Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Oh, boy readers--lookit that! From the guy that brought you the zombie fiction sensation Pride and Prejudice and Zombies comes this weird addition to the suddenly gluttonous sub genre of horror mixed up with...what? A last minute cashing-in on Lincoln bicentennial fever? Hmm.

I guess so...this is one of those books, and I said this about P&P&Z, that is a funny idea that I get really excited about but then turns out to be a terrible idea in practice. Like, P&P&Z? Gawd, was it ever terrible and painful to read! If you want to imagine what it was like, then just imagine reading Pride and Prejudice...but now imagine it as being re-written nearly scene-for-scene in a haltingly awkward prose meant to mimic the original, plus gruesome zombie action, crudely engineered yet gleeful descriptions of flesh eating, and the bewildering inclusion of ninjas (not as fun as it sounds, trust me). Oh, and there's also some awful illustrations to look at.

So, bottom line: yes, I am going to buy this book. Am I proud of that? Well, not really. But what can you do? This guy has found my soft spot (Abraham Lincoln), and, for all my above sniffing, P&P&Z is an object on my bookshelf that is not out of place by any means (we have a fairly significant zombie fiction section in our collection), and the title and cover alone make it worth the inclusion, if not the content. I guess you could say its more of a conceptual inclusion. But really, one thing that most excites me is thinking about the much-needed segue Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter will make between the two sections of our book collection. Now the transition between horror/zombie related materials and Abraham Lincoln biographies on our bookshelf will not seem quite as jarring.

Talking to Married Guys

I've noticed recently that some--maybe most--married men act sorta strange when a lady who is unknown to them tries to engage them in conversation. I've noticed this mainly in the course of my job at the local public library. Generally they'll be courteous, but there's something about the interaction that says "I can't talk to you! Lookit this ring!"

It almost comes off as insulting, but most of the time the guy is so obviously struggling to maintain some balance between stand-offish aloofness and polite discourse (and somehow failing on both accounts) that it actually has the opposite effect: I tend to want to talk to them more. I suspect it is this sort of thing that attracts women to married men in the first place--this kind of behavior could easily be perceived as adorable and nonthreatening (two things that girls like, btw, gentlemen).You've heard the old complaint: once a dude gets married he suddenly feels like women are hitting on him, women who would not have given him the time of day when he was single! My husband tells me stories all the time about women brazenly batting their eyes at him, willfully disregarding his fully-visible wedding ring. Well, readers, I think I may have busted this one wide open.

Case in point: I helped a guy find a book the other day. He was probably 35-40-ish, sensibly dressed, with a 6 or 7-ish little girl in tow (another cliche female turn on: fathering skills on display). The book I got for him was Manhunt by James L. Swanson. Anyone who kept up with my summer read list this year knows I was completely ga-ga for this novelized non-fiction narrative about the 12 day chase for Abraham Lincoln's assassin. So of course I was in "sell" mode to this guy--I really wanted him to read it! I should note that most people I talk to want to read Danielle Steel or the new Oprah hotcake--nobody wants me to flex my readers' advisory muscles in the direction of Lincoln lore, they just want me to show them to the mystery-solving cat novels (yes, mystery-solving cat novels. it's a horrifying genre all its own). So I was very insistent about him checking out this book, making not less than 3 statements about it's "readability."

This seemed to freak him out, and from then on he communicated to me exclusively through comments to his daughter. "Daddy would like to read this, don't you think?" he asked her desperately. "Daddy will check out the book now," "Daddy can't find his library card, do you think he can use his drivers license?" Girl: "Ask if they have princess books!" She did not appreciate the dramady unfolding in front of her.

Like National Holidays? Be Thankful for Abraham Lincoln!

It seems weird, but before 1863 Thanksgiving was a rather eccentric, often ignored holiday only sometimes observed in America, and in only some states some of the time. The Pilgrims are usually credited with starting it (a holiday they themselves called "harvest home"), but most Americans didn't celebrate it regularly until Abraham Lincoln made a proclamation in 1863 that Thanksgiving be officially celebrated in all the states that year on November 19th.

