I concur with the positive comments already made about Dear Mark Twain but would like to add that an aspect I found so interesting is that these letters really give insight into what general late nineteenth-early twentieth-century readers valued, disliked, approved of, found humorous, etc.... A peek into the various perspectives of average Americans in a given era can be difficult to access (as opposed famous, historical, powerful people), and this book offers rare insight into average Americans and their literary and cultural values.  Many thanks to Kent Rasmussen for this contribution!!  

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kent Rasmussen
Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2013 4:28 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Dear Mark Twain

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