My thanks to everyone who’s taken a moment to tell me how much they’re enjoying–and have been surprised by–The Capitol. It’s a bit of a different kind of book for me–the first question I’ve been getting during interviews is usually “why this particular subject?”–but one that I’m really proud of.
And speaking of interviews, I thought I’d post a few of them here, if you’d like to hear me discussing all things Capitol–and sometimes some things Dr. Seuss.
That was the case, for instance, when I chatted with the amiable Matt Matern on A Climate Change with Matt Matern. We began by discussing Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, and Seuss’ brand of environmentalism–while The Lorax remains one of his most frequently banned books, it’s not the anti-logging message you might think it is . . . or so Seuss said. That led us into a discussion about good stewardship, and how those lessons can apply not only to natural resources but also to a building more than two centuries old.
I also had a wonderful time speaking with Dan Skinner with Some Books Considered at National Public Radio. We discussed some little known facts, ghost stories, and how researching the building changed–or, rather, enhanced–my affection for the building.
And then there’s this deep dive on the history of the building with Evan Axelbank at Axelbank Reports History and Today. Evan is a terrific interviewer, who really knows his stuff, and we really plunged into the early days of the Capitol, including George Washington’s love of domes, Madison’s handwringing over moving the site, and architect William Thornton’s desire to reanimate the dead body of George Washington by pumping him full of lamb’s blood. Yes, really.
