Thanks Tracy.

On Tue, Feb 2, 2021 at 12:02 PM Tracy Wuster <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> Several years ago, I published an account of seeing Hal perform and then
> meeting him at the Elmira Conference. The post contains audio of Hal
> speaking at the conference and then his discussion of meeting Clara that he
> recounted (in darkness lit only with cigar flames) on the site of the Mark
> Twain study.  For many who were there, I would assume this is a highlight
> of our professional careers.
>
>
> https://humorinamerica.wordpress.com/2021/02/02/the-passing-of-hal-holbrook/
>
> I hope you enjoy.
>
> Tracy Wuster
>
> On Tue, Feb 2, 2021 at 10:51 AM Martin Baker <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> > I had the great fortune of seeing Hal in Mark Twain Tonight 3 times and
> > once met him backstage. I did see the subtle changes he made to his act
> > depending on the reaction to certain jokes.  He even signed the poster
> for
> > the show that just happened to be on a table. I had tickets for his 90th
> > birthday show in Hartford but unfortunately there was a snowstorm and I
> > couldn't make it up from Pennsylvania.
> >
> > I remember reading that he did have a chance to meet Clara in her older
> > years to try to get a sense of how accurate his impression was.  Thanks
> Hal
> > for keeping Twain's legacy alive.
> >
> > Marty Baker
> > Mark Twain Circle
> >
> >
> > On Tue, Feb 2, 2021 at 9:50 AM David Matuszak <[log in to unmask]>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > I had the pleasure of seeing Hal’s Twain show twice: about 25 years ago
> > at
> > > the historic Bridges Auditorium at the Claremont Colleges and then
> again
> > > few years ago at the historic and refurbished Fox Theater in Riverside,
> > CA.
> > >
> > > Hal invited me backstage during that show where I asked him his opinion
> > > about Twain’s reluctance to speak about his surfing attempt in the
> > Sandwich
> > > Islands. I was finishing up a section I wrote about Twain for my epic
> > (1550
> > > page) study of surfing history and culture, San Onofre: Memories of a
> > > Legendary Surfing Beach. Hal was puzzled too, as was everyone on this
> > forum
> > > who responded to my request for feedback. Other than Twain’s mention of
> > > surfing in Roughing It, he rarely mentioned the experience. Perhaps as
> > more
> > > small town newspapers around the country digitize their archive, other
> > > instances of him mentioning surfing during his lectures will surface.
> > >
> > > I’ll always fondly remember my short visit with Hal backstage, his
> > > gentleness and generosity to share his time with me. In terms of
> one-man
> > > shows, the best I ever saw were his Twain performances and James
> > Whitmore’s
> > > Will Rogers show that I had the pleasure of seeing at the newly
> restored
> > > and grand re-opening of the California Theater in San Bernardino, CA.
> > > Ironically, Will Rogers made his last performance there before his
> > fateful
> > > flight. Both Holbrook and Whitmore stand alone in their long-running
> > > one-man shows of two American icons.
> > >
> > > RIP, Hal,
> > > David Matuszak, author
> > > San Onofre: Memories of a Legendary Surfing Beach
> > > Pacific Sunset Publishing
> > > 30320 Live Oak Canyon Rd.
> > > Redlands, CA 92373-0668
> > >
> > > http://pacificsunset.com/?page_id=15 <
> > http://pacificsunset.com/?page_id=15
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > On Feb 2, 2021, at 6:10 AM, L Oggel <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Thanks, John. Sorry to have this news. We all met him, more than once
> > at
> > > > Elmira conferences.
> > > >
> > > > Terry
> > > >
> > > > <
> > >
> >
> https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail&utm_term=icon
> > > >
> > > > Virus-free.
> > > > www.avast.com
> > > > <
> > >
> >
> https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail&utm_term=link
> > > >
> > > > <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>
> > > >
> > > > On Tue, Feb 2, 2021 at 8:45 AM John R. Pascal <[log in to unmask]>
> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > >
> >
> https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/02/theater/hal-holbrook-dead.html?action=click&module=News&pgtype=Homepage
> > > >> <
> > > >>
> > >
> >
> https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/02/theater/hal-holbrook-dead.html?action=click&module=News&pgtype=Homepage
> > > >>>
> > > >>
> > > >> Thank God six classes of The Writings of Mark Twain got to know him.
> > > One
> > > >> class got to meet him.
> > > >> Future classes will continue to study and appreciate him.
> > > >>
> > > >> John R. Pascal, M.B.A., M.A.
> > > >> Teacher of 9th, 11th Grade English Honors, & The Writings of Mark
> > Twain
> > > >> Honors
> > > >> Seton Hall Preparatory School
> > > >> Contributing Author to Mark Twain and Youth
> > >
> > >
> >
>