Pulling the Plug

When you think of an author, what is the picture that comes to mind? I’ve asked that of a few folks, and what I hear about is the hard work—the slaving over a notebook, or typewriter, or a keyboard. So it gives us a picture of a solitary individual, and as we all know, the more tortured they are the better the writing is! (Sarcasm is hard to hear over the interweb). But is that really true?

In writing the acknowledgements for my upcoming novel, the first time I’ve ever had to do this particular writing exercise, I was struck by just how many people have helped me along the way. I started my writing career during the middle of a rocket attack while lying face down in a puddle of muddy water inside a concrete bunker in Afghanistan. It wasn’t that I started writing then, I had been writing for a long time, but at that particular moment I decided I really WANTED to write. And for me that meant dropping an application in the mail for a scholarship at the Antioch Writer’sWorkshop (AWW). At the time I couldn’t afford to go without a scholarship, or more to the point, I couldn’t tell my wife that I was going to take precious dollars from our account to pursue this pipe dream of writing. As luck would have it, I won one of those scholarships and attended what would be a transformative week of writing. And so my writing career truly began not as a solitary act of sitting behind a keyboard, but rather at a workshop surrounded by many people like me…people who loved to write but still had one nagging question: were we actually writers?

That is a question that I long struggled with before my novel sold. How do I explain to other people what I’m trying to do? How do I describe myself to my parents, my siblings, my wife? I’m taking hours of my life to sit alone and do the solitary act of writing, and then hours more in meeting with other writers, trusted readers, and to make it to conferences. How do I justify it, especially when I had no idea if this whole writing thing would work out anyway? How do I tell when it’s pointless and time to pull the plug, throw in the towel, (insert overly used cliché here)…

Well, it took several years to truly come face to face with a good answer. This year at the Antioch Writer’s Workshop, we hosted AndreDubus III as our Keynote speaker and Master Class teacher. I had no idea what to expect from Dubus (pronounced like “abuse” with a “D” in front). So I did a little Google sleuthing, and I was amazed to find the perfect answer to that old question: Am I really a writer?

The video link above is less than two-minutes long and well worth the click. I know I’m not the only one who struggles with this same question. Even after selling my first novel I worry about it still. Will I pull it together for a second novel? Can I call myself a writer with just one book on the shelf? Well, if I listen to Andre, I was a writer long before I ever acknowledged it. “If you can go a year without writing”, he says, “and feel just fine. You’re not a writer. So what? It’s actually a good piece of news because now you’re free to find out what the hell you’re supposed to do.” But if you can’t, if you need to get in front of the keyboard and put the word onto paper, to dream a story and watch it take shape—you’re a writer, with or without the publications.

Dubus went on in his master class to give a unique outlook on writing (one I might try to capture in a future post), but he also revealed a broader perspective. “We are on this planet to find out who we are and to be it—to lead an authentic life.”

And so with a book deal in hand it might be easier to explain to Nancy why I still haven’t come to bed, it doesn’t actually change anything. I am a writer because I write, because I love to write even though I don’t always like to. I am a writer because I need to write. 

Top 20 Movies Based on Historical Fiction

For my last couple of posts I discussed the relevance of Historical Fiction (Faking it…the Importance of Historical Fiction) and (5 Steps to NailHistorical Fiction—Faking it Right). But after reading Garret Calcaterra’s recent post (On the Originof Zombies: 7 Must-See Zombie Films), it got me a little jealous. I love the Walking Dead, and I love me some zombie movies, but what could I possibly offer up for all us Historical Fiction aficionados to compete with that? Then Holly West came along in her last post (Book, Movie, Both) and inspired me to dig deeper. Holly writes, "As a story lover, I'm also enamored of movies. They entertain and inspire me differently, but no less so than books."

To my surprise, it’s actually quite easy to research exactly which movies were made from Historical Fiction novels. And it was even easier to find out how much money each had earned at the box-office! I hate to make money the sole means to rank these movies, but in at least some sense, that’s important, too. The more Historical Fiction rakes in at the box office as novels are converted to screen plays, the more readers we may pull into our shared love of books. In addition, it shows the entire publishing industry, and the movie executives, just how important Historical Fiction can be. So using the total World-Wide Box office haul as our sole discriminator, here are the top 20 grossing movies based on Historical Fiction!

