Terrell, I will admit that when I first saw your book, I had a moment of panic, but I didn't mean to suggest that you "scooped" me on the slavery research; I simply meant that my research made me appreciate the your attention to detail, the clarity of your mind and the clarity of your language. No regrets. My own approach to the slavery question involved a more literary angle, seeking answers to literary critics' historical objections to and assumptions regarding Jim's character and Twain's portrayal of slavery. I continue to work on developing it beyond the still-awkward dissertation stage, and your book only makes it stronger--which I appreciate beyond expression. I come through Hannibal almost every year on a family road trip, during which my children indulgently encourage me to lose myself in Twain's boyhood town. They find my behavior a hoot, and they love the Mark Twain campground, a delightful Chinese restaurant in town, the museums and the Mississippi. My eight-year-old wants to explore "Jackson's" island and gets mad because I won't just let her jump in that clear Mississippi mud to swim across. I would dearly love to meet you sometime and talk, and I would dearly love to come to Hannibal for an extended time to research, when life, work and family permit. Thank you for the kind invitation. I hope to take you up on it. And I meant what I said, meaning no disrespect to you or to Tom Quirk's advice or acumen. We all have limitations, and a wise person recognizes them and works around them. Narrowing your focus to reflect your gifts resulted in a book I will require whenever I teach an upper division or graduate course on Twain. And while I don't know you personally, I do know that you were being funny. My husband has been my nurse too, on occasion, and moms rarely make good patients. Sharon