Now, hold on a minute.  I think I object to being held up as a bad example,
especially since no-one has yet demonstrated any flawed syllogism in my work
on
 Twain and homosexuality.  I have never claimed to prove anything, only to
show
 the likelihood of certain events.  Since few people have read anything
about
my work except the brief and shadowy synopsis of an oral presentation put on
the Twain Forum by request, and since no-one then pointed out any flaw in
the
argument, I wonder what Wesley's comment means.  In any case, there will be
an
extended piece in _American Literature_ next issue (March 95), and people
who
so wish can abuse me all over again then.  I don't think I have ever made
much
effort to be PC; it isn't my fault that Clemens' relationships with men in
the
1860s ties into hot topics in the 1990s.  My article takes special pains to
argue that discussion of homosexuality in Clemens' life affects the premises
of
 gay studies as much as it does Twain studies.  I am still waiting for any
substantive objections to my work.  Until you have more than a bad reaction
to
my point, please refrain from using me as a bad example.  If anyone objects
to
my scholarship, I'll take my licks as fairly given, but not otherwise.