Great question about MT"s audiences -- I do recall a book came out last year -- Mark Twain's Audience: A Critical Analysis of Reader Responses to the Writings of Mark Twain I've not read it, and I do not recall if it got reviewed on the Forum or not. The TOC looks promising. I also recall earlier books that have some coverage of that -- I'm thinking of Randall Knoper's book for example; but would be interested to hear of anyone else's recollections about earlier accounts -- anyone ?? -hb On Mon, Mar 30, 2015 at 11:58 AM, Scott Holmes <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Trying to come up with a description or a summary of Mark Twain's > audience, I think, is ultimately un-doable. As I've been collecting the > reviews for his shows with George Cable I have wondered if anything of > substance can be gleaned from them. The comments I can recall about the > audience(s) have all been rather subjective statements about them being > the upper crust of the local population - the most literate, the best > dressed, the most intelligent. It's difficult to tell what this says in > truth about any particular show as opposed to what it tells us about any > particular reviewer (who remains nameless behind the masthead). > > At best, I think, we wind up with a collection of anecdotes. But as > with most things related to Twain - it's fun to try. > > > -- > There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of > in your philosophy. > http://bscottholmes.com > -- Prof. Harold K. Bush Professor of English 3800 Lindell Saint Louis University St. Louis, MO 63108 314-977-3616 (w); 314-771-6795 (h) <www.slu.edu/x23809.xml>