I agree, Matt (and Dwyane). I watched the show. It was late and I didn't
have time, yet I watched the whole show. I thought it was the best in a
long time. And the Twain connections kept coming up, time and again, in
informed ways, both seriously and humorously. I didn't know much about
Chappelle. I knew he is very edgy and doesn't appeal to everyone. Sometimes
he's too much. Yet that's part of the connection. I learned more about him
from the show, hearing praise about features of his humor I hadn't
seen--about the seriousness underlying his humor and the depth of his
character as revealed in his humor. Toni Morrison was quoted, related to
what she said about *HF*. Chappelle was there, on camera as he responded to
comments about his humor (he had to hold his hands to his young daughter's
ears sometimes!). It was an instructive ceremony, at least for me, and
Chappelle an extremely appropriate recipient.

Terry Oggel


On Wed, Jan 8, 2020 at 7:28 AM Matthew Seybold <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Hey, Hal -
>
> Dave Chappelle was announced as the recipient last Fall. Dwayne Eutsey
> wrote a nice piece about Chappelle, Twain, Holbrook, and Richard Pryor for
> us in October:
>
>
> https://marktwainstudies.com/no-humor-in-heaven-dave-chappelle-richard-pryor-the-mark-twain-prize/
> <
> https://marktwainstudies.com/no-humor-in-heaven-dave-chappelle-richard-pryor-the-mark-twain-prize/
> >
>
> I haven’t watched the PBS special yet, but I agree with Dwayne that
> Chappelle is one of the recipients who best resembles the prize’s namesake.
>
> - MS
>
> > On Jan 7, 2020, at 3:50 PM, Hal Bush <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >
> > Time for the annual debate:  on PBS tonight, the newest version of the
> Mark Twain Prize.
> >
> > Did you miss the announcement of the newest winner?  (Program was taped
> in the fall, and only now going on air.)
> >
> > ps: among the most overlooked and worthy potential recipients (this is
> NOT a posthumous award, by the way):  Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, Jerry
> Seinfeld, Jim Carrey, and the great political satirist Jon Stewart.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Dr. Hal Bush
> >
> > Professor of English &
> >
> > Director of the Undergraduate Program
> >
> > Saint Louis University
> >
> > [log in to unmask]
> >
> > 314-977-3616
> >
> > http://halbush.com
> >
> > author website:  halbush.com
>
> ***************
> Matt Seybold
> Assistant Professor of American Literature & Mark Twain Studies
> Elmira College
> Editor, MarkTwainStudies.org
> MattSeybold.com
>