What was Civil about that War... by Megan Hicks

" You can't tell about the First Battle of Fredericksburg without telling about the courage and compassion of this nineteen-year-old Confederate soldier.

Other heroes of the battle also command attention, and I have chosen their stories - Martha Stevens, who claimed to have weathered the battle and nursed wounded soldiers at her home on the front line; and the Irish Brigade, fearless and gallant as they marched to their doom - to highlight Kirkland's heroic act.

I believe that bringing historic characters off the printed page and into a story makes them human in a listener's imagination. Richard Kirkland comes down from the pedestal and you realize he was no more than a boy when he silenced the guns with his bravery and compassion.

(Megan Hicks performs nationwide for libraries, schools, festivals, civic groups, and professional associations. "What Was Civil..." has been named a finalist in the "original work" category for The Audies 2005, the Audio Publishers Association award program to honor the best in spoken word recording each year. Her recording of fractured fairy tales, "Groundhogs Meet Grimm," received a 2004 Parents' Guide to Children's Media Award, a 2003 Storytelling World Honor, and was included among AudioBookCafe.com's "Best of the Best for 2003."

Recently featured on Public Radio (WAMU, The Kojo Nnamdi Show) and in the May/June 2004 issue of Storytelling World, "What was Civil about that War..." has served as introduction and capstone to Civil War studies for middle and high school students. A lively question and answer session usually follows a live performance. At the end of the recorded narrative, Hicks answers questions most frequently asked and presents historical bases for her story. Due to graphic descriptions of the battle and its aftermath, "What was Civil about that War..." is not recommended for audiences younger than 6th grade.)

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