Lincoln in American Memory Reading and Discussion

More Lincoln

2009-10-08T14:27:00.000-07:00

I am changing the focus of this blog to feature the activities surrounding the current Lincoln exhibits in the Alvin Sherman Library gallery this month.

There are two Lincoln displays. The first is "Abraham Lincoln: a Man of His Time, A Man for all Times," a traveling exhibit from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History in New York City. This exhibit was developed with funding from the National Endwoment for the Humanities. The Alvin Sherman Library is one of only forty libraries in the United States hosting this display. It consists of six panels illustrating the life of Abraham Lincoln.

The second display features Lincolniana from the personal collection of Sheldon C. Kurland, Esq. a local collector. Incuded is a letter written by Lincoln, an original tintype of Lincoln, and contemporary books and newspapers.

Both exhibits are on display through Sunday, October 25.

We finished! Hurrah!

2009-08-07T17:49:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was the last meeting of the Alvin Sherman Library's Lincoln in American Memory Discussion Group and a good time was had by all. We discussed Lincoln and his Critics with great fervor for almost an hour touching on politics and issues both past and present. Did I hear health care debate?!

At the end of the meeting all participants who had attended at least two sessions were awarded a certificate of participation! Congratulations!

And, of course, we gathered for a group portrait!

Lincoln and his Critics

2009-08-05T10:09:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is the last meeting of LIAM!

We will be discussing Lincoln and His Critics -- to get a jump on the discussion please watch Howard Holzer's video: http://lincoln.loa.org/LiamReaders/critics.php

ALBC in Miami

2009-07-17T17:43:00.000-07:00

Get this on your calendar!

The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission will host a town meeting in Miami on Sunday, November 01, 2009 at the Adrienne Arsht Performing Arts Center in downtown Miami.

Panelist will include:

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez
Alberto Carvalho, Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent
Dr. Marvin Dunn, Professor
Alberto Ibarguen, Knight Foundation
Cheryl Little, Florida Immigrant and Advocacy Center
Gepsie Metellus, Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center
Ruth Shack, former head of the Dade Community Foundation
Dr. Darden Pyron, 19th century American history professor, Florida International University
Dr. Donald Spivey, University of Miami.

Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. will be a featured speaker.

In addition there will be music and an exhibit at the Freedom Tower.

For more info go to:

http://www.abrahamlincoln200.org/calendar/miami-town-hall-11-1-09.aspx

Lincoln as Self-Made Man

2009-07-16T14:24:00.000-07:00

Today's discussion was, as ever, wide ranging -- topics touched on included Lincoln stamps; new pennies; questions about the 1860 census; what Stanton said at Lincoln's death == was it Ages or Angels; Lincoln's meeting with Van Buren which was then compared to Clinton meeeting Kennedy; and the film Birth of a Nation! And that was just some of it!

Howard Holzer's interview makes for interesting listening after the discussion:

http://lincoln.loa.org/LiamReaders/self-made.php

Lincoln in Chicago

2009-07-02T14:03:00.000-07:00

Next week I will be in Chicago for a conference. I have been doing a little research on Lincoln in the Windy City --I now plan to see an exhibit at the Chicago History Museum called Lincoln's Treasures. Here is a preview of some of the items in the exhibit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagohistory/sets/72157613566773602/show/

Lincoln spend a great deal of time in Chicago -- The Lincoln Institute has put up a page on Abraham Lincoln and Chicago. It makes for interesting reading.

Mourning Lincoln

2009-07-02T09:43:00.000-07:00

Abraham Lincoln's assassination still resonates with us today. Americans were deeply shaken by his death and the mourning public’s response was overwhelmingly. Lincoln (who had barely been reelected to his second term in 1864) was elevated to martyrdom by the populace.

After the funeral ceremony at the White House, Lincoln's casket lay in state at the Capitol. It was then put on a train and began a journey north and west to Springfield, Illinois for burial. It took over two weeks to for the funeral cortege to cross the country with numerous stops including New York, Buffalo, Indianapolis and Chicago. People lined the tracks to view his passage and sermons and speeches were made at each stop memorializing Lincoln. For more on his funeral cortege see this well done website: THE ROUTE OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S FUNERAL TRAIN.