5 Steps to Nail Historical Fiction—Faking it Right

In my last post I talked about why I love Historical Fiction—a great novel in the genre can teach us not only who we are, but also who we were. I love the brackish headwaters where history and fiction collide and transform into something magical. But there’s an art to the genre, the art of faking it so no one realizes!

That’s right, you’ve got to sell it as good, or better, than Meg Ryan as she embarrasses the hell out of Billy Crystal. Just like the old lady at the end of that scene, you want your readers to raise their hands and say: “I’ll have what she’s having!”

But how do we get there?

To me, there are 5 critical elements to writing a great historical. Whenever I pick up a novel in the genre and something doesn’t feel right, I can almost always trace it back to one of these few issues.

1. A Captivating Story and Good (if not Great) Writing

I know what you’re thinking right now, “What a load of crap! Every great work of fiction needs a great story and great writing.” And you’re right! Historical fiction is no different than any other work of fiction, that’s the point. The story needs to rock and it needs to keep rocking. All too often I’ll pick up an example where the author thinks their unique setting, or something quirky about the time period can carry the story. IT CAN’T! Those things are important, but from page one you’ve got to be hooked. Take Charles Portis’s amazing novel True Grit. That has one of the best opening paragraphs of any novel anywhere.

“People do not give it credence that a fourteen-year-old girl could leave home and go off in the wintertime to avenge her father’s blood but it did not seem so strange then, although I will say it did not happen every day.”

BAM! I’m hooked. Mattie Ross is going to go an-ass kicking, and I can’t wait to be there with her!

  

So how about great writing? There’s the cliché of our writing generation, as if anyone strives for bad writing. But it happens…and it gets published. Here’s the secret: You don’t need great writing as long as you don’t have bad writing. Great writing—you notice. Bad writing—you notice. But if you thread the needle and write an awesome story, you can get away with plain old good writing. As Tom Pitts said in his recent post (NeverJoin a Club That Would Have You As A Member):

“The idiosyncrasies of word choice and the distraction of paragraph placement ultimately goes unnoticed by most readers. They just want the damn thing to move.”

Of course we all want to be Hemmingway and write beautiful literature, but in truth, as long as we stay away from bad writing your readers will love it IF the story works. So what is bad writing? When you read it to yourself out loud, and you NOTICE the writing, it’s either good or bad. And from there it's easy to tell. The best example of good writing I can give, try out Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried—there are pages I just re-read again and again…that’s how I know it’s good.

2. Setting

Finally! This is what makes a historical novel, well, a historical novel. It takes place in yester-year! I’m sure we could be picky about the definition, as in how many years had to have passed before the author first picks up his/her pen…but honestly, who cares. Some things we consider historical today (or at least some things that I consider historical fiction) were actually written long ago and were contemporary fiction at the time. Take Stephen Crane’s Red Badge of Courage. I call it historical fiction, and you can find it on Amazon in the historical category. (It’s also in the Classics section, but I’m claiming it for all of us Historical Fiction junkies!) But the point is that the novel is set at some point in the past. A unique device that many historicals then utilize is turning the setting into character. While this isn’t a device only used in historical fiction, I think it comes about more often in historicals because authors are already so invested in describing the setting to build authenticity, that the natural extension is for setting to take on a life of its own. And it’s a great way to get all that good research onto the page without the reader noticing (i.e. without bad writing!).

So where do we start on setting? There are so many places to choose from! I like to set my stories in Americana—somewhere, sometime. Think of all the crazy time periods we have had: the Revolution, the Wild West, the Civil War, the list just goes on an on. And it doesn't have to be set around a war, although those periods do come equipped with plenty of drama and tension. But your reader needs something to keep them motivated, to keep them loving the setting as much as the story. They're there to learn as well as to be entertained—even if they don't know it!

A great example is The Help by Kathryn Stockett, writing about the South in 1962. Amazing setting, right? Plenty of drama to be had in a time where the nation is divided on race and other social issues. Stockett chose a setting that remains relevant today, is educational as you read, and is damn entertaining.

