Hello everyone,

It's been a long time since I posted anything. I've
been away from the study of literature for almost two
years due to a case of writers block I have with my
thesis project and a full time job that has little to
do with literary studies. Now, I'm back to school and
anticipate finishing my MA this May. As a part of
that, I presented _Adventures of Huckleberry Finn_ to
a classroom of graduate students. I covered recent
criticism (Wallace, Smiley, et al.), the critical
tradition (Trilling, Eliot, Marx, Fiedler, Ellison,
Morrison, et al.), themes motifs and symbols in _AHF_,
Clemens biography, and a political/social historical
background for the work. It went pretty well, but it
got me to thinking about what appeal this book has for
me personally. I realized that the main appeal--why I
value this book so much since my teen years, even if
unconsciously--is Huck's grappling of the moral
decision. It occured to me that his internal
experience mirrors the experience that many people
have when coming-out in relation to their sexuality
(gay, lesbian, etc.). To the best of my knowledge,
nothing has been written about this coincidence.
Fiedler mentions homosexuality, but his angle is not
what I'm talking about. I wonder if anyone has a
citation for some work that discusses the issue as
I've described it. I'd appreciate any lead.

Thanks,
John W. Young

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I'll learn to work the saxophone / I'll play just what I feel / Drink Scotch whisky all night long / And die behind the wheel / They got a name for the winners in the world / I want a name when I lose / They call Alabama the Crimson Tide / Call me Deacon Blues. (from "Deacon Blues" by Steely Dan)

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