As I follow Abraham Lincoln’s life and work on my novel, there is one idea that keeps appearing again and again in his early thinking: the fear that civilization itself could begin to unravel. Lincoln lived during a period of growing instability in the United States. Mob violence, political anger, and deepening sectional divisions wereContinue reading “Why Abraham Lincoln Feared the Breakdown of Civilization”
Category Archives: historical writing
What Mob Violence Taught Abraham Lincoln
Long before Abraham Lincoln became president, he was already living in a country increasingly shaped by mob violence. The murders of Francies McIntosh in St. louis and Elijah P. Lovejoy in Alton, Illinois were familiar to him. They unfolded within the world in which he lived, traveled, and practiced law. What Lincoln understood was thatContinue reading “What Mob Violence Taught Abraham Lincoln”
How Lovejoy Shaped Lincoln’s First Major Speech
In working on Abraham Lincoln and the beginnings of his public life, I have studied his first major address, the Lyceum Address. Lincoln never met Elijah P. Lovejoy, but the events surrounding his death were very much in the news at the time, and they form part of the background to that speech. Lovejoy’s murderContinue reading “How Lovejoy Shaped Lincoln’s First Major Speech”
The Personal Losses and Uncertain Origins Lincoln Carried
In thinking about Abraham Lincoln, it is easy to focus on the public figure–the president, the decisions, and the place he holds in history. But the more I study, the more I am drawn to the personal side of his life–the parts that are less certain, and often more difficult to gauge. Lincoln experienced theContinue reading “The Personal Losses and Uncertain Origins Lincoln Carried”
What the Titanic Reveals About Human Behavior in Crisis
During my recent trip, I visited an immersive Titanic experience, something I had not done before. That alone made it feel like a new kind of encounter with history. I’ve seen the film Titanic and other programs about the disaster, but this experience brought different aspects to life. There were exhibits showing the separation betweenContinue reading “What the Titanic Reveals About Human Behavior in Crisis”
Visiting Edgar Allan Poe’s House and What it Reveals About His Life
I’ve just returned from a trip to Baltimore, where I had the chance to visit the home and grave of Edgar Allan Poe. Both the house and grave impressed me. The house was so small, sad and desperate. Standing inside, it was impossible not to feel how confined life must have been there. The twoContinue reading “Visiting Edgar Allan Poe’s House and What it Reveals About His Life”
Writing a Lincoln Historical Mystery Series Based on Real Events
This week I began thinking about what lies beyond the current book. I’m revising the current book, so it is actually all written. I want to be able to start my next book immediately when this one is being published. For a number of years, I had planned to make this a series, but IContinue reading “Writing a Lincoln Historical Mystery Series Based on Real Events”
Elijah Lovejoy Standing Against the Mob, the Cost of Speaking Out
As I’m revising Chapter 9 of my Lincoln novel, I’m emersed in the life of Elijah Lovejoy and the position he occupies in the story at this point. The danger surrounding him is no longer uncertain. Those who oppose him are gathering openly and speaking of what they intend to do. There is no realContinue reading “Elijah Lovejoy Standing Against the Mob, the Cost of Speaking Out”
Owen Lovejoy and the Underground Railroad
Owen Lovejoy plays a significant role in my Lincoln novel. He appears in several scenes, but in the chapters I’ve been working on recently, he becomes more intimately involved in what is happening. While tensions rise and the trheat to his brother grows more intense, Owen moves among those gathering against them, watching, listening, spying.Continue reading “Owen Lovejoy and the Underground Railroad”
Writing Historical Fiction When Voices Are Not Recorded
This week I’ve begun revising Chapter 9 of my Lincoln novel, where the tension continues to escalate and the danger surrounding Lovejoy becomes more direct. As the threats gather and those around him begin to organize for defense, I realized that something important was still missing from the chapter. I need to write a sceneContinue reading “Writing Historical Fiction When Voices Are Not Recorded”
The View From The Imaginarium 