I wrote an article for Smithsonian Magazine (paid for but never
published) on "Mark Twain, The Father of Fake News," that I'd be happy
to share. His most famous hoaxes were written for the Territorial
Enterprise - Indians attacking Hay wagons, "The Petrified Man," and his
most outrageous, "Massacre at Dutch Nick's." After he left Virginia
City, he seemed to clean up his act.
Jerry
=========================================================================
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:20:51 -0500
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: David H Fears <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Hoax
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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Joe, I was just reading a Berkove article, in which I believe he made the
statement that Sam learned hoaxes from hoaxers in the West and then bettered
them; that hoaxes of one form or another were beneath every one of his
sketches and books afterward. If I paraphrase him incorrectly, I will defer
to an actual quote if and when I can find that article again. It seems to
have slipped into the black hole that is my den.
David H Fears
"'Umble, neither Rogue nor Loon"
=========================================================================
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:41:02 -0500
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: David H Fears <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: David H. Fears and His "Contributions"
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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I have taken several days to reflect on this thread, and the prior thread
initiated by Tracy Wuster with the brief exchange between myself and Judith
Lee. I have only this one last thing to say on it all, so please bear with
me.
I am still marveling at John Bird's ability to see "attack" in my remarks to
Judith, or understand just what sort of sub-text John sees. If my remarks
had been an animal, I'm thinking John would have seen a coiled cobra rather
than a playful puppy. Americanus Humorous--that's the species of my
remarks--all of which were under the opinion that to explain a joke is
nearly always to rob it of it's humor; to study humor (and yes, I understand
there is an entire field for this) is to rob it of its punch.
This last was an OPINION. There was not a smidge of personal attack in it.
Ad Hominem or any. I'm not sure why John saw it that way. No word was put
forth by Judith on this.
And Hal Bush said a few things--most of which I'm in perfect agreement with.
Dempsey too, even though he characterizes himself as a "silly attorney," I
find his remarks cogent. Ben has posted as well, although I'm not as clear
on what he's saying besides, "Let's all be nice to each other," and of
course I have no problem with that.
I made one mistake here, at least in my view of things. I was a smart-aleck.
I posted what I saw as humor on a Mark Twain site. Additionally I perhaps
mistook this Forum dynamic for those I was more familiar with a few years
back.? I expected a lot more discussion on a lot more controversial or
interesting topics about MT--and God knows there are a bunch that could be
discussed. I accept that it's not my duty to try to stimulate discussion.
After stomping around in the archives, it's my rough estimate that from
50-75% of the posts have to do with book reviews, calls for papers, meeting
announcements and the like.? I suppose I should have reviewed these archives
before wading in here.
I can only conclude that John's reaction had more to do with prior posts
than the two I put up in response to studying humor. Yes, John, I do believe
such study may be worthwhile for some, which isn't to retract my opinion
(not personal, mind you) that humor studied is a pale reflection of humor
enjoyed. If Sam was correct, we won't study it in Heaven.
There was something else in John's corrective which I'd like to respond
to--I have never claimed any level of MT scholarship for myself. I will let
others judge that from my work. I know how much I do not know (or at least
have an inkling of), and am not usually thought of as a know-it-all by
anyone who knows me. But online folks are projected as we'd like to or fear
to, see them.
So, if the jokes made to Judith Lee were seen as something else, it's
regrettable. But that is the animal I put forth. If my remarks corssed what
John calls "those rules of decorum," then I'd sure like a copy of those
before posting further. I do know enough not to use the sort of language
here that came with John's personal email to me. But, hey, maybe that was
John's form of humor. I'll accept it as that.
Now, back to work.
David H Fears
PS..I'm currently in mid-1888 on volume II--an interesting time. I'd always
heard tales of the Great Blizzard of '88, from my first wife's grandfather,
a native of Conn., so it was enlightening to learn that the storm
interrupted Sam and Livy's joining in NY, and his being stranded there a
time before continuing on to Wash. DC for Int'l copyright hearings.
=========================================================================
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 10:03:52 -0800
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Joe McCullough <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Hoax
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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For an excellent resource of hoaxes and hoaxters in the West, consult Larry
Berkove's recent edition "The Sagebrush Anthology: Literature fro the
Silver Age of the Old West" (U. of Missouri Press).
Joe McCullough
=========================================================================
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 13:35:01 -0500
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: David H Fears <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Hoax
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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Ah, I found it...not an article at all but a book review of _A Companion to
Mark Twain_ in which the sage Mr. Berkove, in the "Mark Twain and Others"
section, says:
"Having learned from the best, Twain eventually bettered his instructors.
Every substantial work of fiction that he wrote for the rest of his life has
hoaxes at its core--some of them extremely subtle and sophisticated and very
serious. This was the principal Nevada legacy to his writing. It was one of
two distinguishing constituents of his style" [164].
David H Fears
=========================================================================
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:47:30 -0800
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: randy abel <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: American Imperialism
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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On 16 Jan 2008 at 12:28, Horn Jason wrote:
> Of course, if you mean Twain, let me humbly add that he did not
> consistently oppose "American Imperialism."
Many of us have come to this forum having had a ¡°This ain¡¯t the Mark Twain
I was force-fed in school!¡± epiphany. For me it was Twain¡¯s
anti-imperialism that sparked my adult interest in his works, but only after
my having consistently (and honorably) supported American imperialism with
my sweat, intelligence and, ultimately, my Soul during Desert Storm service.
It¡¯s my sincere hope that there are many lurking, stir-able others whose
hero-worship of the straight-talking Uncle Sam is of a similar bent, and my
fervent War Prayer that this forum will play a role in somehow rectifying
the grievous oversight that the anti-imperialist Clemens IS THE MARK TWAIN
WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN FORCE-FED IN CIVICS CLASS.
What century is this again?
