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There's no doubt that the pair of apparently gold-mounted black onyx pendant earrings are old.
Even with rooms full of books written about him, a week's worth of events recognizing the bicentennial of his birth and a new penny in his honor, the true mystique of Abraham Lincoln lies in what his story means to each American.
She's paid to be house-proud: Gwen Thompson, executive director of the Mary Todd Lincoln house, can be excused for wanting to show off her home. As the only full-time employee, it's Thompson's job to preserve, protect and promote the historic site as well as educate the public about the people who lived there.
LOUISVILLE — Kentucky native son Abraham Lincoln will be honored during the 104th Kentucky State Fair with a display that recognizes his birthplace, rise to the presidency and accomplishments as chief executive.
When University of Kentucky Opera Theatre director Everett McCorvey was readying the Our Lincoln program for the stage of the Singletary Center for the Arts last February, he called it a ”Kennedy Center Honors-style production. Next February, McCorvey will, in fact, take the multifaceted show to the Kennedy Center.
On Tuesday morning in the Kentucky Capitol rotunda, Gov. Steve Beshear and lawmakers including U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler joined McCorvey and co-producer Virginia Carter to announce that Our Lincoln will be presented at the venerable Washington venue on Feb. 2, 2009, a week and a half before the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth.His birth and earliest schooling were in Kentucky. His adolescence and young-adult years were in Indiana. And his legal career and political aspirations were realized in Illinois.
• Just say 'Lincoln"
• Schedule of events
• Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois: How they stack up
• Kentucky Abraham Lincoln bicentennial events
• Quiz: Test your Lincoln IQ
• His stage presence
• The man and the many myths: Busted, plausible or confirmed?
• Photo gallery: Centre students visit historial Lincoln sites
If you have never heard Aaron Copland's Lincoln Portrait, you probably will during the next two years. The work for orchestra and narrator is one of the signature compositions about our nation's 16th president. But it is hardly the only artistic comment on Honest Abe.
Let's clear up one thing right off: We're not here to talk about the Lincoln myths that have real academic value. Whether America's most esteemed president was a humanitarian or eloquent dirt bag, a moral leader or venal schemer, matters naught to us.
As things were getting geared up for the Lincoln Bicentennial, Kentucky Humanities Council director Virginia Smith noticed something was missing: a Lexington event.
Who's your political daddy? Why, Abraham Lincoln; who else? American politicians measure themselves by the great one. And to the surprise of absolutely no one, they are all in the Lincoln stratosphere -- although the reasons they cite may surprise you. Here's a look at how the sitting president and the people hoping to succeed him have invoked Lincoln:
