Sorry to send that out to the list, although it may be of some interest anyway. In fact I did have a query that got mixed up with the other, so here it is: The older idea of dark period, from mid 1890s or so to the end, of Twain's life -- a la Hamlin Hill, or DeVoto's symbols of despair-- what is the general consensus on that nowadays?? I know there has been some recent critical work questioning that general idea. What have LIST-members found most helpful and convincing on this score?? Personally I am working through that period for my book project and as I read the stuff MT wrote during this time, esp. after 1896, it is pretty dark, pretty negative, and very despairing. So I am having trouble seeing this period as not somehow radically darker and more miserable than the "major period" that I associate mainly with Hartford and Elmira. Opinions?? Best, Harold K. Bush, Jr. Saint Louis University