African American Children in the South Looking in at an All-White Playground 

3. Interesting POV Character

Again, another cop-out! Of course you need interesting characters. This is true for all fiction. But in historical fiction, your characters need to sell their setting for you. I guess the same could be said of every other genre, but when I pick up an unconvincing historical, sometimes it boils down to the fact that the character seems out of place, not in the right time period even. They are the actors, and they have to interact correctly with their environment in order to sell the story. Mattie Ross from True Grit, or Inman in Charles Frazier's monumental Cold Mountain are excellent examples. They know how to live in their world, how to act, what to wear, how to speak the lingo. Sometimes where the character leaves off and the setting takes over is a blurry line, and the character can teach the reader as much about the world they are immersed in as any other element of the story. They need to be rich, emotionally complex, and hopefully a few are even at odds with one another to ratchet up the tension. But above all they need to be REAL! Mattie Ross pushes the boundary of this in True Grit, as a girl who tracks down her father's killer. But Charles Portis sells it through the setting, and the great story, and of course, through an obstinate and intelligent 14-year old full of sass and hell bent on revenge. Or how about Laurie Halse Anderson's Chains trilogy (Chains, Forge, and TBD), where we see the Revolution through the eyes of two slaves, 13-year old Isabel and the slightly older Curzon. Interesting setting, and then Anderson piles it on with amazing characters. No wonder she was a National Book Award Finalist!

4. Research

That's a terrible word, isn't it? It strikes fear into the hearts of high-school students everywhere. Why would you have to do research if you're writing fiction? It's all made up, right?

WRONG! Sure, the story, the characters, the plot, even parts of the setting can all be the creative genius of the author, but in a historical it has to fit on the scaffolding of History. It has to make sense with the time. That's the big picture. As you narrow in, there are all sorts of details you have to get right. Let's say you write a western thriller—as in a thriller set in the Old West. What kinds of guns did they carry? Do they have five or six shells in the cylinders? How long does it take to ride a train from Atlanta to Chattanooga? If they go by horse, how long can a horse go for without food and water? You just can't have a good believable historical if your main character is Bruce Willis from Die Hard who never runs out of bullets. I mean, come on, he’s shooting a Beretta 92 for like 20 minutes without a single mag change.

There are plenty of places to do research, and it's easier than ever with the trusty Interweb thingy. Just fire up Google, and the resources are almost limitless. But nothing beats a boots on the ground approach. If you're going to write about the foothills of Tennessee, then go get out there! See them for yourself. Visit the battlefields, the old houses, or if you're Arthur Kerns, (author of The African Contract) travel to Africa to do your research! From One of Arthur's latest posts (Africa Can Be A Dangerous Place):

“While doing research for my latest novel, The African Contract, I ran across an entry in one of my travel journals. It recorded a visit to a friend’s village miles away from the nearest African city. Strolling among the homes, Dingane introduced me to his relatives and friends, while giving me a history of the region.”

Okay, you don't HAVE to travel to Africa, but think of the adventures you can go get into all in the excuse that you're doing research for your great American novel.

5. The Lens of History

Finally, this one of the unique elements to Historical Fiction. It all has to do with how the present world, the modern world, views the past. If I truly wrote a story exactly like it would have occurred, chances are no one would like it. Pick up the Red Badge of Courage. It was penned (literally) in 1893, and the writing is so very different. Even though it’s an amazing piece of literature, it might not have enjoyed the same success if it were published today—if it could even get published (that’s a whole other conversation). So there’s a trick to writing historical fiction. You don’t necessarily want to write in the style of days long ago, in fact, you can't! (I know, that kind of contradicts everything I said above). But what you really want to do is to convince all of us readers that we’re in that yesteryear time period, while still relating to the world of today. So the writer needs to take that lens of history, to warp the story enough that those of us reading it today find it believable, even though the very act of doing so distorts how the action would have played out if the story were real. Joe Clifford brings that point home in his latest post (Planting the Clues in Crime Fiction):

“All art is contrived. We make it up. The trick is to keep those strings tugged safely behind the curtain, out of sight, and making the work seem effortless.”

And while Joe is talking about writing mysteries, that is also the magic in writing Historical Fiction—the art of faking it just enough to be believable while still capturing the essence of the time, educating the reader, and at all times providing the entertainment.

Tj Turner is a scientist, a federal agent, a military officer, and a writer. His first novel, Lincoln's Bodyguard, is due out from Oceanview Publishing in April 2015. He can be reached at tj@tjturnerauthor.com, or through his amazing Literary Agent, Elizabeth Kracht at liz@kimberleycameron.com. Learn more at www.tjturnerauthor.com

Faking it…the Importance of Historical Fiction

In the last few days our nation, and large parts of Europe, gave pause to remember a monument in the history of the 20th century—D-Day. I’m sure there is little need to revisit the event in any detail, especially with the amount of press coverage for the past few days as we mark 70^th anniversary this year. At first, making a spectacle of the 70^th anniversary seems a bit mute, it doesn’t ring out like the 50^th anniversary, or even the 100^th. But as far as marking great events in terms of decades, this year holds extra significance. Few veterans from that day are left among us, and more take their leave of our world with every passing sunset. When we come to celebrating the 80^th anniversary, it’s quite possible it will be a remembrance only, with no first-hand stories to hear. Living history is passing as I write this.

