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E-book Now Available – Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time

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Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its TimeAs promised, my new e-book, Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time, is now here. And for a limited time only, you can download yours at Amazon.com.

To thank all of those people who have supported my first Tesla book, supporters who view this web page or “Like” my Facebook Author’s Page will find a link to download the book from Amazon.com at the price of only $0.99. Feel free to share this link with Tesla fans everywhere.

I do ask one favor in return for the download – Please leave me an honest review on Amazon.com and on Goodreads.com. Doing so helps spread the word about Tesla to as many people as possible.

Tesla: The Wizard of ElectricityAnd that is just the beginning. My first book, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity is back in Barnes and Noble stores this summer, just in time for Back to School purchase. Order online at BN.com, stop by your local BN bookstore, or order a signed copy directly from me. Many Tesla fans are buying extra copies to donate to their local public and school libraries. Like last time, the books are flying off the shelves so get them while they are available.

Want more? You got it. A fellow Tesla fan is offering a chance to win one of three free, signed, copies of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. Check out his Facebook page.

This is an exciting time for Nikola Tesla. After being ignored for many decades, his contributions to the modern world are once again being recognized. With the phenomenal help of Matthew Inman (The Oatmeal) and the tireless work of Nikola Lonchar (Tesla Science Foundation) and Jane Alcorn (Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe), Tesla’s last laboratory at Wardenclyffe is now in the process of becoming a world-class science museum. [BTW, Tesla Motors’ Elon Musk had committed $1 million towards the restoration. Have you bought your brick for Nik yet?]

And there is more to come.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His next book, Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, is scheduled for release in summer 2017.

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Abraham Lincoln Book Club of Washington DC

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The Abraham Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia has a book club. And this past weekend we finished reading Herndon’s Lincoln, the book that we’ve been discussing for the last nine months. In my earlier review I noted that this particular edition of the book was greatly enhanced by the incredible editorial annotation by Douglas L. Wilson and Rodney O. Davis. Even more invaluable was the input from the book members themselves.

I should emphasize that our Lincoln Group book club includes several historians, archivists, researchers, and all-around Abraham Lincoln scholars. We also had people who had little previous knowledge of Lincoln. Each of us brought our own preconceptions, backgrounds, and opinions, which when informed further by the personal insights of Herndon and others who knew Lincoln, made for lively and sometimes surprising discussions. Arising from the three-quarter-year analysis was a much deeper understanding of both the book and Abraham Lincoln. I think everyone in the group would agree that it was a worthwhile and special experience.

LGDC book discussion group

This last session was special in another sense as well. Because of a last minute scheduling conflict we were not able to use the room that has been our home base for the last nine months. Normally we meet on the 5th floor of the Ford’s Theatre Center for Education and Leadership, across the street from the famous site of Lincoln’s assassination and next to the Petersen House, where Lincoln died.

Our backup plan was Ford’s Theatre itself, or more accurately, the conference room on the top floor of Ford’s Theatre. Bypassing the lines queued up for the matinee of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, we found the entrance to an elegant conference room tucked into the rafters of the theater. Here is the view from the top as the audience filed in for the performance.

Ford's Theatre from the rafters

George Healey’s famous painting of Abraham Lincoln loomed over our group as we discussed the final chapters. Imagine sitting in a room discussing the motivations of the man gazing in thoughtful contemplation over your left shoulder. No, we weren’t intimidated. Much.

LGDC book club

Abe did photobomb the apparently requisite selfie at such grandiose events. Left to right are John Elliff, Richard Margolies (our esteemed discussion leader), Abe, Me, and Rodney Ross.

Selfie

While a bit of Lincolnesque melancholy was felt with the ending of this past year’s discussion, a new birth of excitement was in the air because we had chosen the next book for discussion – The Inner World of Abraham Lincoln by noted Lincoln scholar, Michael Burlingame. Even more exciting is that, thanks to Rod Ross, Michael Burlingame has agreed to speak to our discussion group on November 1st. Check out the LGDC site for more details as they emerge.

For those in the Washington DC area with an interest in Abraham Lincoln, please consider our Lincoln Group book club. You don’t have to be a Lincoln expert to join; you just have to read the book. It doesn’t get much easier than that. And the rewards?

