May 13 , 2025
The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce that its next meeting will be held Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 7:00pm at The Maryland Veterans Museum, 11000 Crain Highway North, Newburg, MD 20664.
Guest Speaker: Lisa Samia
Year 13 closes out tonight with a visit from our good friend, Lisa Samia. Tonight, Lisa will discuss “John Wilkes Booth and his Sister Asia Booth Clarke: A Special Relationship”
This presentation will explore the special relationship between John Wilkes Booth and his sister Asia Booth Clarke. They had similar personalities. They shared a romantic, restless nature as well as a stubborn unrelenting side. John would follow the family vocation and become an accomplished actor. Asia would go on to author three books and become a wife and mother. The second book was specific to her brother John called John Wilkes Booth, A Sister’s Memoir by his sister Asia Booth Clarke. It was written in 1874 but not published until 1938 and at the time of publication was renamed The Unlocked Book. In this book, Asia shares her emotional reminiscences of her brother John while the two grew up together on the Booth family farm in Bel Air, MD from 1852-56. They remained close even after they left the farm, as their lives moved into early adulthood.
Although historians have been generally satisfied with her truthfulness it is important to remember that these writings are from her memory and recollections.
Lisa G. Samia is an Award-Wining Poet and Author who loves American Civil War History. Her latest accomplishments are being selected as the National Parks Arts Foundation’s Artist in Residence for Gettysburg National Battlefield Park 2020 and National Parks Service’s Artist in Residence for Manassas Battlefield Park 2021. both for her Civil War Poetry. Her works include “The Nameless and the Faceless of the Civil War“, a collection of 28 poems and 28 essays on the historical representations of Civil War events through the rhyme and narrative of poetry It was released in April 2018, and endorsed by Eric Swanson, the New York Times best-selling co-author of “The Joy of Living“. “The Nameless and the Faceless Women of the Civil War“, a collection of 28 poems and 28 essays was released in April 2021, also endorsed by Eric Swnson. Also, “The Man with the Ice Blue Eyes“, a romantic Poetry Collection of love and heartache debuted number one on Amazon.com for Women’s Poetry, July 2016. Included in the collection are two award wining poems from the Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association.
Ms. Samia is also and avid author and speaker on John Wilkes Booth and his sister Asia Booth Clarke. She has appeared multiple times on the Civil War Round Table Congress (via Zoom) to a sold-out audience. Her recent discovery of a set of archived letters written by Asia Booth Clarke while residing in Europe provide a deeper reveal of Asia Booth Clarke.
Lisa has devoted three years traveling, researching and writing the fictional novel series based on John Wilkes Booth, “My Name is John Singer” and “My Name is Mrs. John Singer“. She frequently lectures at literary ad historical venues, notably The Edgar Allen Poe House and Museum, the Dr. Samuel A. Mudd House and Museum, the Civil War I, American nterpretive Center Blenheim, The Civil War Round Table Congress, multiple Barnes & Noble locations, and a virtual presentation with the American Civil War Museum.
You can follow Lisa on her various social platforms; Instagram: @authorlisasamia or Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorlisasamia.
As usual, attendance is free, but membership is encouraged. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns at bsunderland@somdcwrt.org.
