Dear Forum Members,

A number of questions are arising about Mark Twain's tendency to produce
off-color writings as a private sideline to his public works.  A book that
Kevin B. McDonnell and I edited in 1983, MARK TWAIN'S RUBAIYAT, discusses
this issue in some detail in its Introduction and also publishes, for the
first time, the entire version of Twain's often-bawdy version of Omar
Khayyam's poem.  (In particular, Twain's burlesque repeatedly expresses the
speaker's fear of impotence due to advancing age.)  This would be another
source for people to consult if they are interested in pursuing this
general topic.

Sincerely,
Alan Gribben
Auburn University Montgomery