About the Author

Dorie McCullough Lawson graduated from Middlebury College, where she majored in history. She works and lives in Rockport, Maine with her husband and three children. This is her first book.

Reviews

“Each letter has a distinct tone, from congratulatory to scolding, which shines a light on one facet of each great American’s personality. A one-of-a-kind collection.” —Library Journal

“Years ago, parents wrote to their children letters of instruction about duty, industry, propriety—a ritual that has largely disappeared from American life, and this book reminds us of why we should be sorry about it.” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Lawson, daughter of Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David McCullough, debuts with this anthology. Along with advice and words of wisdom, these letters offer intimate insights into the lives of 68 acclaimed Americans-actors, artists, explorers, inventors, novelists, playwrights, politicians-including Ansel Adams, Thomas Edison, Sam Houston, Mary Todd Lincoln, Jack London, Clare Boothe Luce, Groucho Marx, John O'Hara, Frederick Law Olmsted, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Laura Ingalls Wilder. The material is gathered thematically into chapters such as "Love," "Loss" and "Struggle," and each correspondent gets a biographical, scene-setting introduction. Lawson views letters as "the color, heart, and personality of history," and McCullough, in his foreword, calls them "missives of love," adding, "Often the authors want only to save their children from making the mistakes they have." Among these colorful and compassionate epistles are delights and surprises. While Alexander Graham Bell copied jokes from newspapers, the Three Stooges' Moe Howard composed poetry for his eight-year-old daughter. Suffering in a New Jersey hospital, Woody Guthrie told nine-year-old Arlo, "Don't whine to god.... Be thankenful [sic] to god." Illustrator N.C. Wyeth cautioned Andrew Wyeth: "There's a real task on our hands, Andy. Modern art critics and their supine followers like the flat and the shallow." Spanning three centuries, this is a meticulously edited collection, enlightening and entertaining. An appendix traces births, death, marriages and children for each author. Agent, Luke Janklow. (On sale Apr. 13) Forecast: The April publication date positions this as an ideal graduation gift, and the elegant jacket design, combining penmanship and a postage stamp, cleverly communicates the contents to book buyers. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Adult/High School-While readers may feel quite familiar with the public side of such notables as Ansel Adams, John O'Hara, and Henry Louis Gates, Jr., in Posterity they get to see yet another side, that of parent. Lawson has gathered a wonderful collection of letters that are thought provoking and, in some cases, heart wrenching. Two guidelines governed inclusion: the writers had to have made substantial contributions to our country and the letters had to reveal something of value. An introductory paragraph sets the scene and gives readers a brief understanding of the context of the epistle, its tone, and its content. As a whole, this anthology shows the parent-child relationship in all its forms: congratulatory and accusatory, contentious, and amicable. The entries are arranged thematically in chapters such as "Strength of Character," "Good Work," and "Struggle and Loss." In the foreword, historian David McCullough makes the point that it is a shame that people no longer write letters to their children. What a loss it would have been not to be able to read the words of O'Hara to his daughter Wylie: "The greatest pleasure I have in life is the responsibility of being your father. It is a greater pleasure than my work, which is saying a lot because I love my work." Black-and-white photos are included. This is a timeless collection of family thoughts, hopes, and dreams.-Peggy Bercher, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

"Each letter has a distinct tone, from congratulatory to scolding, which shines a light on one facet of each great American's personality. A one-of-a-kind collection." -Library Journal

"Years ago, parents wrote to their children letters of instruction about duty, industry, propriety-a ritual that has largely disappeared from American life, and this book reminds us of why we should be sorry about it." -Pittsburgh Post-Gazette