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

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 One of the books we read was The Private Mary Chesnut: The Unpublished Civil War Diaries.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.

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

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.

Authors explore Grant, Teddy and more on VBS

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.

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

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.

Watch Virtual Book signing tonight, Sept. 15

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.

Don’t miss Lincoln as he meets the press

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.

© Copyright 2009 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

Don' t miss Virtual Book Signing

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!

© Copyright 2009 Ann Tracy Mueller. All rights reserved.

Don't forget to watch Burlingame tonight

--Updated 5:25 p.m. March 5, 2009

Michael Burlingame will be joining Daniel Weinberg of the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop for a Virtual Book Signing this evening, March 5, at 6 p.m. Central Time. Be sure to join and watch online as Burlingame talks about his new two-volume, 2,000-page* biography, Abraham Lincoln: A Life.

These are really nice events. Weinberg has such a knack for interviewing. You'll really feel as if you're all just sitting around in his living room chatting about the book. Burlingame is quite personable himself - and funny, too. Be sure to watch for his quip about the size of the book.

*Thanks to Bjorn of the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop, who noticed that I originally said 2000-word instead of 2000-page. That's what I get for trying to blog before my first cup of morning coffee!

Coming this weekend – another Virtual Book Signing

One of the highlights of my bicentennial pilgrimage to Springfield was having the opportunity to meet Lincoln scholars and experts I’ve covered in my blog. The first Lincoln author/expert I ran into on Sunday, Feb. 8 was Daniel Weinberg of the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop in Chicago.

Weinberg and I had exchanged emails a time or two and I’d promoted some of his Virtual Book Signings in my blog, but we’d never met. He was just as pleasant in person as he had been by email and seemed in the online book signings. This man just has an aura about him that puts his interviewees at ease and elicits some powerful discussion.

You’ll get a change to see Weinberg at work this weekend and again in early March if you tune in to his next two Virtual Book Signings.

David Leroy on Feb. 21
Be sure to log on to your computer at 12 noon Central Time on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2009, as Weinberg interviews David Leroy, Idaho Lincoln Bicentennial Commission chair and chairman of the Governors Council of the United States Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. Leroy will be speaking about his book, Mr. Lincoln’s Book: Publishing the Lincoln-Douglas Debates.

Remember, you can order your book for this and other Virtual Book Signings ahead of time through the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop BookBlast page.

Unfortunately, Mr. Leroy is one Lincoln buff I haven’t yet met. I remember reading about him last year in an online news story about the Lincoln Forum symposium at Gettysburg. I’m planning to attend this year, so I hope meet him there. In the meantime, we can all meet him in cyberspace, thanks to Weinberg’s book event.

Michael Burlingame on March 5
On Thursday evening, March 5 at 6 p.m. Central Time, join Weinberg and Michael Burlingame, as Burlingame talks about the most grandiose Lincoln biography since Sandburg finished his six-volume Lincoln bio 70 years ago.

I had the pleasure of meeting Burlingame, author of the two-volume Abraham Lincoln: A Life, at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library last week. I later watched as he moderated a panel for the Abraham Lincoln Association’s Lincoln Roundtable. I also got to hear him speak at a luncheon and at the Abraham Lincoln Association banquet. Burlingame’s good nature and wit make him a pleasant conversationalist and an engaging speaker.

You won’t want to miss this event, either. If you do, though, be sure to check back on the Virtual Book Signing website later, as the book signings are archived so they can be watched again and again.

If you missed White and Clinton
How did you spend your Valentine’s Day? Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln spent their day together on Virtual Book Signing. Okay, they didn’t, but the authors of books about each of them did.

Ronald C. White, Jr., author of A. Lincoln: A Biography, and Catherine Clinton, who wrote Mrs. Lincoln: A Life, teamed up on Feb. 14 to talk with Weinberg about one of the most misunderstood marriages in the history of our country. Just last week, I heard one writer speak of the strength of the Lincoln marriage and another speak of its misery. No one really knows what the marriage was like, of course, but the couple themselves, and they’re not here to tell us.

I’m sure you’ll gain some new insight into the individuals and into their marriage if you watch the archived interview when it’s available on Virtual Book Signing. When this article was written it wasn’t yet ready, but keep checking back. They should have it out there before long.

I had the opportunity to meet White in 2005 at the opening symposium of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum when my Lincoln buff buddy, Karen Needles, who has done research for White, introduced us. She spoke very highly of him and of his work.

Clinton was at that event too, but we didn't really get to meet until this year. Her inquisitive nature and tenacity inspire me. I'll be reviewing her book in the coming months, so be sure to watch for it here.

Be in the know
Afraid you’ll miss out on future Virtual Book Signings? You won't have to if you sign up for the free email mailing list. I joined a few months ago and it’s a great way to keep in the know on who’s on first, what’s on second and I don’t know’s on third in the world of Lincoln literature.

George S. McGovern on Virtual Book Signing

-- Updated 5:15 p.m. Jan. 13, 2009

If you’ve never watched a Virtual Book Signing from the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop, you’re missing out. In December, I had the privilege of watching owner Daniel R. Weinberg talk with Philip Kunhardt, III, about Looking for Lincoln, the book Kunhardt co-authored with his brother and nephew, Peter W. Kunhardt and Peter W. Kunhardt, Jr.

On Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009* at 6 p.m. Central Time, you can see former Senator George S. McGovern talk with Weinberg about McGovern’s book, Abraham Lincoln: The American Presidents Series: The 16th President, 1861-1865 (Hardcover).

Visit the Virtual Book Signing website to:

• watch online,
• order your copy of McGovern’s book or
• see details about the signing.

About Abraham Lincoln Book Shop
The Abraham Lincoln Book Shop was opened in 1938 by Ralph G. Newman, a contemporary of Carl Sandburg and the editor of Lincoln for the Ages. Newman’s book is one of the “must haves” in my Lincoln library. It contains the work of 76 authors who tell the story of Lincoln from the cradle to the grave and beyond. Lincoln for the Ages, by the way, was one of the books published around the time of Lincoln’s Sesquicentennial. My guess is that there weren’t as many Lincoln books published from 1958-1960 as there will be from 2008-2010.

Weinberg was Newman’s partner in the book store beginning in 1971 and purchased the founder’s interest in 1984. He and James L. Swanson are the authors of Lincoln's Assassins: Their Trial and Execution.

See Weinberg and others in person next month
Weinberg is a leading authority on Lincoln documents, books and memorabilia. He’ll be moderating a panel discussion on Collecting Lincoln at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library on Feb.8, 2009 at 2 p.m. Collectors on the slate to speak that day are Kunhardt, Louise Taper, Chief Justice Frank Williams and Jack Smith. Though admission is free, you do need to call 217-558-8934 to make reservations to attend. I've heard all but Smith speak before and I'll guarantee hearing them share their passion will be time well spent.

These are just a handful of the Lincoln authorities, scholars and authors who will be in Springfield the week of Lincoln’s birthday.

• Visit the Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission website to learn about all the other exciting events going on in Springfield and Illinois in celebration of the bicentennial.
• For events across the nation, see the U.S. Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission website or Abraham Lincoln Online.
  

*Earlier I listed the wrong date. The signing is on the 15th, not the 14th, as previously stated. I apologize for the error and any confusion it may have caused. Ann