All Burr, All the Time, No. 2

Just back from the first week of intense promotion of American Emperor, and the feeling out there was great:

  • Started this week in Louisville at the Filson Historical Society, where the crowd topped a hundred and they were deep into the Burr story.
  • Then on to the Atlanta History Center where 170 Georgians filed in to hear about Burr, Wilkinson, and the Empire That Nearly Was.
  • Finished up last night at the Kansas City Public Library, which turned out 120 people and the all-important crew from C-SPAN’s BookTV.  As soon as I hear when they will be broadcasting the session, I will post it here.

    In a converted bank building, the Kansas City Public Library is a stylish venue.

I’ll be staying closer to home this week, with a few radio interviews and a talk at Montgomery College in Rockville on Thursday night.

The real fun will come on Friday evening, when the Appellate Judges Education Institute is staging a mock trial of Burr as part of its annual institute.  Sadly, only those attending its conference can come, but it promises to be a hoot.  Four skilled lawyers have signed up to prosecute and defend poor old Aaron:

  • Presiding will be three federal judges — David Sentelle of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, Royce Lamberth of the D.C. District Court, and Andrew Effron of the Armed Forces Court of Appeals.
  • Prosecutors are John Elwood of Vinson & Elkins and Deanne Maynard of Morrison & Foerster.
  • Defending POA (Poor Old Aaron) will be Jeremy Rosen of Horvitz & Levy and Edward Larson of Pepperdine Law School.

There is even a rumor that POA himself might just show up . . .

Speaking of POA.  I did a talk last weekend for the Aaron Burr Association, a collection of Burr enthusiasts who assemble annually to visit locations associated with Burr.  Although reviewers have termed American Emperor as “largely sympathetic” to Burr, or “sympathetic but unapologetic,” it was Not Sympathetic Enough for these folks.  They scheduled two speakers to rebut my presentation!  I spoke for 45 minutes, and so did the rebutters!

New rule:   No rebuttals at book talks.  If you want equal time, write your own book.

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