I just noticed a peripheral appearance of Mark Twain in a back issue
of _Scientific American_ ("Manic-Depressive Illness and Creativity,"
February 1995, pp. 62-67).  The first two pages have a montage of
artists and writers, including Plath, Whitman, van Gogh, Woolf, Hesse,
Poe, Hemingway, and--guess who?--Mark Twain.
 
The caption on p. 63 reads:
 
     Writers, artists and composers shown in this montage all most likely
     suffered from manic-depressive illness or major depressive illness,
     according to their letters and journals, medical records and accounts
     by their families and friends.  Recent studies indicate that the
     temperaments and cognitive styles associated with mood disorders can
     in fact enhance creativity in some individuals.
 
The picture of Twain is the dark and grumpy one from the frontisipiece
of _Which Was the Dream? And Other Symbolic Writings of the Later
Years_.  Unfortunately, Twain isn't mentioned in the text of the
article.
 
Taylor Roberts <[log in to unmask]>