Winthrop Gilman had good reasons to stay out of Elijah Lovejoy’s troubles. He was a successful businessman in Alton. He was married, and his infant son was only a few months old. Gilman and his wife, Abia, had already suffered the death of their first child. He had a family to protect. He also hadContinue reading “The Young Father Who Risked His Warehouse for Freedom of the Press”
Tag Archives: writing
When Abraham Lincoln Couldn’t Afford a Bed to Sleep in
Imagine arriving in a new city to begin your career with everything you own packed into your saddlebags. You’re twenty-eight old. You’ve managed to become a lawyer despite having almost no formal education. You’re ambitious. You believe you might be capable of something more. There’s just one problem. You can’t afford a bed…or a room.Continue reading “When Abraham Lincoln Couldn’t Afford a Bed to Sleep in”
The Woman Who Risked Her Life to Save Elijah Lovejoy from a Mob
Imagine several angry men trying to drag your husband out of the house and into the street. You don’t know what they intend to do once they get him outside, but they have threatened before to kill him. You only know that you cannot let them take him. So you wrap yourself around him andContinue reading “The Woman Who Risked Her Life to Save Elijah Lovejoy from a Mob”
Why Was Elijah Lovejoy’s Press So Dangerous in Abraham Lincoln’s America
Today, we are surrounded by information. Newspapers, television, websites, podcasts, and social media compete constantly for our attention. If we disagree with one voice, there are hundreds of others waiting for us. The world Abrham Lincoln knew was very different. In the 1830s, a newspaper editor could wield enormous influence in his community. His newspaperContinue reading “Why Was Elijah Lovejoy’s Press So Dangerous in Abraham Lincoln’s America”
Why Did I Make Abraham Lincoln a Dectective
Abraham Lincoln was many things during his lifetime–lawyer, politician, congressman, president. But detective? Not exactly. So why did I decide to put a young Abraham Lincoln at the center of a historical mystery? When Lincoln Seeks Justice for Elijah Lovejoy begins, Lincoln is still decades away from becoming the president we all recognize. He’s aContinue reading “Why Did I Make Abraham Lincoln a Dectective”
Bringing Abraham Lincoln’s World to Life: When History Isn’t Enough
Have you ever wondered why some history stays with you while other history is quickly forgotten? When I began researching Lincoln Seeks Justice for Elijah Lovejoy, I immersed myself in newspapers, speeches, letters, memoirs, and court records. The facts were fascinating, but something was missing. I discovered that history alone doesn’t always help us understandContinue reading “Bringing Abraham Lincoln’s World to Life: When History Isn’t Enough”
How Much of a Historical Novel Is Real?
One of the questions I am asked most often is, “How much of your novel is true?” The answer isn’t as simple as you might think. Every historical novel is different. Some authors use history simply as a backdrop for an entirely fictional story. Others stay very close to the historical record. Neither approach isContinue reading “How Much of a Historical Novel Is Real?”
How Do You Bring a Historical Character to Life
I spend months–and sometimes years–collecting pieces of a person’s life. Newspaper articles. Letters. Court records. Speeches. memoirs. Census records. Even advertisements and legal notices can reveal something about a person’s character. One source rarely tells the whole story. A newspaper might describe a dramatic event. A court record may reveal what actually happened. A letterContinue reading “How Do You Bring a Historical Character to Life”
Meet One of the Most Powerful Men in Lincoln’s Illinois
When we think about Abraham Lincoln’s early career, we often picture him surrounded by thoughtful lawyers debating great questions of law and politics. The reality was far more complicated. One of the most influential men in Illinois during Lincoln’s first years as a lawyer was Usher F. Linder, the state’s Attorney General from 1837-1839. LincolnContinue reading “Meet One of the Most Powerful Men in Lincoln’s Illinois”
Why Was Everyone Talking About Alton?
To those of you who have been exploring Lincoln’s world with me, welcome back. As I wrote Lincoln Seeks Justice for Elijah Lovejoy, I thought about a question that would have seemed perfectly natural in Illinois during the autumn of 1837: Why was everyone talking about Alton? Today, Alton is a quiet river town onContinue reading “Why Was Everyone Talking About Alton?”
The View From The Imaginarium 