Cindy-- Thanks for the fuller picture of all the multiculturalism/social justice work you're doing. I didn't know about these efforts. In addition to offering my "Brava!" I'd like to echo something mentioned by a couple of attendees at the Hannibal conference: Gladys Coggswell's performance of "A True Story" is magnificent. I didn't realize that there was a DVD available. Anyone who teaches this text will surely want to have it ready at hand. All who admire the story, and I don't know anyone who doesn't, will be happy to have it as an addition to their Twain library. Best, --Larry Howe ________________________________________ From: Mark Twain Forum [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Cindy Lovell [[log in to unmask]] Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 3:16 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: This year's winner . . . . and the real topic, Music Hi, Sharon (and all), I agree with everything you're saying. Racial tensions exist in most U.S. towns. Hannibal does not corner the market on this, and the Museum is proactive in resolving it here. I serve on the Community Partners for Reconciliation board comprised of Hannibal residents whose sole purpose is to eradicate racism. Half our members are black; half are white. We have hosted an anti-racism workshop at the Museum and are launching an anti-racist film series next month. We have been working with local black residents to assist them with creating a local museum that tells Hannibal's African American history. There are numerous, similar projects here, and we're proud to be working on these fronts. I teach a course called Prison Nation across the river in Quincy, IL, and we delve into the industrialized nature of U.S. prisons and what many are calling the new Jim Crow. We have our work cut out for us. I'm not sure when you last visited the Museum, but the boyhood home now includes an exhibit dedicated solely to the issue of slavery in the Clemens household. Years ago our Interpretive Center was redone to emphasize similar information specific to Hannibal. When we finally have the funds to complete it, Laura Hawkins's house (aka: the Becky Thatcher) will devote attention to Sandy.=20 Last year we hired renowned storyteller Gladys Coggswell to recreate "A True Story" here at the Museum. She performs four times daily, five days a week. We created a DVD of her performance and sell it here and to other museum gift shops as well as on Amazon. The Museum has no desire to whitewash the past. So, we're not avoiding this compelling part of Sam's story. We're embracing it. We made the CD with donated funds and donated talent. Without saying names, I will just say that not everyone we asked could come on board. The "omission" of a black voice on the project was not deliberate.=20 We gave a quick overview of his life, trying to touch on the main points in a way to conjure interest in people not as familiar with Twain. And, as Huck kind of said, "If I'd a knowed what a trouble it was to make a CD..." We hope those who hear the CD will feel the urge to pick up Sam's writings and let him work them over as only he can.=20 We appreciate everyone in the Twain community who pitched in and helped with this project. It's been a labor of love, and we are very proud of it. Thank you, Cindy ________________________________________ From: Mark Twain Forum [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Sharon McCoy [sdmcco= [log in to unmask]] Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 2:01 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: This year's winner . . . . and the real topic, Music Hi, Cindy, I think that your project is a wonderful idea, and I understand that you're= not trying to go for period music, but rather to tell the story. I think that = this is terrific. As you point out, others have worked on the period pieces--t= hose you mention, but also Bob Hirst and the Twain Project's _Mark Twain and Mus= ic_. Please know that I am interested in the CD and in supporting the Museum in = a crippling economy. I do not question the value of what is there and am loo= king forward to hearing it. But it still seems to me that the omission is unfortunate. Twain was a wri= ter who knew that the way you tell a story and the voices you tell it in matter= a great deal. The manuscripts are a testament to how often he revised to get= the inflections and the voices just so. Voice irrevocably marks and alters the story; it also determines which aspects of the story you can tell. And I'm not quite sure how the story of the "story about the boy who became= Mark Twain" will come across if it is told in a way that excludes so many of the voices that impelled that boy to become Mark Twain. I have to say that it = makes me wonder about what the vision is of the "new audience" and what composes = the vision of the "general public" that the story is aimed at. Numerous writers have pointed out the racial tensions that have existed in Hannibal and continue to do so (such as Shelley Fisher-Fishkin, Ron Powers,= and Terrell Dempsey) and countless books and articles have focused, and I guess= that I would love to really see and believe that we are actually moving onward. And, while this may be too provocative, the mischievous ghost of Sam Clemen= s will not allow me to refrain from pointing out that the link for the CD on = the museum home page, under "Community Projects," is right beneath "Black Histo= ry." Irony is something we all need to enjoy, and Sam was better than anyone I k= now at laughing at