“The Humor of Abraham Lincoln" at the Davenport Public Library Eastern Branch -- April 6.
Wednesday, April 6, 6:30 p.m.
Davenport Public Library Eastern Branch, 6000 Eastern Avenue, Davenport IA
The funny bone of one of the United States' most revered presidents will be explored at the Davenport Public Library Eastern Branch on April 6 when historian and former professor William Hampes presents The Humor of American Lincoln, a program focusing on the types of humor that Lincoln used, how he used them in politics and his personal life to achieve his goals, and what his sense of humor demonstrated about his personality.
As stated at GreatAmericanHistory.net, "As a politician, Lincoln made excellent use of his humorous stories. His long time political opponent Stephen A. Douglas complained that Lincoln’s jokes were 'like a slap across my back. Nothing else – not any of his arguments or any of his replies to my questions – disturbs me. But when he begins to tell a story, I feel that I am to be overmatched.' More than once Douglas and other political opponents of Lincoln’s saw their eloquently presented arguments forgotten by the audience after Lincoln followed up their speeches with a homely story or anecdote. At Alton, Illinois, during the last of the 'great debates' with Douglas, Lincoln told a story that illustrated how he felt about a political feud that was currently raging between Democratic senator Douglas and the head of the Democratic Party. He said he felt like the old woman that, not knowing who was going to win a brawl between her husband and a bear, decided to cheer for both of them: 'Go it husband, go it bear!'
"In another instance Lincoln got a tremendous laugh from the audience when he said one of Senator Douglas'' arguments was 'as thin as the homeopathic soup that was made by boiling the shadow of a pigeon that had starved to death.' When Lincoln became president, he used his jokes for a different purpose. He would frequently use them to get rid of visitors that had over-stayed their allotted visiting time. In these situations he would use a funny story to illustrate a point he was trying to make, and then – while the listeners were laughing – would ease them out the door."
The Davenport Public Library's The Humor of Abraham Lincoln program presenter William Hampes is a retired professor who taught psychology at St. Michael's College, Louisiana State University at Eunice, and, for 25 years, Moline's Black Hawk College. He has published scholarly articles in the area of the psychology of humor, exploring how humor is related to such personality variables as empathy, forgiveness, intimacy, and trust, and Hampes has been teaching a course on "The Psychology of Humor" at the Communiversity for the past several years.
The Humor of Abraham Lincoln will be presented at the Davenport Public Library Eastern Avenue Branch on April 6 at 6:30 p.m., participation is free, and more information is available by calling (563)326-7832 and visiting DavenportLibrary.com.