The Battle of Gettysburg was fought in July of that year, and the Civil War had been raging for over two and a half years, so this was right in the middle of the bloodiest war ever fought on American soil. And lets not forget that when Lincoln said "all the states," he meant all of them--that is, including the secessionists who wouldn't have appreciated his insinuation. We don't always think of Lincoln as the dealer of a mean backhand, but in this case he got in a sweet burn on the Rebs while at the same time dropping a crowd pleasing mandate of a nice meal (even though Lincoln's original idea was for a national fast, not feast. Good try, Abe, now pass the stuffing).

Lincoln issued another proclamation the following year, and the tradition was upheld by every following president uninterrupted until Thanksgiving was officially declared a national holiday by an act of Congress in 1941. Before Lincoln came along, Thanksgiving was only sporadically proclaimed, and never on any particular day in all the sates--that's turkey anarchy, readers, and I'm glad Democracy (and Honest Abe) finally stepped in and kept us all from backsliding further into an unplanned holiday abyss.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Archives Month!

Readers, one more reason to love October (as if you needed another one): It's American Archives Month in the USA! This means that it's appropriate to visit, support, or otherwise promote your own favorite local archival institution. Kentucky has decided to expand its Archives Week into a full, month-long celebration to coincide, and this year's theme is especially exciting: the Lincoln bicentennial! Check out that poster!

Kentucky has a (somewhat tenuous) Lincoln connection which we tend to exaggerate--er, focus on--he was born here, and though he only spent a few years of his early boyhood in the state before his family moved to Indiana, we get to claim those great legendary Honest Abe, log cabin, teaching himself to read on a dirt floor stories. Plus, an added Lincoln bonus for the state: his wife Mary Todd was born and raised in well-to-do Lexington society (a distant relation, Charles Todd, was the very first Kentucky Colonel). So, yeah, Kentucky's Lincoln fixation may be a bit much sometimes--yet another bid for fame and relevance--but in a lot of ways it's legit.

Anyway, it's October 1st and you all have 30 more days to figure out how you will celebrate American Archives Month. I recommend making that visit to your local archives that you've been putting off--research your family in a genealogical collection, ask to see some awesome primary resource, or even just subscribe to a mailing list so you'll be informed of things like interesting lectures, publications, and new collections in your area. Support your local archives--read a book, make a donation, and/or buy an archivist a drink--you'll be doing your part.

Lincoln Life Mask, by Clark Mills, cast on February 11, 1865

This was a startling object to come face-to-face with (literally!). It is part of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History Lincoln bicentennial exhibit, Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life. The exhibit is fantastic: filled with artifacts including Lincoln's personal belongings (such as his top hat, pocket watch & office suit), campaign paraphernalia, and some incredible photographs--you won't find any reproductions here, nothing but genuine articles. I visited this exhibit directly after seeing the new-and-improved Lincoln museum at Ford's Theatre, and it was a great follow-up.

Anyway, the mask above was created from a method known as plaster casting, whereby oil is applied to the subject's face followed by a thin layer of quick drying plaster paste. The sculpter, Clark Mills, used this process to make an exact impression of Lincoln's face just two months before his assasination. I think it's striking to see the actual face of the man, with no artistic liberties taken for vanity's sake, or to cover over the traces of strain and physical toll the presidency had taken on him. Seeing it reminded me that Lincoln is really the first president whose image was realistically documented thanks to the development of photography, a relatively new invention in his time.

This life mask was actually the second one to be made of Lincoln, the first was done in 1860 in Lincoln's home of Springfield by Leonard Volk. Volk wanted to make a bust of him, and so made the mask to use as a reference tool to eliminate the need for Lincoln to return for additional sittings. It's amazing to note the difference between the two, he seems to have aged much more than just five years.