Priceless!

David J. Kent is an avid Lincolnophile and the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com, and find hard copies at Barnes and Noble bookstores, as well as online at B&N.com and Amazon.com.

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Preview of Tennessee Road Trip

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I’m currently in the middle of a road trip sandwich. Off to the big apple today (perhaps a pastrami on rye at Katz’s Deli) and not long returned from a trip down the road to Tennessee and environs (where I had pulled pork on a bun). I’ll come back with some details and more photos later, but for now here’s a quick preview of the Tennessee road trip that included two National Parks, two Aquariums, two sets of caves, two days at SETAC, and too many times in and out of Tennessee.

Conceptually, the trip was planned as a multi-day drive down through the Shenandoah’s, the Blue Ridge, and into the Great Smoky Mountains. The first part started off with good weather, but by the time we reached the Blue Ridge Parkway the meaning of “Great Smoky” came clearly into view. By which I mean to say that there was no “clearly”…and no “view.”

Backing up a bit we first stopped at the Natural Bridge just north of Roanoke, Virginia. The Bridge is a rather cool natural rock archway that most people drive over without ever noticing the valley below. Since this is a preview I’ll give you the long view for now. In a later post I’ll revisit to talk about the surveyor – some guy named George Washington – leaving his initials in the rock face.

Natural Bridge Long View

As I mentioned, the Smoky Mountains gave us a good example of why they are called the Great Smoky Mountains. I did get a chance to hike the Appalachian Trail for the third or fourth time. Granted it was a very small part of the Trail, but the Trail nonetheless.

Appalachian Trail Great Smoky Mountains

A night in Gatlinburg proved more interesting than expected. The fact that there is an aquarium in the mountains of Tennessee is odd enough, but the fact that it was a Ripley’s aquarium gives a hint of what you can expect in the town. The aquarium turned out to be wonderful, but it looked like Ripley’s (of Believe it or Not! fame) had turned the main street into a bizarre entertainment strip. We’ll come back to that later.

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies - Gatlinburg TN

Let’s see, Tennessee borders on Kentucky, right? So the natural next step was to drive all the way through the state to Cave City, KY for the world famous Mammoth Caves. At 390 miles of tunnels (and still counting), Mammoth is the longest cave system in the world.

Mammoth Caves network of tunnels

Back to Tennessee. After all, the impetus for the trip was to attend the annual SETAC meeting in Nashville. I spent most of the three days there chatting with other attendees; even sold nearly a dozen books. Alas, that time went fast and we were off to Huntsville, Alabama, home to a large Apollo-era space center.

Saturn V rocket - Huntsville AL

Seeing a Saturn V rocket next to the highway brought me back to the old days when I kept a scrapbook of the Apollo missions. But even more thought-provoking is the realization that the rocket is 363 feet tall, 33 feet in diameter, and has 3 stages – all numbers divisible by 3. Nikola Tesla would have loved it!

Back to Tennessee. And yes, about this time we saw yet another sign welcoming us back to the Volunteer state as the road trip took us from VA to TN to NC to TN to KY to TN to AL to TN to VA. Since I had been in Memphis years ago I think I now have Tennessee fully covered. In any case, this leg took us to Chattanooga for, you guessed it, yet another major aquarium. But here we also did some Civil War-era sightseeing. First, up the cliffs to the top of Lookout Mountain, center of a famous Civil War battle.

Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga TN

Then back down about half way to Ruby Falls, a 145-foot tall waterfall that is completely underground. Not only do you take an elevator down nearly 300 feet, but as you walk the half mile through the caves the mountain rises above you so that the Falls are nearly 1200 feet below the surface. For now, here’s the above-ground to whet your appetite.

Ruby Falls, Chattanooga TN

That’s enough for now. I’ll do future posts on the major stops and include some of the amazing photos. You won’t want to miss the Ruby Falls photo! [Or the interesting solar power angle]

Hey, is that Ashanti at the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting? Cool.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com, and find hard copies exclusively at Barnes and Noble bookstores.

