TWAIN-L Archives

Mark Twain Forum

TWAIN-L@YORKU.CA

Options: Use Forum View

Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Reply To:
Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 5 Jan 1995 22:20:38 EST
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (52 lines)
 On 01-05-95 INTERNET: [log in to unmask] wrote to Peaches...
 
 p>  Here's something I found from Mark Twain's Autobiography, Vol. 1,
 p>  page 102 on Sandy:
 p>   "I used Sandy once, also; it was in Tom Sawyer.  I tried to get
 p>  him to whitewash the fence, but it did not work.  I do not remember
 p>  what name I called him by in the book."
 
 p>  Paul Berkowitz
 
 Ii> Paul,
 Ii>
 Ii> Thanks for your response to my inquiry.  I was wondering what
 Ii> Autobiography you were referring to.  Do you mean the Paine biography
 Ii> or
 Ii> the Neider autobiography?  Or is there something else that comes in
 Ii> multiple
 Ii> volumes that I'm not familiar with?
 
     My reference was to _Mark Twain's Autobiography_ ed. Albert Bigelow
     Paine (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1924).   This is a two volume
     set.  It represents what Paine thought the Clemens Autobiography
     should be (at least in its first edition).  As far as I know, it is
     not available in any other form except the original hardcover
     version and on _Twain's World_ CD-ROM.  Neider's Autobiography, _The
     Autobiography of Mark Twain_ ed. Charles Neider (New York:  Harper &
     Row, 1959) is essentially the same material re-ordered in a more
     traditional chronological fashion (against Clemens's wish).  Between
     these works there was _Mark Twain in Eruption_ ed. Bernard DeVoto
     (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1940).  This was mostly material
     that Paine had left out (some of it because it would hurt or offend
     living persons). All three works had the approval of Clara Clemens.
     There is one more work, very recent, that represents a fair amount
     of Clemens's Autobiography, _Mark Twain's Own Autobiography_ ed.
     Michael Kiskis (University of Wisconsin Press, 1990).  This is
     chapters of the Autobiography that Clemens allowed to be published
     in the "North American Review" in 1906 and 1907.  There is an
     excellent summary of Paine's, DeVoto's and Neider's versions in
     Kiskis's introduction.  The other work you mentioned, Paine's, _Mark
     Twain: A Biography_ (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1912) is a
     separate work, not part of the Autobiography.
 
     If anyone else knows more of Clemens's Autobiography that has
     seen printer's ink, please chime in.  I'd also love to hear what
     others may prefer, Paine or Neider's version?  And -- if it's not
     asking too much - should the full Autobiography be published as
     Clemens intended?
 
 
     Paul Berkowitz
     ([log in to unmask])

ATOM RSS1 RSS2