Public Radio Broadcasts Now Published as “Thirty Days with Abraham Lincoln: Quiet Fire”
Deeply concerned about the angry divisions between Americans in 2020, Maine-based Lincoln scholar Duncan Newcomer and Michigan-based ReadTheSpirit Books decided to publish 30 Days with Abraham Lincoln. Drawing on Newcomer’s popular, weekly radio series about the spiritual life of Lincoln, called Quiet Fire—the author and publishing house realized that Lincoln is in a unique position to draw readers into spiritual reflection from both ends of the American political spectrum.
Christian Science Monitor Editor Mark Sappenfield got an early copy of Newcomer’s book—and recognized its potential for a new kind of unifying conversation nationwide. Sappenfield interviewed Newcomer and described his work with Lincoln as a perfect example to kick off a new Monitor series about “thinkers who are wrestling with issues close to the Monitor’s heart.” In his From the Editor column, Sappenfield wrote:
“There are many reasons to start with Duncan, from his civil rights past to his present work with Better Angels and the Idea of America Network—groups committed to a renaissance of civility, goodwill, and unity in American discourse. But what most caught my attention was his new book, 30 Days with Abraham Lincoln: Quiet Fire. The book is like chicken soup for the soul, drawing on Abraham Lincoln’s character and courage for its wisdom. But ultimately, what emerges is a portrait of what made Lincoln extraordinary. In a word: reconciliation.”
The book already has been praised by leading Lincoln scholars and media professionals. Duncan Newcomer is starting 2020 with a busy schedule of public events and interviews, but he welcomes additional requests for interviews or appearances. His goal is helping as many Americans as possible to rediscover Lincoln’s spiritual wisdom—a surprising invitation, because many Lincoln scholars have pointed out the president’s often-ambivalent attitude toward organized religion.
In fact, Duncan writes: Lincoln was uncomfortable with some of the cultural baggage that accompanied a lot of 19th-century religious life, because he was deeply committed to spiritual values that in many ways were ahead of his era.
Thirty Days With Abraham Lincoln is available in paperback, hardcover and e-book on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.
Contact publisher [email protected] or Duncan’s media representative Susan Stitt at [email protected] for more information about the book, including a PDF review copy, endorsements from leading Lincoln scholars and other media professionals. We also can help arrange calls with Duncan.
###