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Reviews are in for Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity

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Tesla: The Wizard of ElectricityTesla: The Wizard of Electricity is finally in Barnes and Noble stores this week (I saw actual books on the shelves!). Books are also being shipped out to those who ordered through barnesandnoble.com or directly from me (for signed copies). And now reviews of the book are beginning to be posted.

A few highlights taken from reviews at Goodreads:

From Chuck Larlham (Author of The Old Man and Me: Extraordinary Stories of an Ordinary Childhood Post WWII, a memoir to be released September 19th under the name R.C. Larlham):

“I enjoyed this biography of Nikola Tesla immensely.”

“In this book, David Kent takes an easy reading style of writing to the mysteries that were Nikola Tesla, making for a truly fascinating read. In the process he humanizes the man who many of his own day, and in his own profession, dismissed as beyond eccentric, but a man who was also capable of astoundingly original inventive genius.”

“I enjoyed the book no end, and I really had no interest in Tesla until I read it. But I found it (and him) fascinating.” (via private message)

From Esa Ruoho (http://www.lackluster.org/):

“Oodles and oodles of images. Quite a decent compilation / reorganisational effort by the author…”

“Beautiful and attractive design, quick to read, good biography to start with…Nice selection of quotes from Tesla’s articles, footnotes-galore…”

“Some of the chapters detailing Tesla as a pop-culture phenomenon were quite informative, and it is good to see that the cult of Tesla (the conspiracy theories, Tesla as a venusian ET alien) were discussed head-on and without flinching.”

From Ru Sun, PhD, Statistician

“A great book!”

“This book does a wonderful job of introducing this eccentric genius to the general public – his upbringing and talents, his ideas and inventions, his unique and weird personality, his life from start to finish.”

“I can say without hesitation that Nikola Tesla, brought alive by this book, will inspire followers from all over the world for many years to come.”

Look back at other snippets from reviews. So far the reviews have been very positive. If you’ve read the book, please take a few minutes to write your thoughts at barnesandnoble.com, Goodreads, and anywhere else you post book reviews.

Feel free to spread the word. Thank you all for your support and happy reading!

Order Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity now, exclusively at BarnesandNoble.com, and either as hardcover or Nook ebook.

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Tesla Books are Shipping!

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Click here to buy a signed copy of the bookI received word from my editor yesterday that hard copies of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity are finally being shipped. The short delay with arrival at the warehouse has been resolved and I’ll be receiving my books soon. Better yet, the books are being shipped directly to those who pre-ordered them at barnesandnoble.com. Still better yet, people have already been receiving them. One person even read the entire book the day it arrived!

Initial feedback from first-readers:

“Very easy to read and a great story.”

“Just finished. Loved the book. I love the format too -illustrations etc. definitely an interesting character.”

“The well written fluid text combined with various photos and illustrations are very effective in bringing Tesla the person to life. I hardly knew anything about him when I started, and felt I really knew this fascinating person when I finished.”

Be sure to write a review and post it on the Barnes and Noble website, on Goodreads, on Facebook, and wherever else you share your ideas. Here are other ways you can spread the word.

I’ll have more soon, plus some highlights of the Tesla Days held in Philadelphia.

By the way – Happy Birthday, Nikola Tesla! This happens only once a year. You can buy Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity on Tesla’s birthday. 🙂

Order Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity now, exclusively at BarnesandNoble.com, and either as hardcover or Nook ebook.

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A review of TESLA, the off-Broadway play

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Tesla official posterA rainy evening in the East Village welcomed the opening night of the new off-Broadway play, TESLA. All that was missing were bolts of lightning, which would have been appropriate given that Nikola Tesla was born at midnight during a thunder storm. Inside the theater the electricity was as vibrant as the topic of the show. Not a seat was to be found in the packed theater – not even standing room was left available. They were not to be disappointed.

For much of the play there are actually two Nikola Teslas onstage. Jack Dimich plays the older Tesla living out the end of his life in the Hotel New Yorker, ruminating over his inability to offer a particle beam to stop Hitler’s assaults on Yugoslavia. As Tesla chats with bellhop Luka (played by Luka Mijatovic), whom he has enlisted to feed his pigeons, he is joined by his younger self, who relives the glory days of invention. Young Tesla, played enthusiastically by James Lee Taylor, stars throughout as he meets his idol (and then rival) Thomas Edison, cavorts with Mark Twain, sees his dreams come true with the backing of George Westinghouse, and then sees those dreams dashed by J.P. Morgan.

