Nationally acclaimed book by members of the League, Happy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln: A Commemorative Collage is the result of a commitment made by Pen Women to honor our 16th president.  A collection of music, art, drama, poetry and writing refracted through Lincoln and his influence on our nation, this anthology is endorsed by the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.  The ALBC was established by Congress in 2000 to commemorate  Lincoln who remains, as they state "...the embodiment of the highest ideals and values of our nation..."  This outstanding book is available for purchase. See our Pay Pal link at the bottom of the page.

 

   Winner of George Washington Medal

     The Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, PA, has awarded to the League for its excellent anthology, Happy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln. The George Washington Medal is conferred upon “inspirational citizens or organizations who demonstrate the best of the American spirit through words or deeds,” according Jeff Oddo, Vice President of Public Relations at the Foundation.

Excerpt from Happy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln 
Text and photo 
By Jean E. Holmes 
Boca Raton Branch

LINCOLN’S LEFT HAND

 The Lincoln Memorial is one of the most visited monuments in our nation’s capital. Thousands of tourists come daily from all over the world to view this important national landmark. They climb its many steps to photograph the great image of Abraham Lincoln in Georgian marble designed by Daniel Chester French. Most arrive in the daytime. They stand back as far as the crowds will allow and take photographs of the chiseled image of the enthroned President.  

Few of the monument’s visitors have ever heard of the legend of the hands. There are those who claim that Lincoln’s hands were sculpted to form the American Sign Language for his initials-the left hand forming an “A” and the right an “L”. Be that mere speculation or a fanciful flight of imagination, Daniel Chester French is said to have known the hand sign language commonly used by the deaf.

 My photograph of Lincoln’s left hand, taken late at night with only the ceiling-mounted flood lights to illuminate the sculpture, gave to my mind’s eye a more nuanced interpretation. Lincoln’s hand is grasping the top of a Roman fasces, the symbol of strength and authority. His fingers are clenched, but his thumb is extended, thus softening the look of the hand. This is not the tight fist of a man who carries anger, hatred, or a desire for retribution. I see instead strength, determination and firmness in its position, tempered by deep compassion. The sculptor captured, even in Lincoln’s left hand, the true character of the man who led this nation through a bloody civil war, but who never lost sight of the ultimate goal--to reunite a divided people.

 

 

Endorsed by the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission

 

 

Curricula for elementary, middle and high school students based on Happy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln are the foundation for a national outreach program of American Pen Women to be launched in 2010.  

 

ISBN: 978-0-9815693-0-7
Cover art - ©Phyllis Rutigliano, All Cities Branch (NY)

   

                 
©National League of American Pen Women
To order your copy of Happy Birthday Mr Lincoln: A Commemorative Collage, please send your name, mailing address and payment of $29.50 , which includes $1.50 tax and shipping;  to NLAPW, 1300 17th Street NW, Washington DC 20036-1973.