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I'm waiting to see if something outlandish happens before the end of the Republican National Convention. Not violence in the streets—but a political spectacle of the type that used to run the engine of national elections in this country. Because, you see, Virginia, there actually used to be interesting presidential nominating conventions in America, not merely pre-fabricated media opportunities for candidates with canned messages.

Since their inception in the early 1830s, national conventions were intended to be expressions of our collective psyche and temperament. Sure, most candidates were picked in smoky back rooms, but the will of the people was felt as a force to be reckoned with. Back then, up to 90% (in some cases) of eligible voters actually went to the polls.

And conventions were the nexus of their hopes, dreams, fears, and passions.

By now, we all know the characters in Hamilton were voracious readers. But what would Alexander Hamilton and company be reading if they were still alive today? We came up with a few recommendations.

Are there a million things you haven’t done? You’re not alone.

What do you do when you need to take your Hamilton musical obsession one step further, even beyond reading the 832-page biography that inspired the musical? Read what the Hamilton characters are reading, of course.

Medieval manuscripts are known for their beautiful illumination, aka the imaginative and colorful illustrations inside letters or in the margins. But have you ever taken a closer look at what these illustrations actually depict? There can be some bizarre-looking stuff happening in these pages. This ain't your typcial Renaissance Faire fare: 

Quills have been used to author some of the most important documents of our time—The Magna Carta, Shakespeare's works, lots and lots of Bibles. And perhaps most timely, the Founding Fathers of the United States wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence using this esteemed and elegant writing instrument.

So next time you have an important document to sign, why do it with a boring old Ballpoint, when you can pen your name like a major historical figure? Better yet, how about signing with a quill you constructed yourself and for under $30? Here's our How-To Tuesday on making your own quill pen on the cheap!