On Sunday, September 22, I'll be speaking about Dear Mark Twain: Letters from His Readers at Vroman's bookstore in Pasadena, Calif. My talk will begin shortly after 4:00 pm. Vroman's is located at 695 E. Colorado Boulevard, very near the well-known Pasadena Playhouse. For further information, see http://www.penusa.org/go-west-reading-series-2

It would be wonderful to see some of you there, but at the moment, I can't think of a single Forum member who lives near Pasadena. I live 50 miles from there myself. I didn't even want to drive to Pasadena to see Val Kilmer perform his "Citizen Twain" show. On the plus side, my show won't charge admission.

Incidentally, I'd love to hear from people who have read Dear Mark Twain. The book has been out for nearly six months now, and I get the impression that it is misperceived as little more than a collection of frivolous fan letters. This, despite the fact that the first page of its introduction states, "This volume is not a collection of `fan mail,' but rather a broadly representative cross section of the wide range of opinions, feelings, and subjects expressed in all the letters Clemens received from readers." Oh, well ... I'm sure I'm not the first author who feels his books are misunderstood.

Kent