What a delightful account! And what a terrific participant you are, having bought EVERYBODY'S book! I feel a little sorry for your wife, but very glad for the authors. I'm going to be giving a talk at our local Book Collectors Club in November, billed as a Mark Twain Book Accumulator (rather than Collector.) I plan to bring every one that I have to dazzle them with the sheer quantity. I will then proceed to testify to the effect they had on me. I think I'll go look at the videos somebody took at an earlier conference in Elmira. Thanks again for your marvelous report. Arianne Laidlaw On Mon, Aug 5, 2013 at 5:54 PM, Rick Talbot <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Elmira 2013 > > The Seventh International Conference > On the State of Mark Twain Studies > > EVALUATION > > 1. How would you rate the conference overall? > > Excellent > > Additional comments/criticisms/ things we did well/ things to > improve: > > The conference this year was remarkably affordable, and we have Barb > Snedecor to thank for that. Times are tough economically, yet I was able to > raise the necessary funds in only a few short weeks by nightly taking the > money from my wife's purse. The toll on her was so exceedingly light that > the dear woman never felt this burden being gently lifted from her > shoulders, and again, we have Barb Snedecor to thank. My wife would thank > her, too, if only she could. > > 2. Your comments and suggestions on any of the following specific > topics would be welcome: > > Satisfaction with Campus Housing (if applicable): > > > I stayed in the monastic surroundings of Tomkins Hall dormitory. My room > austere and my pallet sufficiently hard as to afford the opportunity to > contemplate my sins when sleep would not come easy. I sometimes awoke > covered in sweat believing that I had an Econ. exam in the morning for > which > I had not studied. It was over all, a true collegiate experience. > > > Satisfaction with Dining Services: > > The food was very good, the staff warm and welcoming, and the table talk > unforgettable. > > This space provided for additional thoughts, criticisms, and suggestions > for > future conferences. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thank you. > > I am a collector of rare Mark Twain books. I am not a man of letters nor > have I written books or papers about Mark Twain yet the welcome bestowed > upon me was no less appreciated than the honorary Doctorate given to Twain > at Oxford. The Body-Twain has made clear to me the imperative of my > attendance here in that I am a member of that body and no less > indispensable > than a finger or a toe or a foot to that body. Ask yourself which part of > your body might you willingly give up. > > I see now that I am a valued member-perhaps the most valued member-in that > I > am the only one who bought every one of their damn books. These Men and > Women of Letters all wrote books, and where I could have spent my money > more > wisely on my wife and children, I squandered it on the labors of their > love. > > And now I return home to read and read again what they have written richer > in having known these men and women, looked into their eyes, and warmly > shaken their hands. > > My curriculum vitae shall forever list my proudest accomplishment as > "Independent Mark Twain Scholar." > > > Best, > Rick Talbot > > Independent Mark Twain Scholar (2009 to Present) > Commissioner of Communications, City of Falcon Heights (1994 to Present) > Housing Inspector, City of Crystal (retired) > Code Enforcement Officer, City of Roseville (retired) > Councilmember, Falcon Heights City Council (retired) > Editor, CaptionMax (retired) > Teaching Assistant, Spec. Ed. SD 162 (retired) > Facility Manager, Beth El Synagogue (retired) > Statistical Clerk, Ramsey County Hospital (retired) > Venereal Disease Technician, St. Paul Bureau of Health (retired) > Coroner's Investigator, Ramsey County Morgue (retired) > Medic, US Army Reserve (retired) > Forklift Operator, Coca Cola Bottling (retired) > Baker, Lee's Village Inn (retired) > Pots and Pans Washer, Lee's Village Inn (retired) > Caddy, Lost Spur Golf Club (retired) > > > Richard Talbot > 1531 West Idaho Avenue > Falcon Heights, MN 55108-2118 > (651) 646-6624 > (651) 280 8734 > [log in to unmask]