TESLA cast

TESLA cast (Photo by Sam Mason, Tesla Science Foundation)

Alessandro Colla gives spirited performances both as Westinghouse and Twain. Adam Pagdon brings to life J.P. Morgan in a way that makes you both respect and despise the man who financed, then rejected, Tesla’s Wardenclyffe plans. Tom Cappadona is simply stellar as Thomas Edison, the self-made businessman whose investment in direct current leads him to encourage the electrocution of puppies and people to show the dangers of Tesla’s alternating current. Samantha Slater does double duty playing Katherine Johnson, the wife of Tesla’s friend and supporter Robert Underwood Johnson, as well as Mary, Edison’s enthusiastically social-climbing wife.

Despite the seriousness of the storyline, writer Sheri Graubert has expertly woven comic relief into the play. The most appreciated example is the recurring interludes by Guglielmo Marconi, “inventor of the raaadio.” Played magnificently by Jeff Solomon, you could hear the sound of the audience rising to a smile each time Marconi struts onto the stage. His performance was truly a gem. With her ability to switch back and forth between levity and gravity, Graubert has written an excellent play, well played.

Any review of TESLA would be remiss without acknowledging the superb direction of Sanja Bestic. Balancing two Teslas and host of other actors onstage, along with periodic video shots (by Maria Riboli) to set up and emphasize key characters and concepts, could not have been an easy task. Yet Bestic deftly turns the world of the enigmatic inventor into something we can all understand and appreciate.

Overall I was tremendously impressed with the quality of the acting, writing, and direction. The sold out opening night, including the pack of press passes sitting directly in front of me, rose organically and enthusiastically to give the bowing cast a standing ovation. It was well deserved.

TESLA ran through June 8th, 2013 at Theatre 80, St. Mark’s Place, New York. The run was sold out to standing only crowds. It was worth it.

David J. Kent is the author Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World, plus two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His latest book is Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. 

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

[Daily Post]

 

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Tesla book edits are in!

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Nikola TeslaAll angst aside, it was worth the wait.

I mentioned earlier this week that my editor for Tesla: Wizard of Electricity promised to send me his edits on the manuscript I submitted in early September. I received them last night.

Keep in mind that for the last three weeks I have had no feedback about whether he felt the manuscript was good, bad, or circular file worthy. So natural paranoia battled natural confidence battled natural dispassionate analytical logic for which persona could create the most melodramatic interpretive scenario of the likely verdict. Yeah, I was biting my nails. And when the email finally came it was extremely flattering.

My gasp of relief was audible for miles.

Having passed this milestone the next step is to review all of the edits from my editor and the copyeditor at Sterling Publishing. Based on my first scan the edits appear to be a combination of tightening some of the sentences, queries for clarification, and suggestions regarding a few lines that impact backlisting potential. I will start digging deeper into them this weekend. My responses are due back by the end of next week.

Meanwhile over the last few weeks I have had the pleasure of meeting some great Nikola Tesla fans and researchers. My Facebook author’s page “Likes” have jumped up to 39, which isn’t in Lady Gaga territory (yet) but is a wonderful start to building my connections.

Now, on to the edits!

More information on my book Tesla: Wizard of Electricity can be found on my Tesla page. Don’t forget to subscribe to the posts by email on the home page.  And feel free to “Like” my Facebook author’s page and connect on LinkedIn.  Share with your friends with the buttons below.

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Nikola Tesla book update – edits expected this week

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Nikola TeslaNikola Tesla is in the house. Okay, maybe not quite in the house yet. Well, unless you count the AC outlets given that it was his inventions that allowed alternating current to beat out Thomas Edison’s direct current systems. But I digress.

I mentioned before that on September 10th I sent the manuscript for Nikola Tesla: Scientific Rock Star to my editor at Sterling Publishing. Since then I have been waiting for some feedback, knowing that publishers and editors are very busy people and the manuscript would take a while to review. Still, every day that passed is a week for an author waiting to find out if the manuscript he slaved over for months, often without food or sleep, would be deemed acceptable. Okay, I made up the part about going without food or sleep, but you get the idea. Nail-biting time.

