The Avett Brothers’ Bassist on Writing a John Quincy Adams Book

Childhood fascination with historical pamphlets

Crawford's interest began at age 8-10 during family vacations, collecting local history pamphlets from rest stops that captivated him with images of battles and wax figures.

College C-SPAN obsession in the 1990s

While in college during the Clinton-Gingrich era, he spent hours watching C-SPAN as a 'soothing drone,' even writing a song about it with a friend at the campus radio station.

David McCullough's humanistic history

Reading McCullough's '1776' and 'John Adams' during the Iraq War provided a humane contrast to contemporary Abu Ghraib images, inspiring Crawford to read his way through American history.

The pivotal Sean Wilentz book

Wilentz's 'The Rise of American Democracy' covering the period from Jefferson to Lincoln became the most influential book in Crawford's life, revealing the messy formation of political parties and convulsions leading to the Civil War.

Expecting a co-writer that never came

Crawford initially pitched the book assuming the publisher would pair him with a professional writer, but was surprised to learn he would write it alone despite lacking formal training.

Applying musical improvisation to prose

He approached writing like music or jazz—learning the basics deeply enough that they become subconscious, then 'writing through' quandaries rather than stopping to perfect each sentence.

Chronology as a guiding principle

Following historian Doug Brinkley's advice that 'chronology is your friend,' Crawford resisted abandoning timeline structure despite the complexity of weaving multiple narrative threads.

Editing as the true craft

He discovered that editing is everything, comparing the revision process to the difference between a raw performance and a finished recording.

The only post-presidential congressman

Adams was one of only two presidents to serve in Congress after leaving the White House, embarking on a career as a 'political maverick' that forms the core of Crawford's book.

Human nature as a constant

Crawford argues that while technology changes, human capacity for greed, hate, and goodness remains unchanged across generations, connecting modern readers to historical figures.

The forgotten era between founders and Lincoln

The book explores the turbulent period between the Revolution and Civil War when political parties formed and debates over slavery, banks, and tariffs convulsed the nation.