it looks great, Steve -- you are now officially among the elite stratosphere of the Twainiacs with this new accomplishment, so congratulations. You have really been a productive writer, and we all appreciate your many contributions. I look forward to reading the book. One thing I was just looking at the other day were the lamentations in the letters after about 1900-- some with Twichell, where he longs to return to the house but cannot even bring himself to look at it. Having had many conflicting feelings about the "old haunts" myself -- it made me wonder if MT ever did actually cross the threshold of the old house after his return to America in 1900; or wander the old rooms?? Does anyone know -- or, did he just not have the fortitude to see it again? I can't recall ..... --Hal B. On Tue, Dec 13, 2011 at 12:56 PM, Mark Dawidziak <[log in to unmask]>wrote: > Looking forward to this. The job certainly feel to the right > Twainiac -- our man on the ground and in the house. Congratulations, Steve! > > On 12/13/2011 12:42 PM, K. Patrick Ober wrote: > > I agree! > > > > I had the good fortune of revisiting the house in October, for the first > ti= > > me in many years. I read the first half of the book on the way there, > and t= > > he second half on the way back. The text is delightful, and Kevin is > right.= > > No matter what you think you know about Mark Twain and his family and > his = > > house, you will learn new things. The pictures are remarkable. Unlike > Kevin= > > , I didn't contribute anything at all, except words of gratitude to > Steve C= > > ourtney for writing this! > > > > Pat Ober > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kevin Mac > Don= > > nell > > Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2011 12:17 PM > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: Re: New book on the Hartford house > > > > FYI, I am writing a review of Steve Courtney's book for the Forum, which > I= > > =20 > > hope to have ready before Christmas. But a brief preview might be=20 > > appropriate-- > > > > The book's engaging narrative is nicely framed around an account > `Mother'=20 > > Fairbanks wrote of a tour she was given of the house in 1874 by the=20 > > architect, Edward Tuckerman Potter. The illustrations are copious and=20 > > stunning, with interior views taken during Twain's lifetime comingled > with= > > =20 > > magnificent color images that show the house in its full glory today. > There= > > =20 > > is also a good account of the sometimes hair-raising history of the > house=20 > > after it was sold by Twain. If you've taken a tour of this home this > book=20 > > will make you want to go back and see it again. If you've never seen > the=20 > > house in person and never have the chance to see it, this book is the=20 > > next-best thing. For Twain scholars, no matter what you think you know > abou= > > t=20 > > the Hartford home, you will learn something you didn't know by reading > this= > > =20 > > book. And unlike most books about historic structures this book is=20 > > well-indexed and solidly sourced. It conveys the "heart and soul" that > Twai= > > n=20 > > spoke of when describing his beloved home. > > > > Full disclosure: p. 75 has a previously unpublished 1875 photo of Susy > and= > > =20 > > Clara sitting on the ground outside the home with their German > nursemaid,=20 > > courtesy of yours truly, but the book is 144 pages long so there are > 143=20 > > other reasons to get a copy. > > > > This book won't fit in a stocking (or on a Kindle), but it would make > a=20 > > welcome gift for any Twainian. > > > > 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 -----=20 > > From: "Steve Courtney"<[log in to unmask]> > > To:<[log in to unmask]> > > Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2011 10:38 AM > > Subject: New book on the Hartford house > > > > > > Greetings! > > =3D20 > > I'm taking my one free shot at self-promotion today to push my new > book=3D2= > > C =3D > > 'The Loveliest Home That Ever Was': The Story of the Mark Twain House in > Ha= > > =3D > > rtford=3D2C published by Dover. It tells the house's story and includes > mar= > > ve=3D > > lous new photos by John Groo=3D2C and a Foreword by Hal Holbrook (who > tells= > > m=3D > > e he likes the book). > > =3D20 > > Dover approached us late last year about doing this=3D2C and asked us if > we= > > h=3D > > ad a writer on staff -- somehow they came up with me=3D2C so I spent > the f= > > ir=3D > > st few months of this year putting this together -- a lot more quickly > than= > > =3D > > I've ever had to do such a thing=3D2C even in my newspaper days. > > =3D20 > > But it seems to have come out all right. As you can imagine=3D2C it's > selli= > > ng=3D > > well here. The book=3D2C a large-format paperback with lavish color > illust= > > ra=3D > > tion=3D2C is 20 bucks and available through the usual outlets=3D2C > includin= > > g=3D2C=3D > > of course=3D2C the Mark Twain Museum Bookshop here: > http://shop.marktwainh= > > ou=3D > > se.org/.=3D20 > > =3D20 > > Dover's catalogue description is here: > http://store.doverpublications.com/0= > > =3D > > 486486346.html > > =3D20 > > My emails to the Forum tend to get broken up with strange equal signs > and o= > > =3D > > ther impedimenta=3D2C no matter what plain-text format I send them > in=3D2C = > > so I=3D > > hope this is relatively legible! > > =3D20 > > All best=3D2C > > Steve > > =3D20 > > =3D20 > > > > > > > > Steve Courtney > > 7 Union St. > > Terryville=3D2C CT 06786 > > 860-589-6412 =3D > > > > > > > > ----- > > No virus found in this message. > > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > > Version: 2012.0.1873 / Virus Database: 2108/4677 - Release Date: 12/12/11 > > > > > > > > > > ----- > > No virus found in this message. > > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > > Version: 2012.0.1873 / Virus Database: 2108/4677 - Release Date: 12/12/11 > > > -- 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>