The first time I ever met Vic Doyno was at the 2001 Elmira Conference and
watched him present a paper titled "Twain Writes with Burning Ink: King
Leopold's Soliloquy."  What a presentation! -- To watch him as he channeled
Mark Twain and his writing process.  I hope somewhere in the Elmira
archives there is a recording of Doyno presenting that lecture.

Doyno's book _Selected Writings of an American Skeptic_ with its text of
the outstanding letter from Mark Twain to Karl Gerhardt on slavery had been
a part of my library since 1996.  However, I had no idea of just what sort
of author and editor and scholar and talent Doyno was until I watched him
present his Elmira lecture in person that August afternoon.  After his
presentation I made it a point to meet him and tell him how much I would
have considered it a privilege if I had ever been a student in one of his
classes.  He had that sort of power to motivate and inspire.

Years ago, when I started noticing that Doyno's name seemed to be missing
from conferences and journals and publications where I would expect to see
them, I asked "Whatever happened to...."  And then I was told about the
diagnosis that no family ever wants to hear.  Thanks to Taylor for helping
break the news to a community of scholars and friends who much admired
Doyno's work.

Barb