Randy Abel
=========================================================================
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:13:18 -0500
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Horn Jason <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: David Fears' remarks
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I was happy to see David Fears' remarks about the attacks that have
been made on him. For some reason, it seemed like too many were
gleefully jumping on the bandwagon to discipline him. From my own
archives, it seems like some of these folks sent out emails at earlier
dates that could also be read as cruel and a bit hateful. Lord knows
that some of my emails may have been read this way.
Fears offers a truly humble response to his critics. And
hey, a bit of humility ain't a bad way to end such an exchange.
--Jason
Jason G. Horn
Gordon College
Barnesville, GA
=========================================================================
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:16:50 -1000
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: James E Caron <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: humor and humor studies
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I suppose I must like controversy as much as the next durn'd fool, and
so here are my two cents on at least part of what David Fears has posted
recently:
Humor is obviously not the study of humor and doesn't pretend to be, so
I have never understood the disparagement that studying humor gets
because it isn't funny, because it "robs" humor of its "punch" and is a
"pale imitation." E.B. White said it best with his frog analogy, but
still, such comments, even as witty as his, are like expecting a
discussion of sexual positions to be as exciting as sex itself.20
It reminds me of students who sign up for my classes on comedy and
expect everyone to be rollicking in the aisles (laughter does happen,
sometimes, mind you, but it is the object of the course): it confuses
two different entities.
The more complicated issue is trying to be funny in an email post and
having someone misread it.20
Jokes and joking behavior (and much of comic laughter) is at bottom
aggressive: they are all forms of playful malice and it should not be
surprising that in a cold medium like cyberspace people will just hear
malice and not the play. After all, people get annoyed and angry at
jokes told in their presence, even when they do get the playful part,
just because the serious thing being joked about is too serious for
their taste.
That all is maybe more than two cents worth of truth, but of course,
trying to tell the truth, as Huck Finn reminds us, is dangerous, most
like setting down on a keg of powder and touching it off just to see
where you'll go.
Jim Caron
=========================================================================
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:27:16 -1000
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: James E Caron <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: humor and humor studies
MIME-Version: 1.0
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I forgot a NOT in a sentence in my last post
Should read
It reminds me of students who sign up for my classes on comedy and
expect everyone to be rollicking in the aisles (laughter does happen,
sometimes, mind you, but it is NOT the object of the course): it
confuses3D
two different entities.
(I hate that when that happens...)
jc
=========================================================================
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:48:48 -0800
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: "B.A. Van Der Wel" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: IS HE DEAD? . . . brilliant adaptation of Mark Twain's
script
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v753)
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Hello All:
I'm delightedly envious of those in or near New York that are getting
to see the play, sometimes twice or more!
Does anyone know if the success in New York continues if they are
planning to take it on tour, perhaps (I hope!) to Twain-connected
places such as San Francisco?
Cordially,
Benjamin van der Wel
[log in to unmask]
=========================================================================
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:43:38 -0800
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: "B.A. Van Der Wel" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: David H. Fears and His "Contributions"
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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Hello All:
Well, if by nice one means being pleasant, then perhaps that's a good
thing to take away. However, if nice is taken to mean always being
agreeable, as in no expressed differences, then that is not at all
what I'm saying.
I must confess that my previous post was somewhat influenced by
rather excellent Madeira that I find does even more than malt can to
justify God's ways to man,* let alone making sense of Twain or any
perceived personality clashes on this delightful list.
I suppose the main point I was trying to make under that amber spell
was that one can say anything one likes without direct, brutal or
seeming offense to others if one takes time to write it well. I know
online mails are often more akin to transcriptions of thoughts
hastily spoken but, in the spirit of the Great American Subject of
this list, it might be a wonderful thing if everyone considered
putting in some joyful effort to be less abrasive and thus more
persuasive when the occasion is called for.
I look forward to continued reading here and remain
Yours cordially,
Benjamin van der Wel
(*Paraphrase/redaction of John Donne's famous lines.)
=========================================================================
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:17:07 -0800
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: "Laidlaw, Arianne" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Hoax
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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Thanks! I just googled Berkove+Mark Twain+hoax and had a good time.
Arianne Laidlaw
=========================================================================
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:15:06 -0800
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: "Laidlaw, Arianne" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Hoax
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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Id love to read it. The question of whether he cleaned up his act seems to
inspire a variety of views from what I've seen so far. Thanks if you
can share your article. I subscribe to Smithsonian and am sorry they
didn't publish it!
Arianne Laidlaw
=========================================================================
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:12:54 -0800
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: "Laidlaw, Arianne" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: humor and humor studies
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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I say, smiling, that this was an entertaining read with points well taken.
Now I have to go look up
E.B. White on frogs.
Arianne Laidlaw
=========================================================================
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:07:45 -0800
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: "Laidlaw, Arianne" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Hoax
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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Many thanks. Led me to some interesting thoughts on hoaxes, not quite what
I was expecting. it has been years since I read Roughin It, but I
wsas startled to see a scholar opine that there were already traces of
Twain's conviction that the Diety was capricious. I thought that all
happened after Susie's death!
Anyway, greatly appreciate those of you who dipped into your expertize and
shared it.
THANKS
Arianne Laidlaw
=========================================================================
Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:42:05 -0500
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Judith Yaross Lee <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: David H. Fears and His "Contributions"
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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Dear David,
I did find your response to my post about humor studies an inappropriately
personal attack to a professional communication. A number of others saw it
similarly and told me so off-list. John Bird was not among them, but I
appreciated his calling you to account for turning a serious intellectual
contribution into a teasing remark about how the posting and poster bored
you, and I told him so--also off list. I did not wish to open myself to
more such attacks by responding publicly, so I held back, but I write now
to assure you are mistaken to conclude that my silence conveyed any kind of
consent. If you wish to discuss this further, let's do so so in private
email, where I will gladly explain why you were not funny.
