Introducing Ab Lincoln to the 21 Century
The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln
The Presentation
“Mr. Lincoln, how long ARE your legs?”
“Oh, long enough to reach the ground.”
Has this country ever produced a more interesting humorist than Abraham Lincoln? Have we a leader to match Lincoln’s wisdom as he shepherded this country through the depths of the Civil War, a war that was all but lost on so many occasions? Arnold Kunst, the author of the calendar-based “Lincoln 365,” gave his first talk on Abraham Lincoln in high school and has been fascinated by him ever since. The Abraham Lincoln Arnold uncovers for us in this talk gives every appearance of walking on water; Lincoln will be glad to show us, if we but care to look closely, where the rocks are! Lincoln, always comfortable inside his own skin, shows us reasons aplenty for you and me to choose him as our role model!
The Presentater
Arnold, who holds an MA in history from Queen's University in Northern Ireland, taught both children and adults on both sides of the Atlantic for well over 30 years, his students ranged from the children of cabinet ministers and convicted felons – everyone from the cream of the academic crop to those some would consider the dregs of society. He brings a wide range of experience to the speaker's podium – teacher, business owner, school administrator, professional musician, free-lance journalist, grants writer, house painter, Hospice volunteer.
Arnold has fine-tuned his speaking skills with Toastmasters International where he has achieved the level of Distinguished Toastmaster. His Lincoln presentations, as well as his recently-published "Lincoln 365," arose out of an award-winning Toastmasters speech entitled “Lincoln Was a Loser.” You and I should lose like him!
A few years ago he retired as a teacher in a California state prison; that’s where his fascination with Abraham Lincoln turned into a flat-out passion. He was utterly astonished to find the drug dealers and wife beaters in his class were turned to putty in Lincoln’s hands! As Arnold witnessed first-hand the astonishing effect Abraham Lincoln had on his students, he bottled that Lincoln in his book, “Lincoln 365.” If Lincoln could entice a sense of direction in rudderless felons, just think what he might do for the likes of you and me!