Dear Twain Community, On August 21, 1868, Sam Clemens left New York City by train for Elmira, New York to visit the Langdon family, more specifically to call on Olivia Langdon, the daughter of community leader Jervis Langdon, and older sister to Sam’s friend, Charley Langdon, whom he had met the year before on the *Quaker City *excursion. Sam arrived that late August day….. and the rest is history. The Center of Mark Twain Studies is celebrating Mark Twain's sesquicentennial anniversary of first arriving in Elmira. We are honoring this event with the launch of the *Quarry Farm Legacy Preservation Campaign *and a celebration of leaders and benefactors who have made a positive difference in Elmira and the Mark Twain Studies community. My colleague, Matt Seybold, has written written an essay about Mark Twain's effect on the town where he was married, buried, and spent over twenty summers writing some of the most iconic works in American literature. He also explains how Elmira has a deep impact on the author himself. Matt's essay can be found here: http://marktwainstudies.com/150-years-of-mark-twain-in-elmira -dickens-holidays-the-gospel-of-revolt-the-quarry-farm-style/ If you would like to learn more about the Quarry Farm Legacy Preservation Campaign, the urgent preservation needs of Quarry Farm, and how you can help out, please click on the following link: http://marktwainstudies.com/cmts -launches-the-quarry-farm-preservation-campaign-and-needs-you/ CMTS is dedicated to serving an international community of scholars and educators by fostering and supporting scholarship and pedagogy related to all aspects of Mark Twain Studies. We are here to serve you! As many of you know, Quarry Farm is a special place. Please take some time to read the essays. If you are willing to help out - or know an organization or an individual who wants to assist us in our preservation efforts - please let me know. Take care, Joe Lemak Dr. Joseph Lemak Director of the Center for Mark Twain Studies Elmira College The Rose Office, Cowles Hall (607) 735-1941 MarkTwainStudies.org, the official website of CMTS