GettysBlog

Remembering What We Say Here

As we set out on our reading of the book, Lincoln at Gettysburg, I think we should begin by reading his speech. In fact I want to recommend that we return to this speech after reading each chapter of Garry Wills's research. Each section of the book offers a new perspective to Lincoln's words and adds historical context and scholarly interpretations about what was said, how it was said, and why it was said. With each reading these words take on new meanings and significance.

There are multiple recordings of this speech available online, if you would like to listen or read along with the spoken word. At NPR you can listen to actor Sam Waterson recite the speech. Best of all, check out the segment of the Ken Burn's film, The Civil War, that is devoted to the reading of the Gettysburg Address.

Just look at that image of Lincoln's face as the camera zooms in and we hear the final lines of the speech. Very powerful. The lines etched on Lincoln's face are like the words--his words--carved in stone on his memorial in Washington, DC.

[The Gettysburg Address at the Lincoln Memorial image is by chipgriffin and is available at his Flickr site.]

Lincoln and Gettysburg Today

Abraham Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address seven score and five years ago, that is 145 years ago. Garry Wills wrote this book about Abraham Lincoln in 1992 or about the time that our incoming Class of 2012 Cornellians were only two years old. This is all history. This is the past.

But Lincoln and Gettysburg are in our current headlines, news, and media. Appearing on magazine racks this last week of June are copies of a Special Edition of the magazine U.S. News & World Reports on the Secrets of the Civil War. A young, clean-shaven Abraham Lincoln is on the cover. Inside you will find articles about "The Real Lincoln" including an excerpt from Gabor Boritt's 2006 book, The Gettysburg Gospel, a fascinating book about the Gettysburg Address that I will discuss in a later posting.

Given that we have another senator from Illinois presently running for the Presidency of the United States, there have been numerous Lincoln references made about Barrack Obama. See today's (June 26, 2008) Doonesbury cartoon strip for some up to the minute political commentary. There will be more to say about Mr. Obama later this summer as well.

And back on April 24th, the new Gettysburg Museum and Visitor's Center opened at the Gettysburg National Military Park. I was there two weeks ago and wished that my schedule had allowed me to spend more time there. I highly recommend visiting the museum, the battlefield, and the cemetery. (By the way Gettysburg is about a 4 hour drive from Ithaca for those of you wanting to make this field trip.)

And Lincoln is with us here at Cornell. This image is of a marble bust by the American artist, Vinnie Ream Hoxie. This sculpture resides in the Dean Reading Room of Uris Library here on campus.

As the American novelist, William Faulkner, has written, "The past is never dead. It's not even past."

Reading Lincoln at Gettysburg together

Reading a book is a solitary process, an exchange of information between an author and an individual reader. Reading a book for Cornell's New Student Reading Project is a group effort, a communal activity, a shared experience, and a collaboration. Join us here as we read Lincoln at Gettysburg together this summer.

Beginning on Monday, June 30th, we and our colleagues from across campus and beyond, will be posting our thoughts and reactions to the book and related topics here, Monday through Friday, through July and August and into September.

We look forward to hearing from our readers--new Cornell students, all Cornell students, faculty, staff, alumni, small group discussion facilitators, and others participating in this year’s Reading Project. Send us your thoughts and ask us your questions.

Your comments to this blog are moderated and will be posted by us if they are on-topic and not abusive. They may also be edited for length and clarity.

To our New Students: Your copy of the Garry Wills's Lincoln at Gettysburg should be arriving in the mail very soon.

Enjoy your summer reading.

Lance and Wendy

Your comments to this blog are moderated and will be posted by us if they are on-topic and not abusive. They may also be edited for length and clarity.

To our New Students: Your copy of the Garry Wills's Lincoln at Gettysburg should be arriving in the mail very soon.

Enjoy your summer reading.

Lance and Wendy