Martin, I totally agree, and your remarks reminded me of the fact that my very first Twain paper at a conference was on a panel with Larry, whom I'd never met.  Like you I was pleasantly surprised at his kindness; in the midst of my terrible anxieties and self-consciousness of being the lone grad student on a panel of experts.


Here's another thing I remember, which he told me in one of our many conversations about the fairly recent book he did with Joe Csicsila, Heretical Fictions:  he told me that he had painstakingly & systematically read "every page of every book or article listed in the bibliography."  That impressed me, and actually shamed me a bit, probably because I honestly couldn't match him. What kind of person reads every page of every source??


  PS: Larry and I often have disagreed wildly about all sorts of things, Twain-related and otherwise;  but we always did so in the friendliest and most respectful manner; or at least, he did!  Isn't it wonderful when adults can remain respectful and curious about others' opinions?





Dr. Hal Bush

Dept. of English

Saint Louis University

[log in to unmask]

314-977-3616

http://halbush.com

author website:  halbush.com

________________________________
From: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Martin Zehr <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2018 9:21:16 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Larry Berkove

Larry (He insisted) was very generous and encouraging to me in my earlier
amateur Twain studies, something that always stuck with me. When I finally
got to meet him in Elmira we had a chance to discuss our sagebrush-related
interests, and his enthusiasm was infectious- that was HIS warning, and he
was, of course, spot on.  A sad day, of course, but I'm guessing I'm only
one of many with a fond memory of his open support for a rank beginner in
the community of Twainians.
Martin Zehr

On Sun, May 20, 2018, 6:20 AM Joseph Csicsila <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Dear Friends,
>
> Gail Berkove informed me that Larry passed yesterday afternoon. His funeral
> service will be on Tuesday at Hebrew Memorial Chapel in Detroit.
>
> Joe Csicsila
>