Dear List Members,

I am writing a dissertation concerned with representations
of nineteenth-century American Spiritualism (the belief in
the ability of living people to communicate with the dead).
One of my chapters is a close reading of _A Connecticut Yankee
in King Arthur's Court_, with an eye to the presence of
Spiritualist tropes in the novel.

Trouble is, someone else at Stanford must be doing
Twain research: A number of MT reference books are
out of circulation and unavailable: particularly
some of the juciest-sounding works that the list
instructions recommend that researchers consult
first before posting queries: Tenney, _MT: A Reference Guide_,
_MT's Letters_, _MT's Notebooks & Journals_,
_The MT Encyclopedia_, _Mark Twain A to Z:
 The Essential Reference to His Life and Writings_.

In the absence of materials like these that might launch my
work, does anyone know of particular archives, publications,
or material culture that bear on Twain's interest and
participation in Spiritualism?  I know that MT participated
in the Spiritualist scene here in San Francisco (with bemusement
and genuine curiosity, from what I understand).  Might there be
some secret storehouse around here that has documentation of
this?  The librarians at SF's Public Library were of no help.

Any assistance would be REALLY appreciated--and you'll get an
extended and effusive "thank you" in my preface.

Thanks a bunch,

Lisa Lenker
Stanford University