Judith Lee
Judith Yaross Lee, Ph.D.
Ohio University
Athens, OH
=========================================================================
Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:52:33 -0500
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Judith Yaross Lee <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: humor and humor studies
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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"Humor can be dissected, as a frog can, but the thing dies in the process
and the innards are discouraging to any but the pure scientific
mind."--E.B. White, "Preface," in A Subtreasury of American Humor, ed. E.
B. White and Katharine S. White (New York: Coward-McCann, Inc., 1941), xvii.
--On Friday, January 18, 2008 10:12 PM -0800 "Laidlaw, Arianne"
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I say, smiling, that this was an entertaining read with points well
> taken. Now I have to go look up E.B. White on frogs.
>
> Arianne Laidlaw
Judith Yaross Lee, Ph.D.
Ohio University
Athens, OH
=========================================================================
Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 11:16:41 EST
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: humor and humor studies
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Reminds me of the John Ciardi quote about poetry and dissecting a cat. He
said, and I'm paraphrasing ,"Talking about the meaning of a poem was like
dissecting a cat looking for the meow."
=========================================================================
Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 11:06:17 -0800
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: "Horace J. Digby" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: humor and humor studies
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It isn't until humor is carefully examined, and it's pieces ground to dust
for final analysis that we truly appreciate the original wit behind any
given effort. Those who say otherwise will doubtless advise caution in
parsing the human genome. -- Horace J. Digby
=========================================================================
Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:14:49 -0500
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Judith Yaross Lee <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: humor and humor studies
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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I agree dissecting humor exposes the beauty of its concision and effects.
I shared the quotation from EBW mainly to save folks the trouble of looking
for it.
Judith Yaross Lee, Ph.D.
Professor and Director of Honors Tutorial Studies
Ohio University
Athens, OH
=========================================================================
Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:59:03 -0800
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Gregg Camfield <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: humor and humor studies
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White and Ciardi thus suggest that all criticism is atomistic, that holistic
or gestalt criticism is impossible. True, criticism usually begins with
taxonomy and with developing a vocabulary that identifies features. And,
true, most individual acts of criticism privilege one aspect or another of a
work of art. But each critique is part of a larger conversation, one in
which the individual contributions add up to a richer understanding and
appreciation of the art under examination. Criticism in a community of
critics yields an informed, rather than a naive, and thus much fuller
response to art.
That said, I acknowledge that critics often compete to have the last word,
not seeing themselves as contributing to conversation so much as forclosing
it. It's the difference between Calvin's _Institutes_ and Midrash in
Biblical exegesis. It's the difference between joining a "camp" of critics
who listen only to one another and a fully plural approach to criticism.
Thus, the injection of Ciardi and White into the conversation seems
stunningly pertinent to the other exchange about e-mail manners. . .
Gregg
=========================================================================
Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 11:46:21 -0800
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: "Laidlaw, Arianne" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: humor and humor studies
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
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Judith, I instantly turned to google to check out White and frogs. It
delivered. But I appreciate
your thoughtfulness. Thanks
Arianne Laidlaw who didn't recognize the reference originally
=========================================================================
Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:35:42 -0500
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: David H Fears <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: humor and humor studies
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Gregg writes of the "larger conversation" added up from individual
contributions. It's a nice idea, which may have its moments of truth, but
I've never been overly sold on that sort of cumbaya diversity equals wealth,
one-giant-leap-for-mankind, celebrate-diversity where all voices are equal
(the logical extension of the "larger conversation" idea)?blather.
For, even though the very language an individual operates with has been
bestowed by a given society, even though trends in cultures may for the most
part be socially constructed, ideas are only expressed by?wholly unique
persons, whose experience, if nothing else, is like no other human's who
ever existed. It is the individual who expresses that unique experience (and
thus viewpoint) in various shades of social currency we call?language. It is
that individual who can stretch the lines of that language, and lend new
meaning, unique from all the others, and certainly head and shoulders above
the collective.
Here we are witness to the unique expressions of Samuel L. Clemens, who was
certainly influenced by various societies, groups and even nations, but
whose voice remained his own, highly recognizable, highly prized. This may
seem like?a chicken & egg, expressivist vs. social constructivist argument,
but it is this the individual who gives us true genius, some sufficiently
potent to change the course of history, and in many cases, the "larger
conversation" which gives the pabulum of mediocrity.?Let's face it--there's
a herd instinct in most views of art that critics offer. ?Critics exist
supposedly to tell the rabble what art means (or, even what it *is*), but
the rabble often sees behind the curtain, perceives what critics are up to:
sucking joy from the marrow of art; tiresome ideas based on elitism;
diversity with perversity, etc.
I do think Gregg makes a valid distinction between criticism which dissects
and that which stands back to find some overriding meaning--yet, many might
not call the latter criticism at all, but merely enjoyment or awe;?most
criticism we are familiar with does the former, is equated with the former,
and is a rather dour, baleful bucket of slop.
David
=========================================================================
Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 22:24:34 -0800
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Gregg Camfield <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: humor and humor studies
MIME-Version: 1.0
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David,
I stand corrected, and with the knowledge that criticism is "the pabulum of
mediocrity," I know exactly how to assess your position.
But I keep hearing the still small voice of John Stuart Mill, whose "On
Freedom of Expression," in _On Liberty_, admonishes us that unchallenged
belief is merely superstition, and that human progress depends on
correcting, through conversation, the errors individuals naturally make, no
matter how great great such individuals might be. (Would that Einstein had
considered his human tendency toward error when he dismissed quantum theory
out of hand.) I seem to remember Mill saying that conversation in this vein
is not "everybody's-opinion-is-equally-true," but that reasoned discourse
clarifies truth. (Mind you, unsupported judgment uttered with Olympian
certitute is not what Mill meant by discussion. He felt that such facile
self-justification was really a sign of a closed mind that doesn't even know
know that it's closed.) Entertaining counter-arguments is a necessary
component of really knowing, even if one finds one's original position
confirmed in the exercise. Such o!
penness requires humility, something that even the stiff-necked Puritan
Cromwell understood. When pushed to an extreme extreme by one of his
colleagues, he said, "I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it
possible you may be mistaken."