I’m sure someone out there is scratching their head and wondering what any of this has to do with writing. It’s actually pretty simple. Several of the earlier posts on The Prose & Cons have talked about the importance of books (PeterHogenkamp) or why Science Fiction and Fantasy Matter (Garrett Calcaterra). So true! I’m just adding another genre to the list of things that matter, Historical Fiction. That’s what chose me as a writer—history. And I’m not talking about the type of history we learn in school. I’m talking about the antidote to those history lessons—the real living parts of history that are forgotten unless someone puts pen to paper.

Can you imagine standing on a troop transport off the Normandy shore 70 years ago? Let’s close our eyes and see if we can…(okay, don’t close your eyes because then you can’t read). No high-tech fabrics to protect against the wind whipping up across the English Channel—just cotton and wool, and leather boots with a heavy steel helmet. Your hands clutched the wooden stock of a rifle, not the lightweight carbines the military sports today, but solid wood to absorb the recoil of a large caliber cartridge. With each step to the landing craft the sea spray soaks the air and loosens the clutch on your weapon, the one thing you know you’ll need if you make it on shore. Then there’s the intolerable ride to the beach, the boat pitching and heaving (sorry Liz!) all the way to the surf line. Finally, the landing doors drop…

Those little details, the smallest things that were so important to those who experienced them, are lost by the time the June 6^th 1944 was pressed into a history text. And in 10 or 20 years it’s possible that no one will be around to share them with us. So what will we have left? What will resurrect the texture of life that time erases?

Of course, there is plenty of historical non-fiction (and not just about D-Day!) There are amazing books in that genre, like Manhunt by James Swanson, recounting the chase for President Lincoln’s killers and the other conspirators. These books are also antidotes to the history texts of our youth, but all too often even the great writing they contain may not truly address the human part of the equation. They have to stick to the script that History wrote for them no matter what. And that’s where Historical Fiction enters the stage—a beautiful mix of reality and illusion—stories that illuminate the human condition while teaching us about History in all those glorious little details. In essence, we fake it! But we have to fake it well. To borrow from JoeClifford’s earlier post, “We are architects manifesting an illusion…”

And so like every other genre, Historical Fiction deserves its well-earned shelf-space. I couldn’t say it any better than Susan Clayton Goldner who just a few days ago wrote, “Stories allow us to spend time with the living and the dead. In the acts of telling, reading and writing them, we discover truths--things we didn't know we knew.” And while Susan is talking about writing in general, a good historical can teach us not only who we are, but also who we were.

Acknowledgements

I’ve been remiss with keeping up with the blog over the past couple of weeks. Even though I hate excuses, I have a pretty good one all the same! Even though I posted it on Facebook a few times, my super stellar literary agent sold LINCOLN’S BODYGUARD to Oceanview Publishing. It is due out April 2015, just in time for the 150^th anniversary of President Lincoln’s assassination. For those who don’t know, the novel is an alternative look at history, where Lincoln survives John Wilkes Booth’s assassination attempt.

In any event, I’ve been busy trying to finalize edits to the manuscript, and getting the incredible Oceanview staff all the background they need. But last night I turned in a big packet of information, and I’m back to the keyboard!

One of the exciting things I was asked to supply my publisher was an acknowledgements for the novel. I’ve secretly dreamed of getting the chance to write them, but never dared take a stab at it until asked. I didn’t want to risk ruining any publishing Karma! Actually sitting down to write the acknowledgments was humbling. For years I’ve read that section in every book I’ve picked up, mostly out of jealousy. But in writing mine for LINCOLN’S BODYGUARD, I’m humbled by how much help I’ve had along the way. To that end, I’ll post those acknowledgements here, just to show my appreciation to all those that have lent a hand. Thanks!