Lincoln and Florida

2009-06-30T14:51:00.000-07:00

A double post today!

The Florida State Library recently announced that they have put up a new website on the Florida Memory Project (a great resource about Florida) that is entitled “Lincoln Letters” at the State Archives of Florida. Lincoln never visited Florida but Florida played a pivotal role during the role. Fort Pickens on Santa Rosa Island off of Pensacola almost became the site of the first shot of the Civil War. Key West served as a major Union base and Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas was a major Union prison.

The letters and diaries make fascinating reading from a Florida perspective.

American Redeemer

2009-06-30T14:46:00.000-07:00

Our next booklet is Lincoln as the American Redeemer -- poems and all!

To prepare for our discussion please see the following website for the introductory video by Harold Holzer:

http://lincoln.loa.org/LiamReaders/redeemer.php

The Civil War in Four Minutes

2009-06-27T15:55:00.000-07:00

I mentioned this video in our last discussion -- it shows the ebb and flow of the Civil War between the North and South as well as significant battles -- it is fascinating to watch. You really get a sense of the initial division, the early surprises, the long stalemate, the surges the South made into the Union states and then the final few months when the Norths inroads into the South escalated.

http://www.idkwtf.com/videos/latest-videos/the-civil-war-in-four-minutes

Lincoln's funeral on Pennsylvania Ave. (LOC)

2009-06-26T17:58:00.001-07:00

Lincoln's funeral on Pennsylvania Ave. (LOC)
Originally uploaded by The Library of Congress

As we read Lincoln as American Redeemer, think of the impact Lincoln's tragic death had on the nation. Ceremonies, sermons, and processions were held throughout the Union. Here we see the procession in Washington, D.C.

The Emancipation Proclamation

2009-06-25T09:57:00.001-07:00

Today in our reading group we will be discussing the Emancipation Proclamation. Here is an essay based on a talk given by John Hope Franklin at the National Archives, January 4, 1993, on the occasion of the 130th anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. The late John Hope Franklin, was one of America's premier historians:

Prologue: Selected Articles

Shared via AddThis

The Great Emancipator

2009-06-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

I recently had the chance to visit Lincoln's Cottage in Washington D.C. During his presidency Lincoln spent many of his summers at this house , commuting by horse to his office (the White House) each day. The cottage, located on a hill in northeast D.C. was a country retreat from the heat, noise and crowds of wartime Washington. Historians believe it was while staying at the Cottage that Lincoln composed the Emancipation Proclamation. Standing in the rooms of the Cottage one can imagine the time and thought Lincoln gave to the drafting of the Proclamation during the warm, summer nights in this simple house.

The Great Emancipator

2009-06-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

I have been off for the last few days attending a conference and sneaking in visits to birthplaces, homes and burial sites of former presidents. Took in Ash Lawn-Highland, home of James Monroe and Montpelier, home of James Madison. Both were fascinating!

But now back to Lincoln. We will have our next meeting on Thursday June 25 at 2 pm, in room 2046 in the Alvin Sherman Library. We will be reading "Lincoln: Legacy of the Great Emancipator."

To prepare please watch this video by Harold Holzer:
http://lincoln.loa.org/LiamReaders/legacy.php

Lincoln on the Go!

2009-06-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

Don't have time to read books about Abraham Lincoln? Well you can listen to audiobooks instead -- even while stuck on I-95! I've done it and it is a great way to keep up with your reading about Lincoln.

Recently the Alvin Sherman Library purchased a number of audiobook titles about Lincoln. To find them search NovaCat by subject (lincoln) and limit your search to NSU Libraries Media. Most of our audiobooks are now available on CD and are located in the Public Library Services area on the first floor of the Alvin Sherman Library.

