Oh Jimmy, Where Art Thou?

So judging from the amount of hits that this website has received over the past few months, it seems as if people have stopped checking in to see just where in the hell their beloved blogospondent has disappeared to.

And I can hardly blame them!

So since I have an off day today, I figured I’d fill you in on a little bit of what life has been like over the past 5 months or so.
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Passing the 13th Amendment is hard work.

First of all, yes, the rumors are true – I was involved in the filming of Spielberg’s new Lincoln movie. I filmed for about 30 hours or so (not in one day, of course) and it was exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. Spielberg truly is a master at crafting a scene and explaining to both actors and extras exactly what he wants to see them do. The attention to detail that was put into the production was truly astounding – for Exhibit A, look at what they did to yours truly!

I’m also serving as a historical consultant for the upcoming miniseries To Appomattox, which will be kicking into production this year!

The New Market Heights book is selling well and I’m glad to report that it’s now available in a Kindle Edition!

Also keeping me busy is my new job as an adjunct professor at Germanna Community College. I have the privilege of teaching a great group of students a class on the Military History of the Civil War

In other news, here’s a quick update on what my reenactment unit – the 23^rd USCT – is up to:

Saturday, February 25th we’ll be hosting John Hennessy in a program entitled "Bridging the Chasm: A Public Conversation about Slavery, the Civil War, and its Complicated Legacy," on February 25th at 12 noon at the John J. Wright Museum.

Saturday, March 10th we’ll be at Battle of Hampton Roads, Mariner Museum.

Saturday, March 31st at Museum of the Confederacy at Appomattox Grand Opening - We are one the color guards for this event 10:00 a.m.

I’ll also be speaking at the OAH/NCPH Meeting in Milwaukee on Saturday April 21, 2012 as part of a session entitled “Civil War Battlefields: Imagining the Possibilities after 150 Years" with Joan Zenzen, Robert Sutton, & Ashley Whitehead.

I’ve also been invited to speak at a symposium at Antietam National Battlefield on April 28, 2012 titled "The Dignity of Freedom: Pathways through the Civil War and Beyond," with Cheryl LaRoche, Edna Medford, Mark Neely, and Edie Wallace .

Things are busy right now, but I promise – more good stuff will be coming on this blog!