Lincoln Mania

All the rage is about Lincoln this year (and a little about Darwin), the 200th anniversary of his birth. I've hopped on that bandwagon.



Last week I saw a play called "The Heavens are Hung in Black" at Ford's theater, where Lincoln was assassinated. The play covered five months of Lincoln's life, from the death of Lincoln’s son Willie to the Emancipation Proclamation. Over the next week additional Lincoln adventures really solidified what I learned in the play. Lincoln's humor, love for his children, the relationship with his wife, how he avoided the Marshal's personal security, how he placed papers in his hat, and on and on.





The weekend after seeing the play, I visited Lincoln's cottage. The webpage describes the cottage as a place "Designated a National Monument by President Clinton in 2000, President Lincoln’s Cottage served as Lincoln’s family residence for a quarter of his presidency and is the most significant historic site directly associated with Lincoln’s presidency aside from the White House. President Lincoln’s Cottage is located on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home in northwest Washington, D.C." The grounds also hold the nation's first national cemetary, home to over 5,000 Civil War Union soldiers' final resting place. Today, this acreage is in Petworth, a developing neighborhood. The location is still beautiful, overlooking the city and allowing for cool breezes in the summer.


Today this Lincoln article discussed a photo that may be the last known Lincoln photo before his assassination.

Tonight I saw The Watchmen. It's altogether unrelated to Lincoln. But it is the greatest graphic novel of all time. I recommend the book over the graphic movie. First, thought you may want to know my reading selection has branched out. Second, a woman sitting a few rows in front of me brought her own spray butter and sprayed what seemed like the whole bottle on her tub-o-popcorn. That's a new experience. Lastly, the movie referenced Eleanor Clift, who strangely enought moderated the women in politics panel I attended last week. Small world.


My reading selection has also incorporated the Lincoln obsession. Along with most of America, I'm reading Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin. So far, so good.

Finally, I celebrate Lincoln in my home. On my bedroom wall I have a Lincoln framed picture with a Lincoln quote: "I trust that as He shall further open the way, I will be ready to walk therein, relying on His help and trusting in His goodness and wisdom."