Until now, I didn't know that Mill and Cromwell were such touchy-feely
lefties, so willing to follow the crowd's mediocrity, but, again, I seem to
need to be corrected by a greater individual.
Yours in kumbaya blather,
Gregg
=========================================================================
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 07:19:43 -0800
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Michael Patrick Hearn <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Hal Holbrook's Oscar Nomination
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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All admirers of "Mark Twain Tonight" may rejoyce in
Hal Holbrook's Oscar nomination as Best Supporting
Actor in "Into the Wild." Seems long overdue.
=========================================================================
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 09:56:13 -0600
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Larry Howe <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: humor and humor studies
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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Gregg--
Very nice distinctions. But Mill and Cromwell? When did you become an
Anglophile?
--Larry Howe
=========================================================================
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 17:24:21 -0600
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Barbara Schmidt <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: BOOK REVIEW: Bird, _Mark Twain and Metaphor_
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The following book review was written for the Mark Twain Forum by Larry
Howe.
~~~~~
BOOK REVIEW
_Mark Twain and Metaphor_. John Bird. University of Missouri Press, 2007,
Cloth, pp. xxii + 250. $39.95. ISBN 978-0-8262-1762-2
Many books reviewed on the Forum are available at discounted prices from
the TwainWeb Bookstore, and purchases from this site generate commissions
that benefit the Mark Twain Project. Please visit <http://www.twainweb.net>.
Reviewed for the Mark Twain Forum by:
Larry Howe
Roosevelt University
Copyright (c) 2008 Mark Twain Forum. This review may not be published or
redistributed in any medium without permission.
The world knows of Mark Twain because he had a way with words. While this
seems a rather obvious and even simplistic point, this is John Bird's
essential argument in _Mark Twain and Metaphor_. But Bird's treatment of
Twain's creative use of language is by no means simple or obvious. To the
contrary, the analysis in this wide-ranging and far-reaching argument goes
beyond the usual observations to examine the linguistic texture of Twain's
entire body of work in his imaginative and purposeful use of figures.
Bird's demonstration of how, for example, metaphor and metonymy structure a
number of psychological and cultural discursive formations yields
provocative and thoughtful results. In so doing, he offers us a model of
shrewd scholarship. Drawing upon the work of a broad range of
theorists--including Sigmund Freud, Roman Jakobson, Gerard Genette, Jacques
Lacan, Kenneth Burke, I. A. Richards, Colin Turbayne, and George
Lakoff--and framing interpretations of Twain's work with a sincere respect
for a similarly diverse array of Twain scholars, Bird presents a lucid and
jargon-free argument, showing how a sensitive appreciation of Twain's
figurative language can both amplify the insights of earlier critics and
lead to nuanced discoveries of Bird's own.
Covering the major novels, short stories and tales, letters, travel
writing, and the later surreal works, the book consists of four chapters
and a coda, each successively, and expansively, demonstrating how Twain's
identity, the river, metaphor itself, the controversial end of Twain's
career, and Mark Twain studies are constructed through figurative language.
It is rare that one approach can yield consistently fresh insights across
such a widely divergent body of writing, but Bird demonstrates the virtues
of his method by showing how Twain's talent with figures achieves
remarkably distinct results in each case examined. For example, his reading
of the metaphors in Twain's early career--in texts such as "The Jumping
Frog," _Roughing It_, and in the formation of his pseudonym--productively
extends the long-standing discussions about the tension between genteel and
vernacular by noting how the two different registers are combined in
deceptively complex narrative stances. From this Bird persuasively explains
that the commonly acknowledged doubleness of Mark Twain derives from this
idiosyncratic and careful use of figurative language.
In Chapter 2 "Figuring the River," Bird turns his attention first to "Old
Times on the Mississippi," revealing how its exceptionally rich metaphoric
structure helps to more fully explain what New Critics struggled to account
for in their assessments of _Life on the Mississippi_ as well as what
cultural critics have overlooked in emphasizing the thematics of economics
and class. Bird's attention to the metaphors in _The Adventures of Tom
Sawyer_ yields a subtle interpretation of the quality of the narrator that,
in turn, argues that Twain's shifting of the narrative voice questions the
authority that is conventionally invested in authorship.
Bird also examines racial metaphors as well as black and white images in
_Adventures of Huckleberry Finn_ to less satisfying results, but in the
next chapter, "Figuring Metaphor," he makes up for this by showing how
deliberate and careful Twain was in paring down Huck's metaphors in the
early portions of the text to match the voice that evolved by Chapter 9.
This is important because it not only challenges assumptions that Twain was
not inclined to revise but also helps to gauge the degree to which he
deliberately uses metaphor. Other sections of this chapter deal with the
language in a number of short works, especially the metaphors of region in
"The Private History of a Campaign That Failed," scatological metaphors of
self-expression in "1601," and an extremely valuable close reading of the
figurative economy in "A True Story." Each of these analyses in different
ways reveals the meaningful and purposeful effects of Twain's craft.
