KEvin-- Now that Bob has won, why not up the value of the prize? How about an all-expense paid trip to the Mark Twain Papers? --LH On May 2, 2010, at 10:05 AM, Kevin Mac Donnell wrote: > We now seem to have four correct answers, and since Bob Hirst got > two of > them and the other two were split between Kerry Driscoll and Barb > Schmidt, > that makes Bob the winner, and his book hits the mail tomorrow. > > Sharon McCoy raises a good point about the 1853 letter home from NY > (it > reads like a rehearsal or rough draft for Pap Finn's rant about the > well-dressed black gentleman carrying the silver-headed cane --who > can even > vote!). But I had in mind a piece of writing (letter or otherwise) > that > Twain wrote with the intention of publication. I'm not sure the > letter home > to his family fits that profile. Or does it? > > On a slightly different note, a sort of follow-up to question #4... > I don't > know about other Twainians, but I wince whenever I run across Twain > using > the n-word in his post-1885 letters or writings. The use of the word > in HF > has been repeatedly debated, with the consensus view being that he > used the > word in context or else with intended and effective irony, and it > has even > been eloquently defended by black commentators. But Twain's own non- > literary > use of the word later on makes clear he was not the color-blind pure- > hearted > post-racial saint that some would like to imagine. Even when he > doesn't > actually use the word, Twain's own racism shines through, as in his > comment > that he was the laziest white man that he knew. His 1907 comment to > Dorothy > Quick isn't a hateful use of the term, but it surely isn't benign > either. > And his 1902 comment about black cigar-makers in Cuba licking cigars > during > their manufacture and possibly spreading diseases is offensive, even > if > biologically accurate (would Twain have bothered to make the comment > had > they been white?). For his era, Twain was as progressive in his > racial views > as anyone (but not more so, I'd suggest), but has anyone closely > catalogued > his post-1885 comments on race, his use of the n-word in private > letters > after 1885, and published a study of his racial attitudes focusing > on this > period? > > Kevin > @ > Mac Donnell Rare Books > 9307 Glenlake Drive > Austin TX 78730 > 512-345-4139 > Member: ABAA, ILAB > ************************* > You may browse our books at > www.macdonnellrarebooks.com > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Robert Hirst" <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Sunday, May 02, 2010 9:09 AM > Subject: that makes it two wrong > > >> Barb Schmidt points out that the 1 November 1856 Snodgrass letter >> beats the "River Intelligence." >> >> Kerry Driscoll points out that Letter IV of "Letters from the Earth" >> (October-November 1909) beats the letter to Dorothy Quick. >> >> Now why did I stay up all night to get my answers? >> > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 9.0.814 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2849 - Release Date: > 05/02/10 > 01:27:00