I always had a picture in my mind of the Mark Twain Project:  gleaming,
modern
offices, impeccable exhibits and displays of material, a sumptuous reading
room,
where I could sink down in a big leather chair and read rare manuscripts.
And
why not?  Doesn't Mark Twain deserve such treatment?

Well, I finally got the pleasure last month of going there, to spend two
quick
days doing some research.  The staff was helpful and resourceful, but alas,
the
offices were not quite what I had envisioned:  stuck off in a wing of the
library, fixtures circa 1950, cramped offices and old equipment.  Let me
assure
you, they aren't wasting any money on office space and accommodations!

Like many others on this forum, I have contributed money before.  I am doing
so
again.  All of us who care about the future of Mark Twain's works (and
that's
all of us, isn't it?) should do the same.  Even a donation as small as ten
bucks
would help.  Send to the address below, with "Mark Twain Project" on the
memo
line of your check so the money will go to the right place!

The Friends of the Bancroft Library
University of California
Berkeley, CA  94720-6000

P.S.  One of the staff told me the whole thing might have to close down
within
the next few months.  This is serious, folks!

John Bird