Hello all, I have been following the discussion of the Twain/Martin comedy discussion with great interest, as my graduate work has included work on both of these figures. As someone deeply interested in the distinction between the humorous and the serious, the place of humor in society, and the greatness of Mark Twain, the questions raised by the discussion seem quite important. As part of many of the replies to the discussion, people have mentioned alternative possibilities for the award, as well as various criteria that an award named after Twain should embody. As I thought of these questions this afternoon, I struck upon an idea: an alternative award, not as a rebuke of the Mark Twain Award for Humor, but as a way to further the legacy of Mark Twain through a discussion of what such an award would mean. Is anyone interested in nominating a person for a "Mark Twain-L Award"? Living or deceased, funny or not, serious and/or humorous--writer, comedian, movie star, inventor, steamboat pilot, traveler, etc. I would be interested to know who people would nominate for such an award and what the criteria for such an award could be. Tracy Wuster American Studies, UT Austin