I had never been to a presidential
library until I came upon the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum
while coming to Atlanta earlier this month. Although visiting this stimulating
site got me to rethink his presidency, I can’t say I pine for the days when he
was president (1977 – 1981). However, I love the idea of having a museum
dedicated to the former president.
Just as books give life to the events,
places, and people of the past, museums can present the historical context of
an individual and the era he or she lived under. The museum used words, images,
and remnants of the last century to present who Jimmy Carter is and what his
presidency was like.
The gift shop featured books written by
the former president, as well as books about related themes of things he cared
about, such as civil rights, women’s rights, and presidential history. There’s
no nicer way to honor a person than to leave the museum with the purchase of a book.
Even though Carter is a best-selling
author, you don’t necessarily think of him as a writer. So many other things
come to mind – former president, human rights activist, and his work with
Habitat for Humanity. But his books will live on, in part, because of his
library. It’s nice when an organization will be there to continue championing
your writings way after your death.
A legacy can’t be forced onto others. It
needs a salesperson to advocate for you, but the legacy can only survive on the
merits of the lasting message and the significance of what that person
accomplished in the context of the present. As great as one may have been 50
years ago, do they mean anything to us today?
Most authors certainly are not
presidents, and many do not have organizations promoting their works after they
die. But if you want your writings to live beyond your waking days, you’ll need
a museum, a foundation, an association, a school, a nonprofit, or a corporation
standing behind you. So the formula would be: write a great book, continue to
push it throughout your life, and then have a third party speak out for you
after your death. But even then, how long does that legacy hold up? How will it
measure against new events, books, and people of the future?
Maybe the bigger question is: Why do
authors concern themselves so deeply with their legacy? It seems authors always
want to be heard, understood, and appreciated – even in death. Especially in
death.
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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this
blog are his alone and not that of his employer, Media Connect, the nation’s
largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him
at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person.
This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2014.
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