Monday I heard from my editor. The bottom line is that he is “working on edits to the mss” (publisher-speak for “manuscripts,” though in retrospect I only sent him one ms). He expects to deliver the edits to me later this week. He also thanked me for sending him a few dozen photos to use in the book.

All of which I am taking as good news. After all, if he is editing it then it must mean it was at least not so bad as to immediately toss in the trash. And yes, I am choosing to put the best face on this as I can. Easier on the psyche that way. I will find out for sure when the edits arrive.

Wish me luck.

P.S. There is also news about the marketing and the book cover…and something called a “silent auction.” More on that shortly.

More information on my book “Nikola Tesla: Scientific Rock Star” can be found on my Tesla page. Don’t forget to subscribe to the posts by email on the home page.  And feel free to “Like” my Facebook author’s page and connect on LinkedIn.  Share with your friends with the buttons below.

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Out with the Old, In with the New

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David J Kent Lincoln Memorial centennial

On Tuesday evening, May 21, 2024, I officially became “the old.” At that time, I relinquished the role of Lincoln Group of DC president, handing the gavel (figuratively, since we do not have an actual gavel) to “the new,” President Ed Epstein. In keeping with our long history, we had a peaceful transition.

I get to stay around as the Immediate Past President of LGDC. Lincoln, as you may recall, had the misfortune of being unceremoniously assassinated less than six weeks into his second term. He never got to see the organization carry on after his tenure was completed. Luckily, I will.

I walk away from the presidency after serving three years in that role. Previously, I had served two non-consecutive terms as VP of Education and Outreach sandwiched around one term as VP of Programs. I was fortunate that during my tenure the Lincoln Forum recognized with their Wendy Allen Award the Lincoln Group of DC’s eight+ decades of contributions to Lincoln scholarship. LGDC also organized, and I had the privilege to emcee, the 2022 Lincoln Memorial Centennial celebration on the National Mall. There have been tours, picnics, special programs, and many dozens of superb presentations – both at dinners and via Zoom. I have also had the opportunity to contribute articles to the Lincolnian newsletter in addition to my regular book review column for the last ten years. I have written many posts for the current website news blog and moderated or presented dozens of LGDC programs. And then there was the privilege of sharing one Saturday morning a month for the last ten years with the members of LGDC’s Study Forum as we dug deep into twenty different Lincoln books (and counting).

In short, it has been a wonderful experience.

You can read more about the Lincoln Group and the new board in an article I wrote for Lincolnian.org, from which this piece is derived.

So, what’s next for me?

To begin with, I’ll still be around the Lincoln Group as Immediate Past President. One task going forward is taking on the role of Historian. I’ll also continue to write for the website and newsletter, as well as other Lincoln organizations’ newsletters and journals. I’ll dig into the Lincoln Group’s files and write a full history. Lincoln is still my main focus for the time being.

But I’ll also be exploring the other aspects of my life that need greater attention. As I wrote in my end of year 2023 Travel Post, I will continue to travel the world. Next up is southern Africa. Next year will likely be South America. The following year, Antarctica. I’m also looking at some domestic trips. One area that I’ve been overlooking is the idea of short “excursions,” day trips to local sites or overnighter trips for slightly less local sites. Knowing me, I’m sure there will be more road trips (like the one to Maine coming up).

Then there is the writing. I mentioned in my 2023 end of year Writing Post that I was working on a book proposal, and that work in progress continues. I’ll also be putting out expanded and updated second editions of my earlier e-books as softcover print books – complete with a ton of new material. With more time, I’ll focus on getting the other partial books completed and out the door. And I already have new ideas for the next books, plus some articles for both Lincoln academic journals and popular media.

With so much more to do, I don’t expect to get bored anytime soon.

[Photo credit: Bruce Guthrie, taken at Lincoln Memorial Centennial, May 22, 2022]

 

Fire of Genius

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America is available at booksellers nationwide.

