I want to echo Larry's words about Vic's graciousness and generosity.

I don't recall when I first met Vic, but it was surely at an early ALA.  I do remember with great pleasure a lunch with him many years ago when ALA met in Long Beach, where he made clear to me that one of his great gifts was curiosity in people as well as in scholarship.  He had a special ability to make a younger scholar feel welcome and worthy. I am glad that Larry Berkove chose to honor Vic and Tom Tenney at a special ALA session for their many contributions to Mark Twain studies while both were able to receive our respect and appreciation.  Vic was a terrific human being, and I feel grateful to have known him.

Judith


Judith Yaross Lee, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor of Communication Studies

Charles E. Zumkehr Professor, Rhetoric & Culture Program
Director of COMS Honors Tutorials
Director, Central Region Humanities Center
School of Communication Studies
Ohio University
Lasher Hall
Athens, Ohio 45701
T: 740-593-4888
F: 740-593-4810

My newest book: _Twain's Brand:  Humor in Contemporary American Culture_ <http://www.ohio.edu/people/leej/Twains_Brand.html>

On Dec 4, 2016, at 10:45 PM, Larry Howe <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:

I'm sorry to hear that Vic Doyno has died.  He was an incredibly genial man=
, and a truly generous Twain scholar.  I first met him when I was a graduat=
e student at Berkeley.  He happened to overhear me talking with a librarian=
when I was paging some material from the Twain collection.  So he came ove=
r and introduced himself and asked what I was working on.  I was flabber-ga=
sted and flattered to think that someone of his stature in Twain scholarshi=
p would want to know what a green grad student was doing. =0A=
=0A=
Later we went out for coffee and he held me in rapt attention as he talked =
about his work on the _HF_ ms.  This was before the lost portion had been f=
ound.  I can still recall his enthusiasm as explained the challenge of solv=
ing triple cancellations.  We crossed paths at conferences for a number of =
years, always with his usual warmth.  His curiosity about the work of other=
s never flagged. =0A=
=0A=
I knew that he'd suffered some serious health issues a few years ago, and =
his absence at Elmira and other events where Twain scholars congregate was =
often noted by those with fond memories of him.  Although we've been missin=
g him for a while now, this news strikes with somber finality.   =0A=
=0A=
He characterized many of the qualities that drew me to the Twain community.=
=0A=
=0A=
Larry Howe=0A=
Professor of English & Film Studies=0A=
Department of Literature and Languages=0A=
Roosevelt University=0A=
=0A=
=0A=
=0A=
________________________________________=0A=
From: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> on behalf of Taylor Roberts <tayl=
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>=0A=
Sent: Sunday, December 4, 2016 9:15 PM=0A=
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>=0A=
Subject: Victor A. Doyno, 1937-2016=0A=
=0A=
I am sorry to report that Vic Doyno died on November 16, according to=0A=
an obituary at http://buffalonews.com/2016/12/04/1165405/=0A=
=0A=
His wonderful edition of MT=3DE2=3D80=3D99s skeptical writings strongly att=
racted=3D=0A=
me=0A=
to MT many years ago (_Mark Twain: Selected Writings of an American=0A=
Skeptic_ [Prometheus Books, 1983]). A couple of memorable sections=0A=
from Doyno=3DE2=3D80=3D99s introduction to that book are below:=0A=
=0A=
"One current widespread view of Mark Twain holds that his scathing=0A=
skepticism and acid pessimism were caused by the many personal=0A=
tragedies of his life.... But another, more thorough view of the man=0A=
and his work would transcend this simple biographical explanation. As=0A=
this book demonstrates, Mark Twain=3DE2=3D80=3D99s skepticism is found thro=
ughout=0A=
his published works, early to late. It is an oversimplification--and=0A=
finally disrespectful to the man and his mind--simply to say that=0A=
personal difficulties caused his skepticism. A wider perspective=0A=
reveals that his background, his experience, his journalistic ability=0A=
to be objective and to see only what is there, his reading, and, most=0A=
of all his intellectual acuity contributed to the shape of his=0A=
thought." (2)=0A=
=0A=
"His overall life experience led Sam Clemens/Mark Twain to know that=0A=
this life, this earth, is all we know of heaven--and all we need to=0A=
know of hell." (12)=0A=
=0A=
I had the pleasure to meet Vic at some conferences and he was such a=0A=
pleasant gentleman, as one would hope of one=3DE2=3D80=3D99s heroes. I send=
my=0A=
condolences to his family and friends, and also my gratitude for his=0A=
many other contributions to MT studies and to the Forum.=0A=
=0A=
Feel free to post your own memories so we can "give him a good=0A=
send-off and waltz him through handsome" (RI ch. 47).=0A=
=0A=
Taylor Roberts=