himself. Sharon ________________________________ From: Cindy Lovell <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Sent: Fri, September 23, 2011 11:23:24 AM Subject: Re: This year's winner of the MT Award is . . . . Hi, Sharon, Yes, all white. Not by design, but because these are the singers Carl works with and who were available to record. We tried to give an overview of Twain's life for the general public using excerpts and songs. One hope is to generate interest in Twain from a new audience and perspective. Only one song is from Twain's era. The others were chosen or written to compliment a particular story segment. Others (John Davis, Jacqueline Schwab) have tackled Twain's music. Our approach was completely different. Our hope is that folks who hear the album will feel compelled to read more Twain. We'll see... Cindy ________________________________________ From: Mark Twain Forum [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Sharon McCoy [sdmcco= =3D [log in to unmask]] Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 10:00 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: This year's winner of the MT Award is . . . . May I ask what may be a provocative question? Looking over the CD, it seems to include some wonderfully talented folks. = =3D But it seems odd to me, especially given what we know about Twain's taste in mu= =3D sic, that a CD called "Mark Twain: Words and Music" seems to be composed entire= =3D ly of white musicians and performers. Some of the names were unfamiliar to me, = =3D but when I did a quick Google search, they all appear to be white. Odd. Just thought I'd ask. Sharon ________________________________ From: Cindy Lovell <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Sent: Fri, September 23, 2011 10:31:35 AM Subject: Re: This year's winner of the MT Award is . . . . I'm hoping one of the great satirists of the day will get it one of these years - Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, or Bill Maher. In the meantime, we heard from the producers, and they are including music this year (at Ferrell's request) and are interested in using music from our new CD. Fingers crossed for that kind of promotion. I hope you'll all consider buying a copy. The CD came out this week and is doing well. It's=3D3D20 cheaper on the Museum website than Amazon. Go figure! Cindy Cindy Lovell, Ph.D. Executive Director Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum 120 N. Main St., Hannibal MO 63401 Phone: 573-221-9010 ext. 402 | Cell: 386-748-1256 | Fax: 573-221-7975 Email: [log in to unmask] Web site: http://marktwainmuseum.org/ Have your ordered "Mark Twain: Words & Music" yet? Details here: http://www.marktwainmuseum.org/index.php/community-projects/mark-twain-cd "Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker wi= =3D =3D3D ll be sorry." ~Mark Twain ________________________________________ From: Mark Twain Forum [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Harold Bush [bushhk@= =3D =3D3D SLU.EDU] Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 7:54 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: This year's winner of the MT Award is . . . . Will Farrell. not sure if that tidbit has gotten out here on the LIST or not. personally I think Farrell is really very funny. he's one of those guys, like Twain, Steve Martin, etc., who can walk out on a stage, not say a word= =3D =3D3D , and still seem funny. My wife finds him pretty adolescent, and barely above Adam Sandler, but of course opinions do vary. As in years past, the award producers seem pretty driven by ratings and notoriety, and so as a result the younger crowd gets honored while the older, lifelong contributors to American humor get overlooked again and again. I really do wonder about that -- Farrell could win 20 years from now -- while the likes of Robin Williams, Woody Allen, Dick Van Dyke, David Letterman, and so many other veterans (___________ fill in your name here) continue to be ignored. At least Carl Reiner, Bob Newhart, and Jonathan Winters got it in the early days of the Award. As usual I assume some LIST members can now feel free to sound off on the naming of this year's awardee. past winners =3D3D3D - 1998 - Richard Pryor <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Pryor> - 1999 - Jonathan Winters <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Winters= =3D =3D3D > - 2000 - Carl Reiner <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Reiner> - 2001 - Whoopi Goldberg <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whoopi_Goldberg> - 2002 - Bob Newhart <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Newhart> - 2003 - Lily Tomlin <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lily_Tomlin> - 2004 - Lorne Michaels <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorne_Michaels> - 2005 - Steve Martin <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Martin> - 2006 - Neil Simon <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Simon> - 2007 - Billy Crystal <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Crystal> - 2008 - George Carlin <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Carlin> - 2009 - Bill Cosby <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Cosby> - 2010 - Tina Fey <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tina_Fey> - 2011 - Will Ferrell <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Ferrell> -- Harold K. Bush, Ph.D Professor of English Saint Louis University St. Louis, MO 63108 314-977-3616 (w); 314-771-6795 (h) <www.slu.edu/x23809.xml>