By now it should be apparent to everyone that it depends on the audience. If 
you're imitating Twain on board the Delta Queen with a boatload of tourists 
that includes pre-schoolers you probably don't want to toss the word around. 
If you're reading a passage in front of Twain scholars at a conference you'd 
look like an idiot leaving it out or replacing it. It's all those in-between 
situations that get tough.

How about a shameless promotion of a book to which I contributed a chapter 
that discusses this topic? The book is a collection of essays by various 
folks, edited by R. Kent Rasmussen, called CRITICAL INSIGHTS: ADVENTURES OF 
HUCKLEBERRY FINN. It's due out any second from Salem Press. Alan Gribben has 
a chapter on his edition of HF that addresses in some depth the issues 
touched on in the MT Forum. My own chapter chronicles readers' reactions to 
HF in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries: boys and girls, book reviewers, 
critics, academics then and now, other writers, black readers, classroom 
readers, etc. I debunk two famous quotes about the book, and you might also 
be surprised by the unexpected reactions of some readers. It's an issue that 
is at least as complicated as the variety of readers of the book, their 
times and places, and what they bring to the table themselves. BTW, our 
Forum member from France may be pleased to know that I quote a French reader 
who wrote Twain to tell him exactly what his wonderful book meant to her.

Kevin
@
Mac Donnell Rare Books
9307 Glenlake Drive
Austin TX 78730
512-345-4139
Member: ABAA, ILAB
*************************
You may browse our books at:
www.macdonnellrarebooks.com


-----Original Message----- 
From: Jon Kerr
Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2017 12:26 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Use of the N-word

I agree with other posters that it is a very slippery slope once we start
to sanitize or otherwise censor language - even for the most benign
reasons. Political correctness often incorrectly substitutes style for
substance.

But I also appreciate Clay's points, especially since my recently described
experience with an audio tape of Huck Finn being accidentally heard by
others. This forum is not an average audience. We don't always have time to
explain the historical context of Clemens' era and language. It certainly
can, and does turn off some individuals we want to appreciate his overall
message which is timeless.

I would at least expect that if Clay or anyone is substituting for Twain's
words that they are at least making it very clear to the audience exactly
what they are doing, and why. Perhaps it can even be an opportunity to
encourage reading the original language and appreciating the history even
more. It is somewhat reminiscent of debate over how translations from one
language can water down meaning even while broadening the audience able to
listen.

This is a tough one that deserves more discussion.

Jon Kerr



On Tue, Jan 3, 2017 at 8:35 PM, Dave Davis <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> If we can tolerate the prescribed reading of a Bible in which God
> allows Satan to murder Job's children, just to make a point*, or to
> have a couple of bears eat 42 children, again, just to show who's side
> He's on, we can surely tolerate -- in context -- the offense to our
> eyes from a term which was certainly the one that would have been
> uttered by the characters at the time.
>
> Or we can ditch realism, and authenticity, and Bowlderize a text which
> help produce and propagate that very liberalism of spirit which we, of
> the enlightened 21st century, are all so concerned to signal to each
> other, lest we be mistaken for bigots.
>
> Sheesh.
>
>
> DDD
>
> *It's OK. He gave him new children later. To make up for it.
>
> [re: The Bible] It is full of interest. It has noble poetry in it; and
> some clever fables; and some blood-drenched history; and some good
> morals; and a wealth of obscenity; and upwards of a thousand lies.
> - MT, Letters from the Earth
>