Vic Doyno's death saddens me. He was the last of his generation of Twain scholars, a brilliant man, a friend to young or new scholars, and very down to earth. I have missed him for some time after his stroke and will remember his work and his legacy as long as I live. Farewell, Vic. Joe Alvarez 900 Havel Court Charlotte, NC 28211-4253 Home phone: 704.364.2844 Mobile pone: 704.564.2082 Sent from my iPhone Sent from my iPhone > On Dec 4, 2016, at 10:15 PM, Taylor Roberts <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > I am sorry to report that Vic Doyno died on November 16, according to > an obituary at http://buffalonews.com/2016/12/04/1165405/ > > His wonderful edition of MT=E2=80=99s skeptical writings strongly attracted= > me > to MT many years ago (_Mark Twain: Selected Writings of an American > Skeptic_ [Prometheus Books, 1983]). A couple of memorable sections > from Doyno=E2=80=99s introduction to that book are below: > > "One current widespread view of Mark Twain holds that his scathing > skepticism and acid pessimism were caused by the many personal > tragedies of his life.... But another, more thorough view of the man > and his work would transcend this simple biographical explanation. As > this book demonstrates, Mark Twain=E2=80=99s skepticism is found throughout > his published works, early to late. It is an oversimplification--and > finally disrespectful to the man and his mind--simply to say that > personal difficulties caused his skepticism. A wider perspective > reveals that his background, his experience, his journalistic ability > to be objective and to see only what is there, his reading, and, most > of all his intellectual acuity contributed to the shape of his > thought." (2) > > "His overall life experience led Sam Clemens/Mark Twain to know that > this life, this earth, is all we know of heaven--and all we need to > know of hell." (12) > > I had the pleasure to meet Vic at some conferences and he was such a > pleasant gentleman, as one would hope of one=E2=80=99s heroes. I send my > condolences to his family and friends, and also my gratitude for his > many other contributions to MT studies and to the Forum. > > Feel free to post your own memories so we can "give him a good > send-off and waltz him through handsome" (RI ch. 47). > > Taylor Roberts