David J. Kent's Blog, page 12
February 20, 2023
Long-Delayed Lincoln Memorial Renovations to Finally Start
Finally! The long-delayed renovations to the Lincoln Memorial are about to start. My colleague in the Lincoln Group of DC, Ed Epstein, reported on the official U.S. National Park Service announcement this morning. Writing on the Lincolnian.org blog, Epstein notes: The National Park Service in coming weeks will finally start... Continue reading
February 14, 2023
Lincoln Log Podcast – Lincoln’s Approach to Science and Technology
The Lincoln Log podcast is a program of the Abraham Lincoln Association based in Springfield, Illinois. I had the pleasure of sitting down with the podcast’s host, Joshua Claybourn, an attorney and historian focused primarily on Abraham Lincoln’s youth. In the podcast we looked at Lincoln’s approach to science and... Continue reading
February 7, 2023
Our American Stories Podcast – How Lincoln Overcame Poverty and Gained an Education
When Lincoln was asked on a questionnaire to describe his education he only wrote one word: defective. However, lack of formal education and growing up in poverty on the frontier didn’t stop him from becoming one of the premiere thinkers of his time. This is the theme of the Our... Continue reading
January 31, 2023
Unexpected Lincoln – Concord, Massachusetts
It seems Abraham Lincoln is everywhere. Our continuing “unexpected Lincoln” series takes us to Concord, Massachusetts, home of Henry David Thoreau and just steps away from “the shot heard round the world.” I stopped in Concord on a recent road trip to see a special Lincoln Memorial Centennial exhibit at... Continue reading
January 23, 2023
The Smithsonian Castle Was On Fire!
One scientific institution that Lincoln had protected and advanced during the war took a major hit on the frigid winter’s afternoon of January 24, 1865. Joseph Henry sat in his third-floor office in the Smithsonian Castle, alternatively updating his notebook and staring out the great rose window squeezed between the... Continue reading
January 17, 2023
Thomas Lincoln Dies, But Teaches Abraham Farming Science
Abraham Lincoln’s father, Thomas Lincoln, died on January 17, 1851, at the ripe old age of 73. Abraham opted not to travel to see his father in his waning days, in part because they were no longer close, but also because Lincoln’s third son, Willie, had been born about a... Continue reading
January 9, 2023
Join Me for Two Special Abraham Lincoln Presentations This Week (Plus a Bonus)
This will be a busy week, with two special Abraham Lincoln presentations coming up on Wednesday and Thursday. Both will be virtual, so take a look at the info and links below and join me! Wednesday, January 11, 8 pm EST/7 pm CST: I will give a special presentation on... Continue reading
January 3, 2023
The Year in a Writer’s Life – 2022
The year in a writer’s life was spectacular. My new book was released, I did tons of media, and wrote constantly, while also juggling my duties as president of the Lincoln Group of DC. Sometimes those two lives blended to the point where the line between them wasn’t so easy... Continue reading
December 28, 2022
The Year in a Traveler’s Life – 2022
Some followers will recall that my annual travel roundup has been called “The Year in Science Traveling” since its inception many years ago. I’ve decided to change it to “The Year in a Traveler’s Life” from this point forward to reflect my broader traveling experiences. Given my writing history, which... Continue reading
December 14, 2022
Abraham Lincoln Book Acquisitions for 2022
Even when I’m trying to reduce the number of books in my house I end up with more. My Abraham Lincoln book acquisition total for 2022 is 34, and that number includes some books that are Lincoln-ish. You can read about past years acquisitions by scrolling through this link. Recall... Continue reading
