In Part 1, I noted that I was interviewed for the summer 2022 issue of The Lincolnian, the newsletter of the Lincoln Group of DC. This is Part 2. The focus was on my new book, Lincoln: The Fire of Genius. The interviewer was Wendy Swanson, editor of The Lincolnian. If you haven’t already, read Part 1 here.
What similarities does this book have with your prior work, Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America? And what are the differences? Did you focus on the same traits/characteristics of Lincoln here as in your previous Lincoln book or did you approach Lincoln a bit differently or see a different aspect of Lincoln the man?
The Man Who Saved America was a general biography written for general audiences, with a graphics-oriented design to bring Lincoln’s life to a broad swath of Americans. The Fire of Genius focuses on bringing one aspect – the thread of science and technology through his life – to people who know Lincoln’s basic story already. Readers will see how much this thread helped drive Lincoln’s ambitions and place the nation on a path to modernity.
Does the book share similarities with your books on scientists/innovators (Tesla, Einstein)? How did you approach this one differently?
All my books are easy to read. Many Lincoln books are overly academic and don’t get wide readership. Like Lincoln, my goal is to make the science – and the history – accessible to the public. The book is full of deep scholarship for sure, but I present it such that people can get the most out of it without feeling like they are studying for the SAT exam.
Your first Lincoln book contained many images – will this book also?
No. The previous books were designed to appeal to those who might otherwise avoid reading biographies, including younger people drawn to rapid-fire visual cues. The text in The Fire of Genius does all the work – but it isn’t a chore to read. I use stories and anecdotes to bring the concepts to life. People will learn about science and history, but they won’t get bogged down in it.
Will you be signing copies at the September program? At any other Lincoln related functions? Where else can we get the book? Who is the publisher?
I will have books on hand for me to personally inscribe. In addition to the September LGDC program I’ll be giving a talk at the Cosmos Club later that week. The LGDC talk will cover Lincoln’s scientific growth broadly while at the Cosmos I’ll focus more deeply on the Civil War aspects. I’ll be giving a third talk at the Arts Club focused on how art and technology blend together in Lincoln’s life. That means three completely different talks! For those who follow the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop, I’ll be doing a virtual book signing with Daniel Weinberg on the release date of September 1st. The book will be available everywhere – Barnes and Noble, Amazon, independent bookstores, libraries, even Walmart. It will also be available at the Lincoln Forum bookshop in November. The publisher is Lyons Press, the trade imprint of Rowman & Littlefield.
Tell us a bit about your own background – and how your history interests, particularly that pertaining to Lincoln, and your scientific background intertwine. What was the fire that first ignited your interest in Lincoln? How did it take hold and grow?
My hometown billed itself as “The Birthplace of American Independence.” It was also a seacoast town where most people owned small boats and large clam rakes. So, science and history were always intertwined for me. While the science (and Jacques Cousteau) drew me into marine biology, then ecotoxicology, then regulatory consulting for my paying career, the history was always there in the background. Carl Sandburg and Jim Bishop got me hooked on Lincoln early while most in my town were focused on the Revolutionary War. I saw in Lincoln the same theme of honesty, integrity, and hard work that I was learning from my parents. I wanted to understand him more. One day about ten years ago I decided to flip the script and move the study of Lincoln to the front and do the science on the side. By that time, I had collected a thousand Lincoln books (that number is now about 1600). Given our recent history, the importance of Lincoln to today’s world can’t be overestimated.
We know you search out Lincoln sites/images when you travel. Any recent sightings? What sites are still on your bucket list? Which are your favorite sites – and what did they tell you about Lincoln? Any unexpected Lincolns?
I stopped a night in Hartford, CT in early June to check out a dozen new Lincoln-inspired statues along a riverfront park. I’ll be doing another road trip in August to visit other Lincoln-related New England sites. Probably next year I’ll road trip to see Lincoln statues in the central US.
The Lincoln Group just participated in a once-in-a-lifetime program on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Your thoughts on that effort? And your thoughts on reviewing the video after the fact.
Because I emceed, I didn’t get the full effect of the program until I watched the stellar C-SPAN video weeks later. The Lincoln Group of DC should feel immensely proud of the program we put together. As one person put it, “it was a sacred effort.”
Are you pleased with the message that program sent to attendees and viewers?
I’m happy that the program was both entertaining and of high substance. Rather than a simple paean to a great man and building, the speakers challenged the public to take responsibility for today’s continuing need to finish the nation’s unfinished business. Lincoln can guide us along that path. I think we did a public service as well as a re-dedication of the greater meaning of the Memorial has grown to encompass.
I’ll have the final bit of the interview in Part 3 to be posted shortly. Here’s Part 1 in case you missed it. The Lincolnian is the official quarterly newsletter of the Lincoln Group of DC. Lincolnian.org is the group’s website, so check it out. Membership is open to everyone who has an interest in Abraham Lincoln.
P.S. I was also interviewed by The Lincolnian in 2017 when my earlier book was released. You can read more about that book, Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Part 1 and Part 2.
[Photo courtesy of Rod Ross]
Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America was released on September 1, 2022.
The book is available for purchase at all bookseller outlets. Limited signed copies are available via this website. The book also listed on Goodreads, the database where I keep track of my reading. Click on the “Want to Read” button to put it on your reading list. Please leave a review if you like the book.
You also follow my author page on Facebook.
David J. Kent is President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America and Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America.
His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.
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