Monday, December 29, 2008

Lincoln Bicentennial in 2009


Here's the famous sculpture on Abraham Lincoln's grave monument in Springfield, IL. Probably every last person who visited the gravesite has rubbed Lincoln's nose to make it so shiny. This is a likeness of Lincoln that I love. You can see the sadness and compassion in that beautiful homely face.

Lincoln was born on Feb. 12, 1809. On Feb. 11, the night before his 200th birthday, PBS will show "Looking for Lincoln," a documentary hosted by noted Harvard scholar, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. You can see lots more about the year-long celebrations at the Lincoln Bicentennial website, including details of the release in 2009 of new Lincoln pennies with 4 different designs for the reverse sides.

I never tire of reading about Lincoln. There are more books published about him every year, so I'll never run out of possibilities. The more I read about him, a man both reviled and loved, the more I admire his deep understanding of people and all their foibles. He was probably one of the most emotionally intelligent people who ever lived. Nonetheless, his profound humanity did not prevent his willingness to subject the country to the horrors of war in order to preserve the United States first, and end slavery second. This makes for an endless supply of literary assessments! I'm giving myself a break from Lincoln biographies for a little while, but there'll be plenty to think about this next year, even if it's not from a book.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Walking in the Air


Thanks to Daughter #1 who reminded me today of one of my all-time favorite songs, "Walking in the Air" by Howard Blake. Her daughter has been learning the song from the video version of Raymond Briggs' The Snowman, for which Blake wrote the music. It's lovely and haunting - and you can see and hear it on YouTube.

YouTube has many other versions of the song, and the Choirboys cover is pretty good, but the original is still the best.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Poisoned Politics and Paranoia


Is there anyone in the world who doesn't know that the esteemed governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich (we all learned how to say and spell that one years ago), is in the hot seat for allegedly attempting to auction off the vacant Senate seat of the President-elect? People I know tell me that their friends and relatives from around the world (!) have been asking them about it this week. How come my distant family and friends are all strangely silent? The local family members have been heehawing and congratulating each other that the end is in sight!

All the talk of wiretaps and secret surveillance have added to my paranoia, however. Especially after I read this post on the Top 10 Tips for Avoiding ID Theft. I do use "remember me" on my library account login, but who cares? I don't do it on the important stuff. And I certainly don't walk around with my S.S. card. But who would have thought that you should keep your hotel key card and shred it when you get home? Or remove and destroy an old computer's hard drive - not just erase it? Take a look.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Historical Fiction on Film



I'm just about finished reading Time and Chance by Sharon Kay Penman, one of a trilogy she's written about Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitane, and Thomas Becket. Her writing got me to completely accept her version of the medieval way of life and thought, passion and intrigue. These people had such an amazing history that it's no wonder that they have inspired many authors, including Shakespeare.

I'm now ready to compare Penman's story with the two film versions of James Goldman's play, The Lion in Winter. The first from 1968 with Katharine Hepburn as Eleanor, and Peter O'Toole as Henry; the second from 2003 with the formidable Glenn Close and Patrick Stewart. Luckily, the two films were both popular and award-winning, so my library has both!