Writing may be a solitary act, but no writer can go it alone. I know there is no way I can adequately thank everyone who has inspired, pushed, cajoled or sometimes kicked me forward, but I will at least try to account for all those who have helped see LINCOLN’S BODYGUARD into print. In trying to remember all those involved I am humbled by the realization that telling Joseph and Molly’s story was truly a community effort.

First I must thank my beautiful wife. Nancy taunted me into writing my first novel, not realizing the many nights she would go to bed without me as I stayed up behind my keyboard. My children, Cheyan, Jia, and Sierra (Boo), who all think it’s normal for Daddy to spend so much time behind the computer. To my parents, Connie and Jim, and my brothers Nick and Erik, who suffered through those early drafts and meandering storylines. I also have to thank Gwyn Sundell for reading many, many drafts, and Basil Blank for testing out the final version. Then there are the readers of the “Yellow Springs Wine Sipping Club with a Book Problem” who pulled no punches: Jen Clark (and Jason Clark who came for the wine), Karla Horvath, Kathleen Galarza, Eden Matteson, Nan Meekin, Melissa Tinker and Betty Tinker.

The Antioch Writer’s Workshop and the Bill Baker Award got me started on this writing career.  Thank you Sharon Short, Becky Morean, Lee Huntington, and Wendy Hart-Beckman for helping me fine-tune the story, and Jane Baker and family for establishing the award named after her husband. I also have Colonel (ret.) Vic Brown, Carol Callicotte, Jim Satterfield, and Peter Hogenkamp to thank for lending their perspective, as well as Bill Phillips who pushed me toward writing this story. Thanks also to Maddee James for a fantastic website in an age where authors and social media are impossible to separate.

My amazing Literary Agent Elizabeth Kracht (Kimberley Cameron & Associates) is the kind of agent who is in it for the long haul with all her writers, honing their craft while she guides their careers. I will be forever indebted to Liz for the guidance and all her hard work. Lincoln’s Bodyguard would never have wound up in front of Liz if not for Mary Moore who read that early draft and believed in the story. Finally, I have to thank Pat and Bob Gussin at Oceanview Publishing for taking a chance on a debut author!

The Writing Life

On multiple occasions my oldest daughter has declared that she will one day be an author! She always adds a…”just like Daddy.” to the end, though that may just be my creative license/memory kicking in here. In any event, I don’t doubt her. She’s been a storyteller for a long time, especially when she’s blaming her siblings for something broken in the house! But more importantly, she’s been writing some of those stories down. That’s how it starts, and for some of us once that writing bug takes hold, it doesn’t let go. I’m fairly certain that’s the case with her.

As much as I love to hear her say that she wants to follow this writing around like I do, a part of me is reluctant to fully embrace it for her. There are so many things she doesn’t know: the hours spent behind the keyboard wondering if it’s all worth it, the pain of seeing a story fall apart as you try to put it together, the late nights and the early mornings when the story won’t let go and starts driving you crazy, or even just that nagging uncertainty that even if it all comes together will it be worthwhile or will you be the only person ever reads your masterpiece?

Even with the lows, there are awesome highs. They seem to come less often, but they must be the reason those of us who venture those long hours behind the keyboard keep at it. There is the first time you see something you wrote in print (The Power of Teddy Bears), or even scarier…the first time you get to read your writing out loud—mine was on NPR’s This I Believe essay series! (At least it was pre-recorded). Those are the hooks that keep us going, fueling the hope.

This year has brought a bunch of high points for me. I landed in the hands of a great literary agent, Liz Kracht, and she helped me craft my latest novel well beyond my abilities. And just this week Liz sold the book to Oceanview Publishing. Crazy! I’ll finally see my story in print, where I can go into Barnes and Nobles and find it on the rack! That’s the kind of hook that will keep me at this for a long time!

So when Cheyan tells me that she wants to be a writer, part of me wants to tell her about all the little things along the way. But that would be cheating her. She’ll figure it all out when she needs to, and all those trials will make the call from her literary agent that much sweeter…the call where she learns she landed her first book deal! Thanks Liz!

If Lincoln Had Lived?

It's a curious question, isn't it? Exactly the kind of thing I love to explore, a tipping point in history! Next April we'll come across the 150^th anniversary of President Lincoln's assassination, and this same question is sure to be asked and evaluated by anyone who ever cracked open an American history book. All too often we hear the easy answer. If Lincoln had lived then the period after the Civil War would have been easier, more peaceful. Lincoln would have handled Reconstruction better, so the argument goes. The South would have emerged from the devastation of war earlier with Lincoln at the helm. But the truth, I believe, is far more nuanced—everything with history is.

