraging. Their advice: “Get involved in the Lincoln world. Attend events such as this one. No, it’s not too late.”

And the list goes on
Holzer’s life since that day in Springfield has been more productive than mine. He’s co-authored or edited twenty more books since that one I reviewed in 1998 – 31 in all:

• The Lincoln Image (1984)


• Changing the Lincoln Image (1985)


• The Confederate Image, (1987)


• The Lincoln Family Album (1990)


• Lincoln on Democracy (1990)


• Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: The Civil War in Art (1993)


• The Lincoln-Douglas Debates (1993)


• Washington and Lincoln Portrayed (1993)


• Dear Mr. Lincoln: Letters to the President (1993)


• Witness to War (1996)


• The Civil War Era (1996)


• The Lincoln Mailbag: America Writes to the President (1998)


• The Union Preserved (1999)


• The Lincoln Forum: Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg, and the Civil War (1999)


• Lincoln as I Knew Him (1999)


• The Union Image (2000)


• Lincoln Seen and Heard (2000)


• Abraham Lincoln, The Writer (2000)


• Prang's Civil War: The Complete Battle Chromos of Louis Prang (2001)


• State of the Union: New York and the Civil War (2002)


• The Lincoln Forum: Rediscovering Abraham Lincoln ( 2002)


• The President is Shot! The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln (2004)


• Lincoln At Cooper Union: The Speech That Made Abraham Lincoln President (2004)


• Lincoln in the Times: The Life of Abraham Lincoln as Originally Reported in the New York Times (2005)


• The Battle of Hampton Roads (2006)


• The Emancipation Proclamation: Three Views (2006)


• Lincoln in the Collections of the Indiana Historical Society (2006)


• Lincoln and Freedom (2007)


• Lincoln Revisited (2007)


• Lincoln's White House Secretary: The Adventurous Life of William O.Stoddard (2007)

Holzer is also the author of several hundred articles on Lincoln, has served in an advisory capacity to more Lincoln projects than anyone could fathom and has won numerous honors for his work. See his website to learn more. It’s only fitting and proper that Holzer is a co-chair of the United States Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.

Late-blooming scholar
But more memorable than any of the words Holzer has set in type are the words of encouragement to an aging baby boomer wanting to pursue a dream. In essence, he said, “Do it.”

Today, I’m taking a class about Lincoln, attending Lincoln-related events and using this blog to celebrate the 16th President and those who so passionately share their passion for him. Who says it’s too late to follow your heart?

Thanks, Harold, for encouraging me to listen to mine, and congratulations!

© Copyright 2008 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

Lincoln Colloquium educates like 19th Century lyceum

In Lincoln’s day, they didn't have television, Wii, iPod, Illini football, major league baseball playoffs – Cubs or no Cubs – or most of other things which occupy our time today.

The events for which communities joined together were much different in 19th century Illinois. People found their entertainment in spending time with others. Some of the gatherings which brought people in droves to nearby communities for social and intellectual interaction were things like the spring and fall circuit court sessions and the great debates.

The lyceum movement in Lincoln's day
Another pastime of the day was joining together to hear men who presented speeches through Lyceum groups. In his book, Lincoln, David Herbert Donald speaks about the lyceum movement:

"This was the golden age of the lyceum movement, when men and women thronged the lecture halls and listened for hours to speakers who might edify, enlighten or, at least, amuse them."1

Modern day lyceum
I attended my own lyceum of sorts on Saturday, Oct. 11. I spent the day listening to six renowned Lincoln scholars celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates with their rhetoric. The Lincoln Studies Center at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois hosted The Twenty-Third Annual Lincoln Colloquium, in cooperation with Lincoln Home National Historic Site, The Indiana Historical Society, and the Chicago History Museum.

Knox’s Harbach Theatre holds about 450 people when it’s full. Those who were willing to wager a guess figured there were about 400 people there – a number of other Lincoln scholars, high school teachers, college professors, students – young and older, senior citizens and other interested parties from near and far.

Orators do Lincoln proud
Lincoln wasn’t there to try his hand at speaking, but these six orators would have given him a run for his money if this had been a competition. Their passion for their subject was genuine, and they held the audience as spellbound as Lincoln and Douglas surely did when they debated on the east side of Old Main that blustery Oct. 7, 1858.

Today’s sessions began with remarks from Knox College President Roger Taylor and Douglas L. Wilson, followed by papers presented by David H. Zarefsky, Rodney O. Davis, Allen C. Guelzo, James M. McPherson and Garry Wills. Between them, these scholar-authors hold two Pulitizer Prizes, five Lincoln Prizes, four Abraham Lincoln Institute Awards and a plethora of other honors – an impressive lot for sure.

Symposium for the ages - Springfield 2005
In 2005, when the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum opened, I took advantage of the opportunity to hear more than 20 of the top Lincoln scholars speak, many of whom were at Knox today – and I even got to meet Brian Lamb of C-SPAN.

Lincoln scholars - tops in my book
I thought then, and I still feel now, that Lincoln scholars are some of the most sincere, supportive people I’ve ever met. As I meet more of them, I’m even more convinced I was correct. I'm not sure if Lincoln just attracts a certain type of person, or if, by studying him, his sincerity, concern for his fellow mankind and search for truth come through in the scholar, but there's just something about his group you understand best when you're in their midst.

I think “Honest Abe” would be proud to know that such genuine people are keeping his legacy alive. (Did you know he really didn’t like to be called “Abe”?)

I'll write more reflections on the day in future blog entries. For now, my strongest reflection is this:

The colloquim was magnificent. I met lots of people who’ve made significant contributions to the Lincoln world. I was edifed, enlightened and amused. (Professor Guelzo's reponsible for the amusement. He can be hilarious!)

Learn more about the lyceum movement
To learn more about the lyceum movement in Lincoln’s day, read Dr. Donald’s Lincoln. There are several references throughout the book.

1Donald, David Herbert, Lincoln, Jonathan Cape, London, 1995, p. 164.

© Copyright 2008 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.