Seward
CSPAN
While in Washington last week, I was interviewed by Brian Lamb of CSPAN for his show Q&A. It was a long interview, almost an hour, and a serious one: he had read the book carefully and had lots of good questions. The interview will air on CSPAN on November 4, 2012, at 8 pm and…
Read Moreon the road again
I am in Boston airport this morning, heading down to DC, for more than a week of events. First up is an interview with CSPAN. I had assumed when this was first set up that it would be a few minutes; I find that it will be almost an hour of questions about my life…
Read MoreExeter Event
I spoke last night to an enthusiastic audience at the Exeter Historical Society. It meant so much to speak both to a few of those who taught me, years ago at Exeter, and those whom I am teaching now, in the mock trial club. I hope that my presentation lived up to the mock trial…
Read MoreReviews/Events
My Seward book has now been reviewed in the New Yorker and in the Economist. The New Yorker review is not the customary few sentences; it is several pages, a long essay about Seward and his role in American history. The reviewer said some very nice things: the book is “masterly,” a “subtle portrait of…
Read MoreSeward and Auburn
This is roughly what I said on September 18 about Seward and Auburn. I do not feel the need, with this audience, to answer the question I often have to answer: who was William Henry Seward? Instead I propose to talk about Seward and Auburn: about why he came to live here, why he spent…
Read MoreSeward, the South, and the Constitution
This is roughly what I said on September 17, at Mississippi State, about Seward and the South and the Constitution:. I have two topics today: Seward’s relations with the South and his views on and role in the Constitution. The two topics are closely related, so it is appropriate that I should be here, in…
Read MoreLaunch
I am back in Exeter after two book events: one at Mississippi State and one in Auburn NY. I was the Constitution Day speaker in Mississippi, and so talked about Seward, the South, and the Constitution. There was a large audience, more than a hundred, mainly students. They listened attentively and had good questions. It…
Read MoreSeward Reviews
The first publication reviews of Seward have appeared. They are favorable; indeed the review in the Dallas Morning News could be described as glowing. It ends with the following: “Writing like that makes history come alive: a researcher digging into the mines of the past and quarrying new insight on an old story. Seward:…
Read MoreUpdate
Regular readers of this blog (if any) may be wondering where I am and what I am doing. I am in Newport Beach, California, in our new summer house here. We have been busy, the past few weeks, with designers, gardeners, painters, carpet people, plumbers, etc. There is still work to do, but the house…
Read MoreVA to CA, day two
Today was our first real day of travel, a full day on the road. The dog and I started the day with a short run in Lexington, Virginia. It is always hard to take a good run from a highway motel: you are a long way from the nice roads; you are in the midst…
Read More