In no way did I mean to imply that Ms. Bailey's work was based on fraudulent documents. I should have been more careful in my original posting. I read the original book with genuine fascination, and I apologize to Ms. Bailey for creating the negative impression. Jim Edstrom On Mon, 29 Feb, 2016 at 1:30:11 PM, Shoshana Bailey <[log in to unmask]> wrote: To: [log in to unmask] Mr. Edstrom, I do hope you're not implying that any of my work was based on fraudulent do= cuments.=20 The DNA evidence that Mr. Carkeet based his conclusions on only recently cam= e to light.=20 "As someone who has done similar professional research to evaluate and debunk historical narratives based on fraudulent documents, I applaud Mr. Carkeet's work. Well done!" Best regards, Susan Bailey Sent from my iPhone > On Feb 29, 2016, at 1:19 PM, James Edstrom <[log in to unmask]> w= rote: >=20 > I read Mr. Carkeet's article with absorbing interest. I had found Susan > Bailey's book to be a fascinating read and a wonderful story, and so I'm > probably like a lot of Twain aficionados--I wanted the story to be true. > After reading Mr. Carkeet's narrative, I think there can be no doubt > that his conclusion--much to my disappointment--is exactly right. He > documented all of his research with great care; I was particularly > impressed that he took the time to evaluate Nina's diaries rather than > to rely upon the typescript. As someone who has done similar > professional research to evaluate and debunk historical narratives based > on fraudulent documents, I applaud Mr. Carkeet's work. Well done! >=20 >=20 >=20 >=20 > Jim Edstrom >=20 > Professor of Library Services and History >=20 > William Rainey Harper College >=20 > Palatine, Illinois >=20 >=20 >=20 > On Sat, 27 Feb, 2016 at 12:12:05 PM, Hal Bush <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >=20 > To: [log in to unmask] >=20 > Friends; first, thanks for this, & thanks mainly to you David. >=20 > 2nd: I'm a little surprised there has been no response to David's > conclusions, here on the Twain Forum, which do appear definitive. Then > again, maybe it's not that surprising that nobody has responded, I > suppose, > given the constraints of civil behavior. (One might wonder about the > currency of civility, given our odd presidential campaign season so > far). >=20 > 3rd: It was a fun ride while it lasted, laced with ironies; & quite a > tale, in any event. 'nuff said ... -hb >=20 > On Wed, Feb 24, 2016 at 9:09 AM, Taylor Roberts > <[log in to unmask]> > wrote: >=20 >> [The following email was written by David Carkeet. I am posting it on > his >> behalf. -TR] >>=20 >> --- >>=20 >> Most Forum members are aware of Susan Bailey=3DE2=3D80=3D99s book THE TWA= IN >> SHALL=3D >> MEET >> (co-authored by Deborah Gosselin), which sets forth the theory that > Susan >> is Samuel Clemens=3DE2=3D80=3D99s great-granddaughter. As many of you kno= w, > I >> hav=3D >> e been >> researching this claim and the support cited for it, both documentary > and >> genetic. I have finished the study, and unfortunately my conclusion is > that >> Susan was mistaken in her belief. I have written up my findings, and > the >> report has just been posted on twainquotes.com. >>=20 >> http://www.twainquotes.com/Carkeet/AncestryReport.html >>=20 >> The report is written for the general reader unfamiliar with the > subject, >> so it is both an introduction to the story and a consideration of the >> evidence. In the course of my work, I had massive help from many > Twainians, >> almost all of them named in the report at one point or another, but a >> special thanks goes to Barb Schmidt for her steady and insightful >> assistance throughout. >>=20 >> Thanks too to these collections for permission to publish previously >> unpublished photos and documents: Burton Historical Collection, > Detroit >> Public Library; Kevin Mac Donnell, Mac Donnell Rare Books, Austin, > Texas; >> L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Brigham Young University; Mark Twain >> House and Museum, Hartford; Mark Twain Project, Bancroft Library, >> University of California, Berkeley. >>=20 >> If you have questions about the report, I will be happy to answer > them. >>=20 >> --David Carkeet [log in to unmask] >>=20 >=20 >=20 >=20 > --=20 > 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> > . .