Wesley, thank you also. Your remarks are germaine to my own thinking. Perhaps it may be said that those who would define genius will never suffer from it. None-the-less, those who appreciate it will always have a home under its' roof. It was not the intention of my question to provoke a discussion, but if it has, it is a welcome one. I am cautious, having been cautioned when I joined the forum, not to ask unresearched questions. As a neophyte to the group, and an uneducated one to boot, I do not wish to over-play my hand. I now have more books to read than time to read them, but I have saved every reference with gratitude and humility. Kindest regards, Lloyd Grant. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Wesley Britton" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Saturday, July 21, 2001 8:05 PM Subject: Re: Biographer > If memory serves, Delancy Ferguson published a Twain bio in the 1970s called > MARK TWAIN: MAN AND MYTH. In my edition, he added an introduction in which > he said many of his colleagues praised this book, but asked when he was > going to write a "definitive biography." He replied he thought he already > had. > > Outside of Clemens' own AUTOBIOGRAPHY, we have yet to have a "definitive" > one-volume biography which is an important statement about Our Author. We > have been blessed with many books covering specific periods and many "thesis > biographies" which trace Twain's writing or personal development through > specific prisms. A few years back, one writer claimed to be writing the > long overdue "definitive" bio, but sadly added interpretative material that > eroded its usefulness. There are many good books on the early years (I'd > choose Emerson's AUTHENTIC MARK TWAIN), many on the middle years (sure, > Kaplan's is readable and reliable), and, despite some problems, Ham Hill's > MARK TWAIN: GOD'S FOOL is still the best on the final years. > > With this in mind, perhaps it's time to consider a major project akin to the > Oxford writings set in which a "definitive" bio could be put together in > several volumes with sections from the best of what we have. Rather than > hoping one scholar can bring it all together, maybe an anthology of passages > would be the most expansive and inclusive way to go . . . > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Saturday, July 21, 2001 2:09 PM > Subject: Re: Biographer > > > Lloyd: > > You've received many good suggestions. > > While I much prefer reading Mr. Clemens and Mark Twain > by Justin Kaplan, at some point you may want to jump in > on Mark Twain, A Biography by Albert Bigelow Paine. > > It's in three volumes. Some of the details will both aggravate > you and reward you. And, he has an annoying habit of relating > incidents and then saying something like, "but we need not go > into that here." > > Yet, he was at Twain's side in the final years. As an authorized, > first-hand account it's the best we have. Keep in mind that he > and Twain's daughter Clara co-conspired to keep his memory > as lily-white as one of his suits -- so don't expect "the dark side > of the moon." > > Good luck to you. > > Roger Durrett >