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 on Goodreads and Amazon 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 andEdison: 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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The Year in a Writer’s Life – 2023

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David J Kent at the Lincoln MemorialThe year in a writer’s life was busy. Some of it actually went according to plan, while some of it was, well, off-plan. I continued to do events related to my book, Lincoln: The Fire of Genius, and continued to write for the Lincoln Group and other venues. On the other hand, some of my writing goals turned out to be unrealistic and have been punted to next year. That said, overall, 2023 was a successful writing year.

You can read about my year of traveling here, and my 2023 Lincoln book acquisitions here. I also wrote a reflections on a decade of writing here. Shortly I’ll have a recap of my year in reading here.

Getting back to the year in a writer’s life, I started 2023 with a series of presentations for various media outlets. There was the talk on how Lincoln institutionalized science for the Looking for Lincoln conversations (video), the Scholar Session with President Lincoln’s Cottage (video), the premier of a radio program called Our American Stories featuring me on Lincoln’s education (audio), my talk for Lonestar College – Kingwood (video), and my keynote speeches for the annual dinner of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS) and for the Lincoln Society in Peekskill. And that’s just in the first few months of 2023. You can check out more of the Fire of Genius-related talks I gave on my media page.

I also won the Lincoln Legacy Award conferred by the Lincoln Society in Peekskill. Lincoln: The Fire of Genius was nominated for a dozen book awards, of which it was a finalist for two. I also started getting royalties for the new book in addition to continuing royalties for my previous books.

There were also several media mentions, including articles about my appearances, book reviews in Civil War Times and The Civil War Monitor magazines, and other interviews. Additionally, I was interviewed and quoted extensively in articles published in Salon (a liberal-leaning national periodical) and Fox News (a conservative-leaning media conglomerate). I did, however, turn down a requested interview with the CEO and host of a nationally known podcast featuring a universally recognized political personality because of the host’s long history of deceit and continuing attempts to undermine democracy. I wrote about the experience on Hot White Snow under the title “Writing Responsibly.”

Other writing activities included continuing to write for the quarterly Lincolnian newsletter, for which I again wrote eight book reviews and several shorter articles. I also wrote four book reviews for the Lincoln Herald journal. I continue to write for the Lincolnian.org website, now approaching around 200 articles. Then there were dozens of articles each for this David J. Kent website and my Hot White Snow blog, plus I post reviews about Lincoln books on the Abraham Lincoln Bibliography Project website (about 50 so far). I also wrote for the Lincoln Forum Bulletin. When I wasn’t writing, I was responding to requests for writing advice from several people planning to write books of their own. I also provided my first official “back cover blurb” for the book, Defeating Slavery, by Nancy Spannaus.

What I didn’t do was finish the three works in progress (plus one, see 2024) that I had planned to publish on Amazon. They will have to wait until next year.

Which gets me to 2024

I have two main focus areas (writing wise) in 2024. The first and foremost is to complete a book proposal for a work I’ve been researching. I had hoped to get the proposal to my agent in 2023, but travel and Lincoln Group of DC activities conspired to drag out the process. So…2024 it is. My goal is to get the proposal done in January with hopes of signing a publishing contract in the first quarter and a book in stores in 2025. I’ll have more on that project as it develops.

The second main focus is to finish the aforementioned three works in progress. One is the confederate monument book (a rational dialogue). A second is to publish second editions of my two previous e-books as print books, complete with much-expanded text and photos. Third is to complete a new Tesla book by the end of the year.

In addition, I plan to submit several articles for publication, both professional treatises in Lincoln journals and more accessible articles in popular magazines. I’m also considering developing a podcast series with the Lincoln Group of DC. Another potential project is to start a Substack column. And then there is the fiction, which I will definitely write with greater urgency in 2024.

Of course, I’ll continue to write for the Lincolnian newsletter and website, my DJK and Hot White Snow websites, and wherever else I can find space.

And yes, I realize that is a lot, to which I’ll add more traveling and continued reading.

I’m excited about starting on 2024. It’ll be busy for sure.

[Photo by Henry Ballone, Lincoln Memorial Centennial, May 22, 2022]

Fire of Genius

 

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America is available at booksellers nationwide.

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 on Goodreads and Amazon 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.