On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s
birth and in conjunction with the Library of Congress 2009
Bicentennial Exhibition, In Lincoln’s Hand offers an unprecedented
look at perhaps our greatest president through vivid images of his
handwritten letters, speeches, and even childhood notebooks—many
never before made available to the public.
Edited by leading Lincoln scholars Joshua Wolf Shenk and Harold
Holzer, this companion volume to the Library of Congress exhibition
offers a fresh and intimate perspective on a man whose thoughts and
words continue to affect history. To underscore the resonance of
Lincoln’s writings on contemporary culture, each manuscript is
accompanied by a reflection on Lincoln by a prominent American from
the arts, politics, literature, or entertainment, including Toni
Morrison, Sam Waterston, Robert Pinsky, Gore Vidal, and presidents
Carter, George H.W., and George W. Bush.
While Lincoln’s words are quite well known, the original
manuscripts boast a unique power and beauty and provide rare
insight into the creative process. In this collection we can see
the ebb and flow of Lincoln’s thoughts, emotions, hopes, and
doubts. We can see where he paused to dip his pen in the ink or to
capture an idea. We can see where he added a word or phrase, and
where he crossed out others, searching for the most precise, and
concise, expression. In these marks on the page, Lincoln’s
character is available to us with a profound immediacy. From such
icons as the Gettysburg Address and the inaugural speeches to
seldom-seen but superb rarities, here is the world as Lincoln saw
and shaped it in words and images that resound to this very
day.