Thanks, Kevin. The lovely note from Shelley did come through. Ben On Mon, Aug 14, 2017 at 11:23 AM, Kevin Mac Donnell < [log in to unmask]> wrote: > I was looking in the twainweb archives for something else and found = > Shelley=E2=80=99s second attempt to post her message, so I copied it = > again and trimmed the line-endings. Maybe this will work. Maybe not. > > 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 > > > Dear all=E2=80=94 > > I=E2=80=99m reposting in response to Steve Hoffman=E2=80=99s request = > (evidently my earlier post appear as gibberish on his computer, and = > probably on some other computers, as well). I=E2=80=99m happy to do = > that since it gives me a chance to correct a handful of typos and = > inadvertent omissions. Here goes-- > > So many favorite moments and memories!=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6Two late-night = > jams of bluegrass, folk and rock on the verandah of the student union, = > with the pouring rain outside drowned out by the strains of mandolin = > and guitar played by John Bird, Ben Click, Steve Hoffman, & Hal = > Bush=E2=80=A6.Singing along with them and with Paula Harrington, Sharon = > McCoy, Mark Dawidziak, Ronald Jenn, Megan Dawley, and others (after = > Ronald came up with the inspired idea of getting the lyrics we forgot on = > our iPhones)=E2=80=A6Collecting a stack of terrific books that will keep = > me busy all year=E2=80=A6.Hearing so many illuminating = > papers=E2=80=A6.Being prompted to ponder things I=E2=80=99d never = > thought about like =E2=80=9CWas Huck Quaker?=E2=80=9D (Kevin MacDonnell) = > and what Mark Twain can teach medical students (Patrick Ober) =E2=80=A6. = > Realizing (after hearing papers and comments by Gregg Camfield, Holger = > Kersten, Tracy Wuster, Jennifer Hughes, Jeff Melton, Jim Caron, Judith = > Lee & Jeff Williams) that I know a lot less about what humor and satire = > do and how they do it than I thought I did, and realizing that I need = > to try to figure things out afresh=E2=80=A6..The astonishing experience = > of hearing Matt Seybold read a paragraph from my very first book from = > the podium Friday evening=E2=80=A6.The shock of receiving the John = > Tuckey Award=E2=80=A6Great 4-hour conversations with Dave Sloane on the = > drive from CT to Elmira and back =E2=80=A6..Reconnecting with former = > students Tsuyoshi Ishihara and Tracy Wuster (and hearing their great = > papers)=E2=80=A6.Having a wonderful mini-seminar on =E2=80=98Global = > Huck=E2=80=99 with Ronald Jenn and Amel Fraisse=E2=80=A6.Meeting young = > scholars like Courtney Bates, Christine Dixon, and Atushi Sugimura who = > make me confident that Mark Twain Studies have a bright = > future=E2=80=A6Seeing old friends Barb Snedecor, Kent Rasmussen and = > Linda Morris get the recognition they deserve=E2=80=A6.Learning about = > how Jocelyn Chadwick is transforming the NCTE=E2=80=A6.Getting a packet = > of some great student papers on Twain from John Pascal=E2=80=A6.Singing = > spirituals in the woods at the site of the octagonal study at Quarry = > Farm (while holding an unlit cigar=E2=80=94I=E2=80=99d inhaled that = > first year and regretted it since)=E2=80=A6.Oh yes: and being reminded = > over and over=E2=80=94through extraordinary conversations over four = > wonderful days with more people than I can possibly remember=E2=80=94why = > I love studying Mark Twain and why I got into this profession in the = > first place! > > THANK YOU to Matt Seybold and Joe Lemak! And to co-chairs Kerry = > Driscoll and Ann Ryan for pulling together such a stellar = > program=E2=80=94 and to the other organizers--Nathaniel Bell, Jim Caron, = > Joe Csicsila, Ben Griffin, Larry Howe, Bruce Michelson, Chad Rohman and = > Henry Wonham =E2=80=94and everyone else who made the conference so = > special! > Warmly, > Shelley > -- Ben Click Professor, English Director, Writing & Speaking Center Director, Twain Lecture Series on American Humor and Culture (240) 895-4253 St. Mary's College of Maryland