The end of Twain's writing career has been particularly perplexing to
critics. Biography has often played a significant role in interpretations
of what has been perceived as an artistic failure in Twain's abrupt turn
toward darkness. In Chapter 4, "Figuring the End," Bird's approach
re-values the writing as inventive and experimental, a refreshing and
illuminating alternative to conventional wisdom that has much to recommend
it. Bird's first unconventional move is to address the problematic late
career by beginning his discussion with _A Connecticut Yankee in King
Arthur's Court_, notable for the effusive metaphors of its narrator. But
Bird's point is not simply Hank's effusiveness but the inventiveness of the
narrative on all levels, and the emergence of a divergent pattern within
the narrator himself. In the second chapter, Bird makes a similar
observation about the divided narrative voice in _Tom Sawyer_ , but to his
credit, he does not simply identify the later case as a recurrence of the
earlier; rather, he notes its distinctive function and effect in
_Connecticut Yankee_, what Mikhail Bakhtin notably calls a novel's
dialogical character. For Bird, this is the emerging articulation of an
interest that Twain continued to pursue in _Pudd'nhead Wilson_ and the
numerous fragments of dream narratives that he generated throughout the
last twenty years or so of his career. Rather than simply describe the
pattern in each of these later instances, Bird shows how its distinctive
effects come to play in each of them. With _Pudd'nhead Wilson_, Bird once
again shows his critical independence by arguing that the text and its
attendant troubles can be more fully appreciated if read in combination
with _Those Extraordinary Twins_ (or what remains of that farce) from which
the novel was famously extracted. I'm not entirely persuaded, but I concede
that Bird is onto something by addressing the conjoined twins' story that
was removed and then later published with the novel that survived the
editing process. _Those Extraordinary Twins_ hints at the formal and
cultural meanings that are metaphorized in those conjoined twins, but the
issues of race at the center of _Pudd'nhead Wilson_ don't require the
conjoined twins' story for their articulation. After segueing into a
section on the metaphorical quality of jokes, which allows him to introduce
Freudian concepts that play a larger role in the dream writings, Bird
spends a considerable portion of the chapter on the fragments commonly
referred to as "The Great Dark" writings. These along with the _Mysterious
Stranger_ manuscripts are fertile material for Bird's analysis because of
their looseness and disjointed quality as much as for their metaphorical
virtues.
In the Coda, Bird turns his analysis of figures on Mark Twain studies
directly and considers how metaphorical patterns have prevailed in
different eras of the field. This is very insightful metacriticism that
accurately catalogs the shifting tendencies of Twain criticism and also
underscores the further utility of Bird's emphasis on metaphor. For this
careful examination of the language that Twain scholarship deploys in
accounting for his way with words reveals the ways in which our evolving
biases can be measured in metaphors that are indexes of cultural concerns
over time. This closing makes a very fitting point to Bird's highly
commendable study. This is not a perfect book, but what book is. Some
readers less familiar with the entire body of Twain's work may find it a
bit difficult to follow its organization because it ranges freely across
Twain's career and shifts between shorter and longer works in a manner that
underscores Bird's immersion in the material. There are, no doubt, several
points in which one might ask for further consideration of the cultural
implications of metaphor. But at no point do these issues threaten the
value of the argument. If anything, these are opportunities for further
scholarly efforts to follow Bird's lead in other directions.
I'd like to make one final observation about the design of the book, which
strikes me as being extremely sensitive to the nuances of Bird's study.
Graphical aids such as reproductions of manuscript passages and a table of
manuscript revisions support Bird's arguments. But another kind of
suggestive feature offers a bit of delight: each section of the book is
introduced by the number of the chapter and a title, but faintly in the
background and in much larger font, one might notice that another reference
such as "Chapter 1" or "Coda" and even "Notes" can be detected. These
graphic devices hint at the doubleness of meaning that inheres in metaphor
itself. While this is not a large point, it reflects a subtle attention to
detail that is far too frequently overlooked in most book designs. Finally,
the book jacket itself is worth a comment, especially the cartoon
reproduced on the back. The image is from the center-spread cartoon of
_Life_ magazine for Sept 9, 1886, which Bird located in the collection of
Kevin Mac Donnell. Originally captioned "Literature at Low Tide," it
depicts an array of American authors as carnival barkers, and features Mark
Twain in the foreground as a dispenser of laughing gas. A boy dressed as
Buster Brown draws from a hose connected to Twain's tank as he places a
coin in the author's hand. Itself a multi-layered metaphor of humor writing
that serves Bird's purpose nicely, the cartoon pays the additional dividend
of surprise; it's an image that I've never seen before, adding a delight to
my closing of a book that was already intellectually satisfying.
=========================================================================
Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:56:00 -0500
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: David Davis <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: fyi: "Mark Twain's Blues" (play)
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> http://www.playbill.com/news/article/114516.html
>=20
Playbill | January 23, 2008=20
"Mark Twain's Blues, press notes state, "opens with the 65-year-old Mark
Twain preparing for yet another of his frequent humorous lectures. But
this one will be different, because soon after Twain begins to speak,
he's surprised by a voice from the audience: it's Huckleberry Finn, now
a full 20 years older than he was in Twain's book. He's soon joined by
escaped slave Jim - now 50 years old - and together the two accuse their
creator of betraying the truth of their lives in order to boost book
sales. Determined to set the record straight once and for all, Huck and
Jim act out some of the scenes in Twain's book...but this time, the way
they really happened.".=20
=========================================================================
Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:56:33 -0500
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: brent colley <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: How is Stormfield viewed?
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This spring I will be digitizing a large number of photographs, letters,
documents, items, etc... that relate to Twain's time on Redding,
Connecticut. The 100th anniversary of Twain's arrival on June 18th spurred
the project idea and now I'm ready to roll up the sleeves and get started.
Part of the funding for this project will come from grants and in order to
obtain these grants I'll need to prove that people outside of Redding care
that Twain lived in Redding. While I personally feel his time here was
significant I would like to know how the members of the forum feel about it.
Would an online exhibit of roughly 100 photos, a transcription of all the
guests from 1908-1910, transcription of record books, letters to and from
Angelfish, library founding and legal documents, photos of his writing desk,
riverboat made by burglar, other house items, etc.. be of interest??
