Twain on AMLIT-L
I am forwarding the message below from AMLIT-L for those that are
interested, with the added motive of mentioning that there seems
to consistently be sporadic (how's that for an oxymoron?) Twain
threads on AMLIT-L.  The address is <[log in to unmask]>.

Travis

----------------------FORWARDED MESSAGE-----------------------------

Since the original request for info on literary hoaxes was--I think--
looking for info on the 19th rather than the 20th century, AGL's
comment on Whitman reviewing his own publications brings us back on
line somewhat (I know, I drifted too, but that's what makes these
discussions interesting--unlike *Melrose Place*, the end can never
be determined by the start).

   In the same vein, in Dec. of 1870 Twain published a "review" of
his own *Innocents Abroad* in *Galaxy*, a NY monthly.  He attributed
the review to the London *Saturday Review*, and wrote it as a spoof
of how (he thought) a solemn, literal-minded English reviewer would
respond to the American irreverence of *Innocents*  (Sample sentence:
"...the insolence, the impertinence, the presumption, the mendacity,
and, above all, the majestic ignorance of this author.")

  Unfortunately, the joke backfired--everyone thought the review was
genuine.  Eventually, Twain was forced to offer $500 to anyone who
could produce a copy of the "original" review from the *Saturday
Review.*

                 (for anyone that's interested, Justin Kaplan tells
                  this story on p. 131 of his *Mr Clemens and Mark
                  Twain*, still my favourite Twain bio.)

Nick Mount
Dalhousie U.