A Very Literary Weekend

This is neither Linda Johnston nor Bob Wilson, but J. K. Rowling, but it illustrates the idea of a book signing.

This past weekend, I was privileged to go to not one but two book signings, both for books by people I know. What a treat! The sort of cultural events we go to tend to be of the musical kind, and I love music, but I am at heart a reader and a writer, of sorts.

Linda Johnston released her first book, Hope Amid Hardship,  a lovely collection of pioneer diaries from Kansas between the years 1850 and 1855, and, what is more, illustrated the entries with charming watercolors in the style of pioneer painting. Hers is a jewel of a book, and one that will appeal to anyone with an aesthetic and historical interest and sensibility. Congratulations to Linda and thanks to her for sharing this labor of love with all of us!

Bob Wilson’s book signing took place Sunday afternoon after he addressed an overflow crowd about his work, Matthew Brady–Portraits of a Nation. Bob’s credentials are impressive: he is the editor of The  American Scholar (the magazine of Phi Beta Kappa) and has written for other distinguished publications. Bob’s aim in the book, as he shared with the audience, was to address for his readers and for himself, a number of misconceptions about the best-known photographer of the Civil War. Matthew Brady promises to be an intriguing, well-researched and well-crafted read. Congratulations to Bob for this important contribution to our understanding of an influential period in our history!