John Bird wrote:
> I wrote the entry on James M. Paige for _The Mark Twain Encyclopedia_, so I
> knew that quotation well--or thought I did. I was wondering how much new
> information the Autobiography would provide. Wow! I will be putting in my
> pre-order soon...
>
> John Bird 
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Barbara
> Schmidt
> Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2010 4:16 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: thisismarktwain.com
>
> There really aren't enough superlatives to describe the job that the
> editors of the Mark Twain Project have done with _Autobiography of
> Mark Twain, Vol. 1_ (2010).  At 737 pages, the Amazon price of under
> $20 is a true bargain for a hardcover book of this size and scope.
> Readiing from an advance copy, the first 100 pages alone have provided
> a clear and concise insight into Mark Twain's creative process for the
> autobiography; lengthy previously unpublished material; and a keen
> awareness of how Albert Bigelow Paine and others edited Mark Twain's
> dictation for public presentation.  One brief example regarding a
> quote related to inventor James W. Paige:
>
> Paige and I always meet on effusively affectionate terms, and yet he
> knows perfectly well that if I had him in a steel-trap I would shut
> out all human succor and watch that trap till he died.
> - Mark Twain, A Biography_, edited by Albert Bigelow Paine (1912)
>
> Paige and I always meet on effusively affectionate terms; and yet he
> knows perfectly well that if I had his nuts in a steel-trap I would
> shut out all human succor and watch that trap till he died.
> - Autobiography of Mark Twain (University of California Press, 2010)

Trying to support the effort of the MT project, I pre-ordered my copy of 
the autobiography directly from the UC Press rather than from Amazon, 
for instance. My (possibly false) hope was that the extra money was well 
spent. So I'd like to know whether or not the Project realizes a 
monetary difference based on where the order is placed.

regards/Tony