The Mark Twain Forum needs a reviewer for the following book:

   Florence, Don.  _Persona and Humor in Mark Twain's Early Writings_.
   Columbia and London: University of Missouri Press, 1995.  Pp. 166.
   Cloth, 6" x 9".  Notes, bibliography, index.  $34.95.  ISBN
   0-8262-1025-2.

The jacket reads thus:

   "Better than anybody else Florence identifies and articulates the
   dynamic, willful, spontaneous, and protean qualities of Twain's humor.
   . . . Brilliantly and eloquently this book drives to the heart of
   Twain's genius. Though directly concerned with his writing only until
   1872, it helps us to understand and grasp appreciatively the Twain
   phenomenon at any point or text in his career."--Louis J. Budd

   In _Persona and Humor in Mark Twain's Early Writings_, Don Florence
   explains that Samuel Clemens did more than use the borrowed name of
   Mark Twain to sign his writings. He also developed a separate
   identity, or persona, becoming "a literary personality in his own
   right."

   Challenging mainstream Twain criticism on many fronts, Florence
   focuses exclusively on Twain's early writings. He demonstrates how
   Twain evolved in his early narratives into the "Mark Twain" we now
   recognize. Florence maintains that this process was evolutionary:
   Although Twain might have been dependent on Clemens for the initial
   experiences, they _become_ Twain's experiences, necessary for his
   development as a persona.  Traditionally, critics of Twain have been
   preoccupied with dualities, but Florence sees this emphasis upon
   polarities as an oversimplification. He argues that much of Twain's
   humor strives to shape more and more of the world, giving Twain
   multiple narrative voices and letting him be inclusive, not exclusive.

   Finally, this study asserts that there is more continuity to Mark
   Twain's career than has been generally recognized. Many Twain scholars
   have argued that Twain's later writings are radically different from
   his earlier writings because of their emphasis upon illusion and
   dream. Florence argues that the preoccupation with illusion and
   fantasy is scarcely new. Whether Twain's mood is exuberant or dark, he
   emphasizes subjectivity over objectivity, the dominance of fantasy,
   the creative powers of humor, and his ability as persona to determine
   what we consider "reality." Florence contends that Twain's early
   writings show Mark Twain gradually evolving into a masterfully comic
   persona.

   Jargon-free and eloquently written, _Persona and Humor in Mark Twain's
   Early Writings_ provides a fascinating look at Mark Twain's developing
   genius and will be a welcome addition to Twain literature.

   About the Author: Don Florence holds a Ph.D. in English and lives in
   Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, where he is working on a study of
   Twain's middle writings.

As usual, the review must be of publishable quality, and it would be due
within two months of your receipt of the book (i.e., near the end of
February 1996).  The deadline is particularly important; if you are
inclined to procrastinate, please don't offer to review the book.

If you're interested in writing this review, please send me both your
home and institutional mailing addresses and phone numbers.  If I don't
already know you, it would be helpful for you to explain in what respect
you're qualified to write this review.  (If we haven't exchanged e-mail
recently, it might be a good idea for you to remind me of this info.)

I look forward to hearing from you.

Taylor Roberts
Coordinator, Mark Twain Forum