One weekend I sat down to read James Madison's notes on the debates of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, all 500-plus pages, from cover to cover. I was angry because I thought my opponent in a lawsuit was misstating what happened in Philadelphia that summer. Once I started reading, I stopped worrying about my case. Instead, I focused on the drama, the wisdom, and the occasional depressing blunder of the fifty-five Framers who wrote the Constitution. I thought I knew a lot about the subject. I had clerked at the Supreme Court for Justice Lewis F. Powell, and had litigated many constitutional cases. But there was so much I didn't know. I decided that I wanted to tell that story, which led to The Summer of 1787.  The book was well-reviewed in the New York Times and around the country, hit the Washington Post bestseller list for several weeks, won the Washington Writing Award for Best Book of 2007, and made several "best books" lists for 2007.  The hardcover went through six printings and the paperback was released in spring, 2008.

In May of last year, Simon & Schuster released Impeached:  The Trial of President Andrew Johnson and the Fight for Lincoln's Legacy.  That 1868 trial was another moment when the nation's fate hung in the balance. America's challenges after the Civil War were immense. How to bind up the nation's wounds after four years of murderous war, yet still protect four million freed slaves from the unbridled prejudices of the day? Andrew Johnson - racist, stubborn, and deaf to the views of others - was not equal to those excruciating challenges. The Radical Republicans, led by the fiercely brilliant Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania, fought for two years to force the president to defend the rights of the freedmen. Stevens' iron will and sheer cussedness produced the final confrontation in the impeachment trial, from which no one emerged a winner.  The book explores long-ignored evidence of bribery and corrupt influences in the final Senate vote.

My legal experience has helped with both books.  As a trial lawyer for more than 25 years, many of which have been with Ropes & Gray in Washington, DC, I have defended accused criminals, challenged government actions as unconstitutional,  and argued many appeals (including two before the U.S. Supreme Court).  I developed a fascination with impeachment when I served as principal defense counsel during the Senate impeachment trial of Judge Walter L. Nixon, Jr. of Mississippi.  Writing also has been a big part of my life, beginning with two years as a reporter for the Staten Island Advance.  For almost ten years, I wrote a monthly column for the American Bar Association Journal on the Supreme Court (five of those columns appear in The Supreme Court and Its Justices, issued by ABA Press).  I also have written frequently on legal topics, and a few of those pieces are linked on the "Other Writings" page, along with a published short story that was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

What's next?  The western conspiracy of Aaron Burr in 1805-07, which climaxed in a treason trial before Chief Justice John Marshall.  It's a powerful story that blends high adventure, political scheming, and an essential turning point in the life of the nation.  My work has been supported by the Hodson Trust/John Carter Brown Library fellowship.

Literary agent: 

Philippa Brophy

Sterling Lord Literistic, New York City

212-780-1688

News from Maryland's finest public official, Nancy Floreen (also my wife), can be found at http://nancyfloreen.blogspot.com.  And updates about the real writing talent in the family can be found at www.matt-stewart.com -- Matt's novel, The French Revolution, will launch on Bastille Day, July 14, 2010.