The National Archives Presents Noontime Programs in March
Press Release · Thursday, February 3, 2011

Washington, DC

The National Archives presents noontime programs in March. These events are free and open to the public and will be held at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, which is located on the National Mall and is fully accessible. Attendees should use the Special Events entrance on Constitution Avenue at Seventh Street, NW.

BOOK TALK:  Now the Drum of War: Walt Whitman and his Brothers in the Civil War
Wednesday, March 2, at noon, William G. McGowan Theater
Educator and author Robert Roper discusses his book Now the Drum of War: Walt Whitman and his Brothers in the Civil War, which chronicles the experiences of the Whitman family through their wartime letters. The story covers their lives on the home front, in military hospitals, on battlefields, and in a Confederate prison camp as the fighting ended. A book signing will follow the program; the book is available at a discount from the Archives Shop (202-357-5271) before and during the event.

FILM:  Their Stories, Their Voices: African American WWII Veterans Who Served on Iwo Jima
Thursday, March 10, at noon, William G. McGowan Theater
Actor John Amos recently sat down for a conversation with six African American veterans who served America during World War II. The resulting short documentary acknowledges and pays tribute to all African American veterans who contributed at the battle of Iwo Jima. Tonight Amos will be joined by Dr. Ida Jones, assistant curator of manuscripts, Moorland Spingarn Research Center, Howard University, and several of the Iwo Jima veterans as we screen and discuss the film. This program is presented in partnership with Howard University. Presented by the Charles Guggenheim Center for the Documentary Film at the National Archives.

BOOK TALK: My Thoughts be Bloody: The Bitter Rivalry between Edwin and John Wilkes Booth that Led to an American Tragedy
Friday, March 18, at noon, William G. McGowan Theater
Historian Nora Titone discusses her book My Thoughts be Bloody, which chronicles the rivalry between the Booth brothers Edwin and John Wilkes in their efforts to claim their father’s legacy on the stage. While Edwin’s star rose, bringing him wealth and social prominence, John spiraled downward into disappointment and obscurity. Using an array of letters, diaries, and reminiscences of the Booth family, Titone reveals new reasons why John Wilkes Booth became this country’s most notorious assassin. A book signing will follow the program; the book is available at a discount from the Archives Shop (202-357-5271) before and during the event.

BOOK TALK: A Secret Gift: How One Man’s Kindness—and a Trove of Letters—Revealed the Hidden History of the Great Depression
Wednesday, March 23, at noon, Jefferson Room
Shortly before Christmas 1933 in Depression-scarred Canton, Ohio, a small newspaper ad offered $10 to 75 families in distress if they would submit a letter describing their hardships to an anonymous benefactor. Former Washington Post and Time reporter Ted Gup discovered these letters 75 years later in his grandfather’s forgotten suitcase. In A Secret Gift, Gup unveils the lives behind the letters, and the reason for his grandfather’s generous act, while describing the hardships of average Americans in the Depression. A book signing will follow the program; the book is available at a discount from the Archives Shop (202-357-5271) before and during the event.

To verify dates and times of the programs, call 202-357-5000 or view the Calendar of Events online. To request an accommodation (e.g., sign language interpreter) for a public program, please e-mail public.program@nara.gov or call (202) 357-5000 at least two weeks prior to the event. To contact the National Archives, please call 1-866-272-6272 or 1-86-NARA-NARA (TDD) 301-837-0482.

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For press information, contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at 202-357-5300.

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