My quick search found such titles as:

McPherson, James M. Abraham Lincoln : a presidential life. Prince Frederick, MD : Recorded Books, 2009.
Sherman Library Book on CD BIO LINCOLN

Carwardine, Richard. Lincoln : a life of purpose and power. [S.l.] : Blackstone Audio, 2005.
Sherman Library Book on CD BIO LINCOLN

Simon, James F. Lincoln and Chief Justice Taney : slavery, secession, and the president's war powers. [Old Saybrook, CT] : Tantor Media, 2006.
Sherman Library Book on CD 342.73 SIMON

Kaplan, Fred. Lincoln : the biography of a writer [Grand Haven, Mich.] : Brilliance Audio, 2008.
Sherman Library Book on CD BIO LINCOLN

Miller, William Lee. President Lincoln: the duty of a statesman. [S.l.] : Tantor Audio, 2008.
Sherman Library Book on CD 973.7092 MILLER

Goodwin, Doris Kearns. Team of rivals : [the political genius of Abraham Lincoln]. Prince Frederick, MD : Recorded Books, 2006, [2005]
Sherman Library Book on CD 973.7092 GOODWIN

Lincoln's Contemporaries

2009-06-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

We know what people think about Lincoln today -- but how did they feel about him during his lifetime? One way to find out is to read the letters and diaries from his time -- and you can do that online through one of the Alvin Sherman Library's databases.

We offer free access to Alexander Street Press' database American Civil War: Letters and Diaries to all library users on campus or remotely, be they NSU students, faculty or staff or the public. This database contains detailed, firsthand descriptions of historical characters and events, glimpses of daily life in the army, anecdotes about key events and personages, accounts of sufferings at home, a battles database, and more in a 100,000-page collection. The materials are indexed with dozens of search fields, and there are 4,000 pages of previously unpublished manuscript images.

Want to try it? Just log into our databases with your public card or NSU ID number at: http://www.nova.edu/library/eleclib/databases.html.

If you do not have our public card and you live, work or go to school in Broward County sign up at:

http://novacat.nova.edu/screens/selfregpick.html

Murder Premeditated

2009-06-12T16:28:00.000-07:00

During our meeting yesterday it was mentioned that the Smithsonian Museum had a tour of the Washington area that covers John Wilkes Booth escape route after his assassination of Lincoln. I did a check and yes there is a tour! http://www.gosmithsonian.com/lincoln/lincoln-at-200-events.html If you are planning a trip to Washington, D.C. check it out.

I would love to take this tour, This past spring the Alvin Sherman Library had on display Murder Premeditated: John Wilkes Booth and the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. This was a display from the Stanley Kimmel Collection at the Macdonald-Kelce Library, University of Tampa. Kimmel is the author of The Mad Booths of Maryand. The book, first published in 1940 and revised and reprinted in 1970 is a biography of the Booth family including John. In the 1930's Kimmel was the first to retrace and document Booth's escape route. Many of the landmarks from that event were still standing at that time.

The Alvin Sherman Library unfortunately does not own a copy of Kimmel's book but if you are interested in reading other, more recent works about Booth's assassination of Lincoln you will find the following books in our collection:

Kauffman, Michael W. American Brutus : John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln conspiracies. New York : Random House, c2004.
Sherman Library E457.5 .K38 2004

Pitch, Anthony. They have killed Papa dead! : the road to Ford's Theatre, Abraham Lincoln's murder, and the rage for vengeance. Hanover, N.H. : Steerforth Press, c2008.
Sherman Library E457.5 .P58 2008

wanson, James L. Manhunt : the twelve-day chase for Lincoln's killer. New York : William Morrow, c2006.
Sherman Library E457.5 .S993 2006

There is also an excellent DVD from National Geographic: The hunt for Lincoln's assassin. Find it at Sherman Library Popular Non-Fiction DVD 1st Floor DVD 973.70 HUNT.

Our first meeting

2009-06-11T14:13:00.000-07:00

We had a great discussion today at our first meeting. So many things tie into Lincoln as a "Literary Genius." We used some the questions in the reader but also went off on other threads. Everyone participated with excellent insights and opinions. Topics touched upon including charisma, President Obama, the training of lawyers, and Lincoln as a poet.

