Not that it will do any good for the problems in the publishing and  
newspaper worlds, but Mark's message may serve as a reminder to all  
of us over 60 to get the fairly new shingles vaccine, which is said  
to reduce our chances of coming down with shingles by about 50%, and  
lessening its severity if we do get it.

Richard M. Waugaman, M.D.

On May 25, 2012, at 10:52 AM, Mark Dawidziak wrote:

>      Yesterday's double dose of depressing news struck close to  
> home on
> both fronts. My last book was published by a university press (Kent
> State University Press, which seems to be holding on during these
> difficult times). And I work for a newspaper (Cleveland's Plain  
> Dealer,
> which seems to be holding on, as well). So the Missouri and New  
> Orleans
> announcements were as alarming as they were distressing. When I  
> learned
> late in the day that a dear friend has been hit with shingles (a badly
> named affliction if there ever was one), I was afraid to leave the
> house. Obviously not a day for happy news.
>       About a year ago, I asked Twain pal David Bianculli if he had
> noticed that everything we grew up cherishing and holding dear was  
> under
> fire: books, libraries, theater, newspapers, publishing, literary
> fiction. He'd noticed. And all of these things, it seems to me, have
> contributed and would continue to contribute to the quality of our  
> lives
> and the vitality of our democracy.
>      I'm not one to curse change and shake my fist at the sky. I know
> about adapting. I've done enough adapting over the last 35 working  
> years
> to make Darwin pass out. And I'm no Luddite, as the ability to post to
> this forum might suggest. But as much as I admire Ray Bradbury, I must
> agree with Terrell. Ray got the science-fiction cautionary tale wrong.
> It should have been about a voracious beast consuming everything in  
> its
> path.
>
>
> On 5/25/2012 9:32 AM, Vicki Dempsey wrote:
>> It is sad indeed to lose the University of Missouri Press.  I am
>> afraid that many smaller university presses are threatened by this
>> economy and changes in how people access information.  I was very
>> troubled yesterday to see that the Times-Picayune is going to a  
>> three-
>> day-a-week format.  Who knew that Farenheit 451 would dawn, not
>> through a police state, but because of electronic media, hard times
>> and Republican legislators?  (Okay, so we did know Repubs would be
>> involved...)
>>
>> Terrell Dempsey
>> On May 24, 2012, at 11:55 PM, JULES AUSTIN HOJNOWSKI wrote:
>>
>>> That's too bad!
>>> They published many Twain works and other very nice books :(
>>> Thanks for letting us know.
>>> Jules
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
>>> Gregory spect=
>>> er
>>> Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2012 4:37 PM
>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>> Subject: U of Missouri Press
>>>
>>> Hello List Members=3DE2=3D80=3D94
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> A quick FYI. Since it published so much on Twain, I thought
>>> I=3DE2=3D80=3D9=
>>> 9d =3D pass along this article about the closing of the University
>>> of Misso=
>>> uri =3D Press. I find the closing of the press particularly
>>> disappointing =
>>> =3D because it produced an extensive catalogue of books on the
>>> history, art=
>>> , =3D literature, and life focusing on the state of Missouri.=3D20
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2012/may/24/university- 
>>> missouri-press=
>>> =3D
>>> -closing/
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Greg Specter