Thank you for your assistance,
Brent M. Colley
HistoryofRedding.com
=========================================================================
Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:58:45 -0500
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: David H Fears <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: How is Stormfield viewed?
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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Brent, most certainly it would be of interest here, as would any period of
the man's life. Judging by the steady stream of orders for my book, there is
interest in anything to do with Samuel Clemens. Let me know if I can be of
any help, though it's going to be awhile before I get to the Angelfish
period--I'm aiming at beating Hirst and the MTP in their completion of the
Autobiography work. (2010 or 11 give or take a decade).
And while on the subject of angelfish, Tom Tenny tells me that John Cooley,
editor of MT's Aquarium, is "missing"--that is, no one seems to be able to
contact him. If you know of his whereabouts, please let me or Tom know.
John? are you out there? Thanks,
David H Fears
=========================================================================
Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:57:35 -0800
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Cal Pritner <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: How is Stormfield viewed?
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Brent,
Yes, it's of interest. I've had occasion to look into Twain's time at
Stormfield and found it frustrating that so little information was
available. The work you describe will be of real use.
Cal Pritner
New York, NY
=========================================================================
Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:51:02 -0800
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Sandra Uetz <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: How is Stormfield viewed?
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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Brent,
I can only second David Fear's response. Twain's years at Stormfield are
very significant especially in terms of his guests and also his relationship
with his daughters and staff as well as some of his late writing.
Sandra Littleton-Uetz
=========================================================================
Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 03:37:54 -0500
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: How is Stormfield viewed?
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When I visited Redding several years ago, I was surprised that there was so
little dealing with Twain's time there. I had the distinct feeling that the
people of the town did not want to be bothered with all of that.
I am very glad to hear about your project.
Dennis Kelly
San Francisco
=========================================================================
Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 00:42:34 EST
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
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From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: How is Stormfield viewed?
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I think it would be a marvelous record to have as the debate over his
psychological state of mind in those last years continues.
=========================================================================
Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2008 23:22:18 EST
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Tom Swenson <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: How is Stormfield viewed?
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I agree that these are important years. I keep trying to write about the
ethos I sense in these years and cannot tonight find the words. But the
"feel"
of Twain at this period of his life only makes sense as I look back at the
life he'd lived and brought to this place; and the reverse is true too. It
is an
essential closure on his life.
I want to know more about his "Angelfish" among other things.
Tom Swenson
Twain Impersonator
=========================================================================
Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 10:59:52 -0600
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Sally R Anton <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Stormfield letter
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Dear Mr. Coley,
At the Mark Twain Birthplace State Historic Site archives there are two
letters from the burglar Henry Williams who broke into Stormfield. I used
them to make a temporary display at the museum, but it stayed up longer than
usual because of the interest of viewers.
Anyway, just wanted to let you know that even though the museum was
devoted to Twain's early years and his time as a famous author people still
were interested in Redding. I know I would like to learn more about
Redding. I hope you decide to continue this project.
=========================================================================
Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 15:55:54 EST
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
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What a great idea! How I'd like a paperback catalogue similar to "Mark
Twain's Elmira" published by the Chemung County Historical Society. Brent,
if you
really, really squeezed the budget...
Lee Coyle, PhD
Independent scholar
=========================================================================
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:47:27 -0500
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: David H Fears <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: SLC on Opinion
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ANY OPINION is a satire upon the person uttering it, therefore no opinion
should be uttered arrogantly--all should be uttered in a timid voice.
List to the preacher
?????????? "???Reformer
?????????? "?? revivalist
?????????? "?? politician
?????????? "???Democrat
each is expressing contempt for the *other's* mind--& this is getting up his
own as superior.
???????? He's a *fool!*
???????? Then what are *you* [?]
Opin shd never be uttered above a whisper
Fragment #59 MS in CU-Mark: Box 37 (formerly DV127:3).
=========================================================================
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:28:24 -0800
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: doug bridges <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: How is Stormfield viewed?
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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I heartily applaud your project and wish you the best, as do my fellow
teachers at Polk County Middle School, Columbus, NC.....Doug Bridges,
Language Arts teacher
=========================================================================
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 20:31:10 -0800
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: "B.A. Van Der Wel" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: How is Stormfield viewed?
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Greetings Mr. Colley:
As a member of the general public that would happily pay to see such
an exhibit, please add my name to the list of people that think this
is a capital idea.
Best regards,
Benjamin van der Wel
[log in to unmask]
=========================================================================
Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:02:10 -0600
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Barbara Schmidt <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: How is Stormfield viewed?
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The project to provide more information and photos related to Clemens's
time at Redding has much merit. I sometimes come across photos in
my research related to Stormfield that contain photos of unidentified
visitors. I would look forward to seeing some positive identifications,
including those of girls known as the "angelfish." I currently have a
"work in progress" online which attempts to provide a thumbnail biography
of the girls listed in Clemens's autobiographical dictations and
elsewhere as "angelfish." What I am finding is that Clemens seemed
to avoid any mention of the prominent families from which some of
these girls came. When his association with some of these families is
established and knowing the role the families played in society, politics,
and literature -- an additional insight into Mark Twain's biography is
established.
This work in progress is online at:
http://www.twainquotes.com/angelfish/angelfish.html
I hope to add more biographies and at least one photo of each member
in the next few weeks. I suspect some of the photos will be difficult
to find and identity difficult to establish.
Barb
=========================================================================
Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2008 12:19:55 -0500
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Heather Morgan <[log in to unmask]>
Organization: Mark Twain Library
Subject: Re: How is Stormfield viewed?
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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I have just joined the forum, and I don't know why I waited so long! I am
amazed at the reaction to Brent Colley's message concerning Mark Twain's
time at Stormfield, and I am very excited to have this opportunity to get
information about those last two emotional years out there.
Barbara - please feel free to contact me about the Angel Fish, or any other
aspects of Twain's life at Stormfield, and I will do my best to help.