Many of the excerpts in the reader mentioned books that Lincoln read and most influenced him -- here is a list of some of them with their locations in the Alvin Sherman Library:

What Lincoln Read:
Holy Bible : Authorized King James Version : new Scofield study system with introductions, annotations, and subject chain references / editor, C.I. Scofield. New York: Oxford University Press, c1998.
Sherman Library BS185 1998 .N48 1998b

Shakespeare, William. The complete works of Shakespeare / edited by David Bevington. Edition 6th ed. New York : Pearson/Longman, 2008.
Sherman Library PR2755 .B4 2008

Bunyan, John. Pilgrim's progress; with a critical and biographical profile of the author by Ola Elizabeth Winslow. Danbury, Connecticut : Grolier Enterprises Corp. [1978?]
Sherman Library PR3330.A2 W5

Aesop's fables / translated with an introduction and notes by Laura Gibbs. Publisher Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2002.
Sherman Library PA3855.E5 G533 2002

Euclid. Euclid's Elements : all thirteen books complete in one volume / the Thomas L. Heath translation ; Dana Densmore, editor. Edition 2nd ed. with minor revisions. Publisher Santa Fe, N.M. : Green Lion Press, 2003. Sherman Library QA31 .E875 2003

If you would like to read more of what Lincoln wrote see:

Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/alhtml/malhome.html

Finally if you are interested in reading more about Lincoln as a writer check out this book:

Kaplan, Fred. Lincoln : the biography of a writer. New York : HarperCollins Publishers, 2008. Sherman Library E457.2 .K357 2008

Professor Kaplan was a speaker at the Broward County Libraries Foundation Lit Live program held at the Alvin Sherman Library in March of this year.

Quotes from Lincoln

2009-06-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

Lincoln's words still resonate with many people today -- to learn some of his more popular ones see the widget down below.

Rededication of the Lincoln Memorial

2009-06-09T13:58:00.000-07:00

On Saturday May 30, 2009 the Lincoln Memorial was rededicated in a program organized by the U.S. Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and the National Park Service. I was fortunate to attend and was able to watch the whole event. It was a beautiful day in Washington, D.C. and a wonderful program!

Speakers included Harold Holzer (we mentioned him yesterday on this blog). Dr. Benjamin F. Payton, President, Tuskegee University, gave the principle address. Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior, spoke as well. Musical interludes were provided by the United States Marine Band.

To watch it yourself follow this link to C-SPAN:
http://www.c-span.org/Watch/Media/2009/05/30/HP/A/19169/Lincoln+Memorial+Rededication.aspx

I am sitting halfway back on the left side on the aisle!

2009-06-08T08:55:00.000-07:00

Want to learn more in preparation for our discussion about Lincoln as Literary Genius?

Watch this video featuring Harold Holzer, co-chairman of the U.S. Lincoln Bicentennial Commission discussing Lincoln as a writer:

http://lincoln.loa.org/LiamReaders/genius.php

Welcome!

2009-06-07T15:37:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to have so many Lincoln enthusiasts who want to read along with me about Abraham Lincoln. We will be reading excerpts of essays, speeches, poems, plays, fiction and nonfiction about Abraham Lincoln, his life, his achievements, and his legacy. We are part of the Alvin Sherman Library's 2009 Summer Adult Reading Program, Master the Art of Reading.

This program is presented with the support of the LINCOLN IN AMERICAN MEMORY Project, a nationwide initiative to mark the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln presented by The Library of America and made possible with the generous assistance of the National Endowment for the Humanities “We The People” Campaign.

The Library of America has provided five readers on the life and writings of Abraham Lincoln.

This week we will be meeting to discuss the first reader in the Lincoln in American Memory project: Lincoln as Literary Genius. Our discussion group will meet Thursday, June 11 at 2 pm n room 2046 in the Alvin Sherman Library

Lincoln as Literary Genius includes excerpts by Harriett Beecher Stowe, William Herndon, Jacques Barzun, Marianne Moore, Edmund Wilson and John Dos Passos. Two of these contributors actually knew or had met Lincoln. Do you know which ones? Our reader tells us!