Author announcement: Lincoln biographer Fred Kaplan

Time to announce one more author coming our way for the 6th annual Books in Boothbay festival, Fred Kaplan, author of Lincoln: the Biography of a Writer.

Here's a description of the book:

For Abraham Lincoln, whether he was composing love letters, speeches, or legal arguments, words mattered. In Lincoln, acclaimed biographer Fred Kaplan explores the life of America's sixteenth president through his use of language as a vehicle both to express complex ideas and feelings and as an instrument of persuasion and empowerment. Like the other great canonical writers of American literature—a status he is gradually attaining—Lincoln had a literary career that is inseparable from his life story. An admirer and avid reader of Burns, Byron, Shakespeare, and the Old Testament, Lincoln was the most literary of our presidents. His views on love, liberty, and human nature were shaped by his reading and knowledge of literature.

Since Lincoln, no president has written his own words and addressed his audience with equal and enduring effectiveness. Kaplan focuses on the elements that shaped Lincoln's mental and imaginative world; how his writings molded his identity, relationships, and career; and how they simultaneously generated both the distinctive political figure he became and the public discourse of the nation. This unique account of Lincoln's life and career highlights the shortcomings of the modern presidency, reminding us, through Lincoln's legacy and appreciation for language, that the careful and honest use of words is a necessity for successful democracy.

Illuminating and engrossing, Lincoln brilliantly chronicles Abraham Lincoln's genius with language.

Author announcement: Julia Spencer-Fleming

Award-winning mystery author Julia Spencer-Fleming shall join us in July for Books in Boothbay: Maine's Summer Book Fair. We hope to see you there!

Author anouncement: Kate Braestrup

Kate Braestrup is a community minister, law enforcement chaplain, and the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir, Here If You Need Me, and Marriage and Other Acts of Charity, now in stores.

Author announcement: Richard Shain Cohen

Richard Shain Cohen, of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, is originally from Boston. He retired from the University of Maine, Presque Isle after serving as the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Professor of English. He holds B.S., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees. His latest book is The Forgotten Longfellow: Man in the Shadows.

THE FORGOTTEN LONGFELLOW is a snapshot of America in the 1800s, and amazing tale which reads like an adventure story – as Alexander, Senior feeling like a failure in contrast to his famous poet brother, takes a position as coast surveyor and begins a life of exploration. He surveyed the northern border of Maine in the boundary dispute with England. This begins his description of the northern wilderness, life among Indians, Acadians, and lone trappers; dangerous journeys around Cape Horn; and surveys in a South ravaged by war while mingling with wandering former slaves and the dispossessed.. We meet Dolley Madison, John Quincy Adams, and President Polk and a cast of hundreds in the drawing-rooms of Washington, D.C.; we experience his eventual courtship and catch rare glimpses of family life in the country manor-houses of Maine; and having been enriched by a most unusual journey through Nineteenth-century America, courtesy of a man who never realized how significant his gifts and accomplishments really were. The book is a visual treat also, studded with gorgeous maps, many drawings, and photographs – a coffee table adventure story.  For further information see:  www.theForgottenLongfellow.com

In addition to this book, his publications include: Only God Can Make a Tree, poetry of his and of his brother, Alfred Robert Cohen; and the novels Monday: End of the Week, Be Still, My Soul, and Petal On A Black Bough. He also wrote chapters for Aroostook: Land of Promise, academic reviews, other articles, and — with the help of a Shell Grant — a monograph on Samuel Richardson that can be found in major library holdings.

Another author announcement: Charlotte Agell

The Books in Boothbay author list continues to grow! Our latest announced guest is author/illustrator Charlotte Agell, whose most recent book, The Accidental Adventures of India McAllister, is due out any day now.

You can read more about Charlotte Agell at her website, or visit her character's blog over at http://indiasink.wordpress.com/

Author #8 Announced: Beth Cadena

Author, mother, friend and "Maine-ah" Beth Cadena is the author of Supersister, a Junior Library Guild selection and a Winter 09/10 Children's Indie Next pick.

Here's the great description of the book:

Brave enough to walk to the bus stop alone. Strong enough to lift--and pour--her own bowl of cereal. Able to read a story aloud all by herself. Who could this masked girl be?

It's Supersister!

This energetic and playful story follows hero through a typical day of accomplishing ordinary feats for her family in an extraordinary way. And by the end you'll find out why she's such a super helper to her mother and how she earned her name. This fresh take on a new sibling story is sure to empower young readers, as it reminds them of all the super things they can do by themselves, and makes it possible for any child to become a super-helper.