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.
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