We do have a wonderful collection here, and I am happy to share these
treasures with everyone.
Heather Morgan, Director, Mark Twain Library, Redding.
=========================================================================
Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2008 12:02:21 -0600
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: "Kevin. Mac Donnell" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Stormfield
In late 2006 I sent Tom Tenney my lengthy "virtual tour" of Stormfield,
which is accompanied by more than 40 photographs of the interiors and
exteriors of Stormfield, most of them previously unpublished (from my
personal collection), and shows the location from which each photo was taken
and indicates the coverage of each photo as well, all carefully plotted on
the original Stormfield floorplans in a sequence that leads the reader on a
"virtual tour" of the house. My article describes the physical structure of
the home in great detail, and provides details about the subsequent history
and destruction of the home as well, calling upon several obscure and
previously unpublished sources. This will fill a double-issue of the Mark
Twain Journal.
Tom is trying to get the Mark Twain Journal caught up, and has at least one
more pair of issues he must get into print before mine, but hopes my article
will appear by summer. So do I.
Kevin Mac Donnell
Austin TX
=========================================================================
Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:52:55 -0500
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: "Jules A. Hojnowski" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: How is Stormfield viewed? and Angelfish club
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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hello everyone,
When I read this I thought I would
send a reminder that I am chair of a panel
for SAMLA later this year on the Angelfish club.
It will be the 100th ann. of it's offical beginning.
I hope that many of the people in this thread
submits a paper for this!
Kevin, your article sounds wonderful!
How about turning it into a powerpoint
for a paper for the conference for my session? :)
Thank you!
Jules
=========================================================================
Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:23:06 -0500
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Jim Leonard <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Stormfield
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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This sounds like a wonderful contribution to Mark Twain scholarship--by
no means the first excellent contribution Kevin has made.
On the subject of the Mark Twain Journal, in case you haven't seen it,
Tom has recently issued Vol. 43, Nos. 1-2 (Spring/Fall 2005), featuring
excerpts from David Fears' Mark Twain Day by Day. --Jim Leonard
=========================================================================
Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:52:25 -0500
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Heather Morgan <[log in to unmask]>
Organization: Mark Twain Library
Subject: Re: How is Stormfield viewed? and Angelfish club
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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Please - would you let me know about SAMLA? I would love to learn more
about the Angelfish club - here at the library I have an original pin, plus
a letter from Samuel Clemens to Louise Paine about the club, and a photo of
the two playing billiards
Many thanks, Heather.
=========================================================================
Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:00:03 -0500
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: "Jules A. Hojnowski" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: How is Stormfield viewed? and Angelfish club
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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hi :)
Here is the URL for the SAMLA site:
http://samla.gsu.edu/
They currently do not have the 2008 info up yet,
but it will give you an idea about SAMLA.
Hope you attend!
Jules
=========================================================================
Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:43:42 -0800
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Shelley Fisher Fishkin <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: very sad news
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I write to share some very sad news that Joan Zwick, Jim Zwick's
sister, just asked me to share with this list:
"Jim has passed away. He died peacefully at his home on January 24,
2008, as the result of complications from diabetes. His obituary is
listed in today's Hartford Courant.
<http://www.courant.com>www.courant.com"
Speaking personally, I have lost one of the most generous friends
and colleagues I ever had. American Studies and Twain Studies have
lost one of the most insightful, original and important voices of our
time.
Jim Zwick's ground-breaking contributions to American Studies and
Twain Studies are legion. His 1992 book, Mark Twain's Weapons of
Satire: Anti-Imperialist Writings on the Philippine-American War,
made available in one impressive volume texts that had been largely
recondite before, and analyses of Twain's anti-imperialism that had
not been salient in Twain criticism before Jim laid them out for us.
(It is interesting that his book pre-dated The Cultures of U.S.
Imperialism edited by Kaplan and Pease -- testimony to Jim's always
being ahead of the curve). Jim pioneered in recognizing the ways in
which the internet could be a major boon to scholarship, developing
the first major Twain-focused site on the web. He was one of the
first scholars to bring together etexts, criticism, visual images,
etc. on the web in a manner that made them instantly accessible to
anyone with access to the internet. He started doing this back in
1994, when few of us could imagine the future that he was already
mapping. Over the last decade he continued to publish important work
on Twain an imperialism, both on the web, and also in Vestiges of
War: The Philippine-American War and the Aftermath of an Imperial
Dream, 1899-1999, edited by Angel Velasco Shaw and Luis Francia (NYU,
2002), in the Oxford Historical Guide to Mark Twain (OUP, 2002), and
elsewhere. He broke new ground again in 2006 in his eye-opening
book, Inuit Entertainers in the United States: from the Chicago
World's Fair through the Birth of Hollywood (Infinity 2006), a book
which my students have found enormously useful. And he continued to
come up with illuminating new insights in Confronting Imperialism:
Essays on Mark Twain and the Anti-Imperialist League (Infinity, 2007).
The obituary in the Hartford Courant provides additional details
about Jim's life--such as the fact that he was only 51 at his death.
But it fails to convey some of the special qualities that I'm sure
many of you had occasion to encounter: his willingness to answer
questions, point you to relevant readings, provide images, and
generally be helpful in any way he could any time he was asked; a
passion for social justice that infused everything he did along with
a visceral hatred of racism and prejudice; a dedication to mining
history for insights that could illuminate the present; a refusal to
be distracted by pettiness or jealousy or even ego; a naturally
eloquent and compelling writing style that was probably shaped by all
that time he spent reading Mark Twain.
When Mark Twain wrote, "Let us endeavor to live so that when we come
to die even the undertaker will be sorry," he probably had someone
much like Jim in mind.
Jim's death leaves a big hole in the profession -- and in our hearts.
Let's honor his memory by sustaining the values he cherished in our
work and in our lives.
