As I'm sure many other members of the Mark Twain Forum have done or now do, I have donated some money (sadly, not that much!) over the years to the Mark Twain Project at the University of California-Berkeley. Therefore, I am on their mailing list--and I hope it's appropriate to share the message of their latest letter. The Friends of the Bancroft Library has designated the Mark Twain Project as the focal point for this year's annual campaign. At the same time, money is so low for the MT Project that they won't be able to pay the four senior editors by the end of this year. The federal grant money that has long supported the project is now running out. They are applying for an NEH grant, but don't know the status of that right now. Anyone who is interested in Mark Twain owes a debt of gratitude to the Mark Twain Project, scholars and general readers alike. I would urge those of us on the Mark Twain Forum to show our financial support at a troubling time for the project. Many of us have been there to conduct research and know that the offices are not exactly the Taj Mahal. Money is tight for everybody these days, but the most recent letter is spurring me to contribute again. The form lets you give the gift in honor or memory of someone, so I am going to send in memory of Everett Emerson and Hamlin Hill. That seems to me to be a very appropriate way to honor the lives and work of both of those important Twain scholars. My wife's employer will match that donation, too, she tells me. Gifts should have a note specifying them for the Mark Twain Project, payable to The Friends of the Bancroft Library. The address: The Friends of the Bancroft Library The Bancroft Library University of California Berkeley, CA 94720-6000 I have no financial interest, of course, but I have a decided interest in the important (invaluable) work of the Mark Twain Project being continued. Thanks for listening to the plea! John Bird