The January edition of Quiddity features guest professor and poet Dan Guillory, author of several books, including Living with Lincoln and his most recent,  The Lincoln Poems. (produced by Joanna Beth Tweedy & Sinta Seiber-Lane)

The January edition of Quiddity can first be heard on January 7th at 6:30pm

The February edition of Quiddity explores Abraham Lincoln through creative writing with guest Adam Braver, author of Mr. Lincoln’s Wars. (produced by Joanna Beth Tweedy & Sinta Seiber-Lane)

The February edition of Quiddity can first be heard on February 4th at 6:30pm

This half-hour program explores how Lincoln discovered humor and honed his own joke-telling and storytelling skills to enhance his legal and political careers. (produced by Rich Bradley)

Details:

Lincoln and Humor... Story-telling and jokes.   They seem to go hand-in-hand... and certainly Abe Lincoln relied upon both.   In a 1965 book... titled "The Humorous Mr. Lincoln"... author Keith Jennison writes... "In his youth... Lincoln told jokes because they came naturally to him.   When he practiced law... he employed them as tools of the trade... and when he entered politics... he wielded them as a weapon for satire and ridicule.   In the early presidency... Jennison writes... they provided a round-a-bout way of saying "No"... and later... as the responsibilities of the office became almost "unendurable"... the provided therapy "to lessen the tensions in himself and those around him."

Jennison's words... according to author Paul Zall... pretty much summarizes the consensus of those who share the interest in Lincoln and Humor.

This program will touch on how Lincoln learned about... and used humor throughout his life... telling stories and sharing and repeating jokes.   It is not meant to be a definitive examination... rather... just some highlights of some of the work by others.   The program includes excerpts of interviews with James Cornelius... curator of the Lincoln collection at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield... P. M. Zall...  Professor emeritus of American studies at California State University... and now a research scholar at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California... and a noted Lincoln Impersonator... Fritz Klein... of Springfield.

Lincoln and Humor can first be heard Monday, February 9th at 6:30 pm

This hour-long show looks at Lincoln’s early years as a legislator in Illinois. (produced by Sean Crawford & Amanda Vinicky)

Details:

We will look at Lincoln's time spent as a state lawmaker.  How it prepared him for his time as President.  From his successes to his failures.  From elections to legislation.

We'll also visit Vandalia... former home of the Illinois Capitol.   Lincoln served there but was instrumental in getting the seat of state government moved to Springfield. While there, we'll learn more about the "Long Nine," a group of legislators that included Lincoln and was influential in moving the state capitol to Springfield.

Lincoln as a Lawmaker can first be heard Tuesday, February 10th at 7pm

This program showcases the music of the early and mid 19th century and includes a discussion of traditional instruments Lincoln would have heard. (produced by Sinta Seiber-Lane)

We'll talk with Illinois musician and storyteller, Chris Vallillo, about his recent CD "Abraham Lincoln in Song" and the research that went into its creation. And we'll sample other period pieces and instruments along the way as well.

We'll also get historical anecdotes from Erwin Thompson.  He's a man whose dedicated most of his life to preserving early American song, poetry and a lifestyle that would have been quite similar to Lincoln and his contemporaries.  Mr. Thompson is a fiddler and discusses the origins of many songs Lincoln would have known and heard.

Lincoln's Music can first be heard Wednesday, February 11th at 8pm

This hour-long program examines the unique campaign politics of the 1860 and 1864 presidential campaigns and compares them to contemporary campaigns. (produced by Bob Meyer)

Details:

A one-hour program drawn from the 2008 Lincoln Legacy Lecture Series, sponsored by the Center for State Politics and Government at the University of Illinois at Springfield. 

First, a presentation by Dr. Jennifer Weber, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Kansas-Lawrence and author of Copperheads: The Rise and Fall of Lincoln's Opponents in the North, discussing how President Abraham Lincoln dealt with the Copperheads (the anti-war Democrats) in the elections held during the U.S. Civil war and how Lincoln's leadership qualities were brought to bear to influence dissidents and politics. 

Then, a presentation by Dr. Silvana Siddali, Associate Professor of History at St. Louis University and author of From Property to Person: Slavery and the Confiscation Acts, 1861-1862, examining how the elections leading up to and during the U.S. Civil War reflected Americans' view of the future of the U.S. Constitution and President Lincoln's power to influence it. 

Lincoln and Campaign Politics can first be heard Wednesday, February 11th at 7pm

On the evening of February 12, 2009 . . . the 200th Anniversary of  Abraham Lincoln's birthday . . .

All of WUIS' bicentennial specials will be re-broadcast according to this schedule

6:30-7:00      pm        Lincoln & Humor
7:00-8:00      pm        Lincoln as a Lawmaker
8:00-8:30      pm        Lincoln through Poetry
8:30-9:30      pm        Lincoln's Music
9:30-10:30    pm        Lincoln & Campaign Politics
10:30-11:00  pm        Lincoln through Historical Fiction