Volk's life mask of Lincoln, done in 1860

Mill's life m

Summer Reading Roundup!

Well, although summer officially goes on for a few more weeks, I have started back into my final semester of grad school--now, as it ever has, it seems summer ends with the beginning of classes. So! That means it's time to take a look back at the books that made it onto my summer reading list, as well as discuss the unexpected, last minute addition...

While perusing the museum shop at the Smithsonian's American History museum, I happened upon the copious pile o' Lincoln books. I couldn't resist owning one of them, and decided on James Swanson's Manhunt (pictured above. Note my ticket stub to Ford's Theatre being used as the bookmark!), which, rumor has it, will be the source material for an upcoming movie adaptation (spoiler alert: Harrison Ford has been associated with the project).

Readers, I was unprepared for how gripping this book would be; it took all of two days (of which I was fully engaged in vacation activities) to get about 200 pages into it. Swanson tells the story in a kind of back-and-forth narrative, describing the unfolding madness of events from the perspectives of both conspirators and manhunters, 369 pages spanning about 12 days--he doesn't waste any of them. My highest recommendation; I'm not sure if it's just because of my Lincoln obsession or if this book really would appeal to anyone, but it is an amazing story told from a balanced point of view. you even catch yourself rooting for Booth in a few places ("No! don't cross the Potomac there! You're not in Virginia yet!"). Go read this book right now, Lincoln fans! Every American should be familiar with the players in this story, and this book fleshes them out better than most.

SO! Now, for the record, here is the official list of Books I Read This Summer in this, the year of our Lord, two thousand and nine:

• Who Censored Roger Rabbit? by Gary Wolf
  
• Post Office by Charles Bukowski
  
• The Madness of Mary Lincoln by Jason Emerson
  
• Star Trek Academy: Collision Course by William Shatner
• Mrs. Lincoln: A Life by Catherine Clinton
• A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Graham-Smith
• The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler
• Trouble is My Business by Raymond Chandler
• Mr. Thundermug by Cornelius Medvei
• Tried By War by James M. McPherson
• Mailman by J. Robert Lennon
• Take the Cannoli by Sarah Vowell
• The Barefoot Mailman by Theodore Pratt
• Logan's Run by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson
• Manhunt by James L. Swanson

There she is, folks--a very worthy list of heavy hitters if I ever saw one. You may use it to come to whatever conclusions about my mental state and/or personal character you like...I'm going with "blossoming Lincoln addict with a Postal fasciniation and tendency towards fantastic/tragic visions of the future."

Assassination Vacation

Readers, it's been another while since you've heard news from the Mercy Missiles front, but it could not be helped: I was out in the field, selflessly researching and gathering materials for your information needs/wants! I spent last week in our nation's capitol, and the above firearm--an object at once dainty and ominous--was one of the main attractions.

Pictured above is the ACTUAL Darringer single shot pistol used by John Wilkes Booth to assassinate Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre on the night of April 14th, 1865. Longtime readers may remember that Mary Todd Lincoln is a particular interest of mine, but with all the Lincoln hubbub this year--due to the bicentennial of his birth--I've widened the scope of my obsession to include all things Lincoln.

Ford's Theatre was what I was especially excited about visiting last week: it's been under reconstruction, just recently reopening its downstairs museum last month, and chief among the artifacts was Booth's pistol. It's well worth a visit, even if you are only a casual Lincoln fan, as it is yet another spot in the district where one can view the actual objects used by and belonging to the most notable players in American history. Ours is a young enough country--we sometimes forget--that the most tactile ephemera (the contents of Booth's pockets when he was captured, for instance) survives, and can be experienced (and gawked at!) as a direct link to past events.

I'll be posting more about my trip in the coming days--I was able to pack a lot of historic ogling into one short week (ask me about the day I saw--in person--the flipside of the nickel! W-O-W!)...

"Mary's white cake is the best I've ever eaten."

-Abraham Lincoln