Center for Mark Twain Studies, Elmira, New York

“Mark Twain and Nature” Symposium

The natural world figures prominently in the writings of Mark Twain,
whether as the main object of description and commentary as in *Life on the
Mississippi* and *Roughing It* or as an inextricable element of fictional
narratives such as *The Adventures of Tom Sawyer*, *Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn*, *The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson* and more. However,
these writings (other than short excerpts from *Life* and *Roughing It*)
rarely find their way into anthologies of nature writing. And yet, Twain’s
writing about the natural world across his literary oeuvre provides
prescient and germane commentary on the relationship between human beings
and the natural world—revealing it to be a conflicted a relationship of
antagonism and praise. On the one hand, he seemed at war with nature: “The
purpose of all human laws is one—to defeat the laws of Nature.” On the
other hand, he expressed both awe and respect for the power of the natural
world: “Architects cannot teach nature anything,” and “Nature knows no
indecencies; man invents them.”

CMTS’s Sixth Quarry Farm Weekend Symposium will offer various critical
examinations of the natural world in Twain’s writing: as nature writing
similar to the ecocritical discourse of Thoreau, Dillard, and Abbey; as
exploration of the aesthetic nexus between art and nature; as commentary on
animal welfare; and as analysis of the intersection between nature and
culture. Moreover, papers cut across all periods of Twain’s writing life
and will further the claim of Twain as a forerunner to mid-20th to early
21st century writers such as Krutch, Cuppy, Abbey, Kingsolver, Quammen, and
Gessner who offer comic responses to nature as well as recognize the
intrinsically humorous place of humanity in nature.

The symposium will be organized by Ben Click (St. Mary’s College of
Maryland). The keynote speaker will be Michael P. Branch, a writer of
creative nonfiction and humor, focusing on the environment and the life in
the American West. Branch is also professor of literature and environment
at the University of Nevada, Reno. He has published five books and more
than two hundred essays, articles, and reviews.

Quarry Farm in Elmira, New York is the perfect place to talk about the
literature of Mark Twain. Quarry Farm was Twain’s summer retreat where he
wrote some of the most important works of American literature, including *The
Adventures of Tom Sawyer*, *The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn*, *The
Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur’s Court*, *The Prince and the Pauper*,
and others.  On a hilltop overlooking the Chemung River Valley and the
hills of northern Pennsylvania, in an octagonal study, Twain smoked cigars,
watched cats play, and wrote literary works that helped not only helped
define America in the late nineteenth century, but uncannily relate to our
own experiences in the early twenty-first century.  Twain’s controversial
views on race, religion, nature, politics, big business, foreign relations,
and a host of others, make him just as relevant today as he was a century
ago. While the Study and Quarry Farm are fundamentally important to the
American literary landscape, Elmira is also the place where Mark Twain
courted and married his wife, witnessed the birth of his children,
established lasting friendships, and was eventually laid to rest, alongside
his wife and four children.



The symposium will begin on Friday, October 4, 2019 with a dinner in Meier
Hall on the Elmira College campus, followed by the keynote address. The
symposium will continue throughout the next day with presentations and
discussions in the tranquil atmosphere of Quarry Farm, where breakfast,
lunch, a cocktail hour and dinner will also be served. Registrants will be
invited back to Quarry Farm on Sunday morning to enjoy an autumnal
breakfast and casual discussions.

*All Symposium information and the registration form can be found at
MarkTwainStudies.org <http://www.marktwainstudies.org/>.*

*DATES:* Friday, October 4, 2019 to Sunday, October 6, 2019
*COST:* $175 – Price includes 5 full meals, with beer/wine at dinners, and
a conference program.

Please note that due to the fragile nature of Quarry Farm, the symposium
will be limited to 40 attendees.  If you are interested in attending, you
are encouraged to reserve a spot sooner rather than later.
*Attention Graduate Students:** CMTS will waive all registration fees and
provide free lodging for a select number of graduate students. If you are
interested in this opportunity, contact Joseph Lemak ([log in to unmask]
<[log in to unmask]>).*


Dr. Joseph Lemak
Director of the Center for Mark Twain Studies
Elmira College
The Rose Office, Cowles Hall
(607) 735-1941
MarkTwainStudies.org, the official website of CMTS