Golly, as the person whose rant started this off yesterday, I feel
compelled to say something - particularly as the conversation has
drifted into one of my favorite areas - things to drink.

   I agree that the young Sam would have admired the work of Garrison
Keillor and Matt Groening - the latter for his Simpson's and
particularly for "Life in Hell." Old Sam would have felt the same way.
Both of these men are funny, but have a world view. To get back to my
original
point, the way the Mark Twain awards have gone, I'd be quite surprised if
either man
ever won. Happily surprised. Happier still and more surprised if Kurt
Vonnegut
or Tom Robbins won. Ain't gonna happen.

   Twain himself had something to say about all of this. He had a fairly
good sense of himself as an author who would be read for all time
because of his moral mission and rage against the world, sometimes
delivered straight, and sometimes wrapped in humor. He correctly
predicted that the authors who just made people laugh would be soon
forgotten. Water or wine? He was being modest. The author of The
Mysterious Stranger, The War Prayer and Letters from the Earth made the
kind of martinis that leave you wondering what hit you. I'd like to see
the awards reflect that Twain once in awhile.

Terry