The first known photograph of Lincoln after clinching the Presidency

Too many of us look back on Lincoln's presidency and the time period leading up to and after the Civil War with distortion of our modern time. How many times have you heard that hindsight is 20/20? The trouble is, hindsight also gets more entrenched the further away you get from the actual events, the more time and memory fade all the little details. It's easy to forget just how unpopular old Abe Lincoln was in the last year of his presidency. He was re-elected in 1864, after putting Senator Andrew Johnson on the ticket to build a larger coalition in countering the Radical Republicans—the elements of his own political party who actively sought retribution from the South for their secession. Lincoln even had to fight for the nomination of his party that year, by stacking the party convention with delegates who owed him their jobs!  It wasn't until just before the general election in Sept 1864 that several Union victories pushed Abe ahead in the polls and secured his second term. How soon we forget...the man we all know as the greatest American President was universally reviled by his party, by the South, even by abolitionists who saw the Emancipation Proclamation as a hollow document. (An excellent review of this is given by Larry Tag at the Civil War Trust.)

And so in 1865 we had an ominous backdrop to our nation, one where the course of history could have flown in almost any direction. The nation was torn apart, reconstruction had barely started, draft riots took place up north, factory workers threatened action if a flood of newly freed slaves made their way north to compete for their jobs, and the War still simmered. Even when General Lee handed his sword to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, uncertainty lingered over the country. A large number of Confederate soldiers in the Army of General Joe Johnston were still at the fight, and Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederacy, was on the loose and encouraging Johnston to disband his men and fight on in guerilla warfare.

           General Joe Johnston

That was exactly what Lincoln had long worried over, that the War would linger, drag for years as a burning brush fire marring the country from progress. If General Johnston wanted, he could easily have formed an insurgency the likes of which our nation fought in Iraq, or Afghanistan—small groups of men harassing the countryside and the occupying Northern Armies for years to come. Johnston had nearly 90,000 men at his command, more than enough to extend the fight indefinitely. What Lincoln needed was a clear defeat of the Confederacy, an end to the War that everyone could point to and agree upon. But before he could see that day he took a night out with his wife to catch a play. He never saw the country fully reunited.

Two days later, on April 17^th 1865, Johnston met with Union General William Tecumseh Sherman, the man who had cut a path of destruction across the South. At that first meeting Sherman handed Johnston a telegraph that told of Lincoln's death. The southern general knew what it meant. He had a decision to make and little time to barter. Lincoln had instructed his generals to go easy on the surrendering armies, to help them back into the fold of the nation. And Johnston argued for this kind of treatment, for a surrender that went beyond pure military terms. In an effort to ease the reconciliation, Sherman relented and agreed to political concessions, such as reinstating state governments and releasing arms to state militias. But officials in Washington rejected the terms of the deal. They found the details too lenient, especially after the death of the President. Revenge was setting in and Lincoln was becoming the Northern martyr. On April 26^th 1865, Johnston accepted surrender on purely military terms. By doing so he directly disobeyed orders from Jefferson Davis, who wished the struggle to continue. Johnston knew revenge would come swift from the North—revenge for a fallen President no matter how unpopular he had been.

So we’re left pondering. What would have happened is Lincoln lived? Would Johnston have surrendered? Maybe not. Maybe his men would have blended back into the fabric of the South, dropping their uniforms but taking their rifles and their powder. An insurgency would have erupted, plaguing the nation for years if not decades. Booth never knew the blow he dealt for the Southern cause. Lincoln’s death was a short-term symbolic victory for the dying Confederacy, but ultimately it’s final undoing. And Lincoln may have known, even predicted his own death as the last impediment for the nation to heal. He had dreams and premonitions of his own death, dreams he documented. His friend and confidant, Ward Hill Lamon, claimed that Lincoln dreamt of "the subdued sobs of mourners". During the dream Lincoln asked a soldier who had died. The soldier said, “The President. He was killed by an assassin." That dream was on April 4^th 1865. Just 10 days later he paid the ultimate price.

We’ll never know exactly what might have happened if Lincoln had a real bodyguard. But my bet is that the simple answer, the ideal image we have of Old Abe guiding the nation through its time of healing, is just too easy to accept. History is too nuanced, too complex to let us off the hook so easily.

What would America have looked like if Lincoln lived? No one knows…