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From:
Tracy Wuster <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 28 Mar 2013 16:21:50 -0500
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Hello all,

In "My Father Mark Twain," Clara tells the story of how Twain would
write but not send letters to vent his anger.  She gives the example
(p69-70) of a letter to a man who had written an unsigned review of
Twain's Jamestown, N.Y. lecture in 1870.

Roughly 16 years later, this man wrote to Twain asking for help
obtaining a consulship, to which Twain offered to instead provide a
rope or a burial permit.  The critique of Twain's lecture is quite
funny in how it so blatantly missed the point, and I would be tempted
to call it a satire, if not for Twain's letter.

The review is on Stephen Railton's site (scroll down):

http://twain.lib.virginia.edu/onstage/sandrev4.html

Does anyone have any guesses on the identity of the reviewer?  I
searched through the letters online at the MTP and didn't have any
luck making the connection, so I thought I would seek out some help.

Thanks in advance,

Tracy Wuster

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