=========================================================================
Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:13:02 -0500
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Mark Dawidziak <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: very sad news
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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Thank you, Shelley, for letting us know and for providing the link
to the Courant.
His was an honest voice, and he helped to keep the rest of us honest.
Generous? The word will have to do until a better one is invented.
We could use several dozen like him, but there was only one Jim
Zwick. I guess we're only permitted one.
=========================================================================
Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:46:32 -0600
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Michael MacBride <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: 1 part surprise, 1 part a question
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First, I am, as most of you are, surprised and saddened by the passing of
Jim Zwick. Being relatively new to the studies, I had only been introduced
to his work within the last three years. And, strangely enough had just
revisited his Weapons of Satire to investigate the very question that I will
put forth to the forum in a moment. And, was just recently thwarted by the
inter-library loan system telling me that his new book (Confronting
Imperialism: Essays on Mark Twain and the Anti-Imperialist League) was too
new for me to borrow a copy of it. Though I didn't know Mr. Zwick
personally, I have certainly enjoyed his work and reaped the benefits of his
research. He will indeed be missed.
Second, the question. In short, the question is: do any of you know of
instances of Twain talking directly about the KKK? I started poking around
on the databases and found some interesting things to read, but surprisingly
little came up with the search of "mark twain kkk" or "mark twain klan". I
see a fair number of mentions of talk about lynching, and as near as I can
tell, the only actual mention of the KKK directly was in Weapons of Satire
in Twain's "Review of Edwin Wildman's Biography of Aguinaldo ("The pupils
were not worse than the friars who taught them these things. And they were
not worse than were our Christian Ku-Klux gangs of a former time, nor than
are our church-going negro-burners of to-day.")
I've been revisiting many of Twain's writings, looking at the various
lynchings that occur (Huck Finn, Connecticut Yankee, Pudd'nhead Wilson,
Roughing It, Tom Sawyer, Life on the Mississippi, Tom Sawyer Abroad, "A
Double-Barreled Detective Story", "United States of Lyncherdom", and "Does
the race of man Love a Lord" (from The $30,000 Bequest and other stories),
but I've yet to really find much directly addressing the KKK.
So, before I sat down to the work of writing a paper on the topic, I thought
I would appeal to you all in case I've made a major gaffe and missed
something (obvious or otherwise).
Michael MacBride
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
=========================================================================
Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:17:48 EST
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: "L. Dan Walker" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: sad news-Suggestions?
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Ms.Fishkin and all:
I'm a high school teacher new to the list and trying to get up to speed,
whose students are currently working on a critical studies of Twain (and
have been
looking through your fascinating work, Ms.Fishkin, and others, on
Questia--and thank you so much for allowing that access!)... I was shocked
to hear of Mr.
Zwick's passing, and I wonder: can anyone recommend a particular
anti-imperial Twain text, or perhaps an article by Mr. Zwick, accessible to
high school
students? I've seen "War Prayer" of course.
I've learned so much already. Thanks for all your energy and scholarship.
Dan Walker
Commonwealth Governor's School
=========================================================================
Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 22:42:44 -0600
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Mike Williams <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: 1 part surprise, 1 part a question
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Michael:
One reason Twain might not have written about the KKK is the lack of impact
they had during Twain's life. The KKK's "hay-day" started in the early 20th
century, and its activities in the 19th were largely curtailed by President
Grants initiatives.
Twain might not have deemed them worthy of such publicity...
Mike Williams
=========================================================================
Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 04:25:53 -0800
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: randy abel <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: sad news-Suggestions?
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Please allow me to express my condolences to those closest to Jim Zwick.
Having been edified and inspired by his scholarship for more than a decade,
I was privileged,as well in recent months to have benefited (like many on
this list, I'm sure) from advice and encouragement he generously and
copiously provided via email exchanges. He has indeed left us an invaluable
legacy.
Mr Walker,
I think that the excerpt from Professor Zwick's new book at
http://www.jimzwick.net/confronting_imperialism.html would be an accessible
starting point for your students, as it is especially relevant in the
current climate.
An excellent primary Twain resource meeting your needs would certainly be
"The Dervish and the Offensive Stranger," from Mark Twain, A Pen Warmed-Up
in Hell -- Mark Twain in Protest (Perennial Library, Harper & Row). It's
available online here:
http://quanta-gaia.org/MarkTwain/dervish.html
Regards,
Randy Abel
Yantai University, China
=========================================================================
Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:49:23 -0500
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Horn Jason <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: 1 part surprise, 1 part a question
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Michael (if I may),
Could Pap Finn be seen as symbolically representing the worst of
the KKK thinking? Twain's descriptions of him, at least, capture an
image that is to evolve a little later. I am especially thinking about
chapter five of _HF_, when pap surprises Huck with his appearance behind
long and tangled hair, "and you could see his eyes shining through like
he was behind vines." And Twain's insistence on the whiteness of pap's
face: "it was white; not like another man's white, but a white to make a
body sick, a white to make a body's flesh crawl."
And Colonel Sherburn's insight into the "Southern fashion" of
lynching in the dark in Chapter 22 seems to suggest at least one aspect
of the Klan's style: "and when they come they'll bring their masks."
I know this is not the direct evidence you needed, but I just
thought Twain might be pointing indirectly at a certain part of the
Southern mentality and perhaps to particular actions.
---Jason Horn
=========================================================================
Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 13:46:22 +0100
Reply-To: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: Wolfgang Hochbruck
<[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: very sad news
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I've known Jim Zwick since 1997 when i was doing research on the
Spanish-American War and its relations back to the Civil War --- he was
most generous, helpful, and collegial. To lose him is very sad news
indeed. There will be a vacant chair.
Wolfgang
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Hochbruck
Dept. of English / North American Studies
Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg
15 Rempart St.
D-79098 Freiburg