Kevin Starr to Appear at Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, January 7, 2013

Dec. 19, 2012 - PRLog -- The Walnut Creek Library Foundation will host a special appearance by American historian Kevin Starr, Associate Dean of Libraries, USC, at the Lesher Center for the Arts on Monday, January 7, 2013, 7:30 p.m.

Acclaimed for his multi-volume series on the history of California, collectively called "Americans and the California Dream," Starr will discuss the emergence of national leadership in California and by California during the Civil War with an analysis of California’s transition from frontier to province and its remarkable development in social and political arenas. He will discuss Thomas Starr King and the Sanitary Commission (predecessor to the American Red Cross), prominent Civil War generals from California, and the role of California as the point of migration of former Confederates at the end of the war. General $25; students & seniors $15. VIP reception available. Tickets: 925.943.SHOW.

Starr’s January 2013 presentation launches a month-long series of special events aligned with the national traveling exhibit, “Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War,” on display at the Walnut Creek Library December 14, 2012 through February 8, 2013. Hosted locally by the Walnut Creek Library Foundation, the exhibition is traveling to select cities and venues around the country through 2015. Walnut Creek is one of those select cities and the first in the San Francisco Bay Area to host this extraordinary exhibit. “Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War,” offers an innovative perspective on President Abraham Lincoln and focuses on his struggle to meet the political and constitutional challenges of the Civil War.

The Walnut Creek Library Foundation and Walnut Creek Library have partnered with the American Library Association Public Programs Office and the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia to bring this exciting new exhibit to Walnut Creek. The traveling exhibition is funded by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to the National Constitution Center.

For more information about the “Lincoln” exhibit, associated programs and events, and the Walnut Creek Library Foundation, visit www.WCLibrary.org, or call 925.935-5395.

Companion events:

“The True Story of Glory Continues”

Documentary & Panel Discussion

Monday, 1/14/13, 7pm

Oak View Room, WC Library

Free; register at www.WCLibrary.org

Learn the true story of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment patriots, the first black fighting unit of the American Civil War, in this 45-minute documentary narrated by Morgan Freeman.

Wit & Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln

Thursday, 1/17/13, 6:30 pm

Oak View Room, WC Library

Free; register at www.WCLibrary.org

Lincoln historian Arnold Kunst presents Lincoln’s humorous side in this program designed for all audiences interested in a good laugh and a dose of inspiration.

The Songs & Poetry of the Civil War

Wednesday, 1/23/13, 6:30 pm

Oak View Room, WC Library

Free; register at www.WCLibrary.org

Hear the personal stories of the Civil War through popular wartime anthems and the poetry of some of the most prolific and profound Civil War-era writers.

A Nation Divided – 21st Century Lessons from the American Civil War

Tuesday, 1/29/13, 7 pm

Oak View Room, WC Library

Free; register at www.WCLibrary.org

UC Davis Constitutional Law Professor Vikram Amar presents Lincoln's views on partisanship, states' rights, and the institutional role of the Supreme Court and explores what lessons Lincoln’s approach might have for the modern era.

Lincoln at the Movies

Thursday, 1/31/13, 7pm

Oak View Room, WC Library

Free; register at www.WCLibrary.org

To commemorate the historic January 31, 1865 approval of the 13th Amendment by the U.S. House of Representatives, Saint Mary's College history professor and Civil War scholar Carl Guarneri discusses Steven Spielberg's acclaimed movie "Lincoln" and expands on the film’s story lines. Q&A follows.