Thanks Tracy. On Tue, Feb 2, 2021 at 12:02 PM Tracy Wuster <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Hello all, > > Several years ago, I published an account of seeing Hal perform and then > meeting him at the Elmira Conference. The post contains audio of Hal > speaking at the conference and then his discussion of meeting Clara that he > recounted (in darkness lit only with cigar flames) on the site of the Mark > Twain study. For many who were there, I would assume this is a highlight > of our professional careers. > > > https://humorinamerica.wordpress.com/2021/02/02/the-passing-of-hal-holbrook/ > > I hope you enjoy. > > Tracy Wuster > > On Tue, Feb 2, 2021 at 10:51 AM Martin Baker <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > I had the great fortune of seeing Hal in Mark Twain Tonight 3 times and > > once met him backstage. I did see the subtle changes he made to his act > > depending on the reaction to certain jokes. He even signed the poster > for > > the show that just happened to be on a table. I had tickets for his 90th > > birthday show in Hartford but unfortunately there was a snowstorm and I > > couldn't make it up from Pennsylvania. > > > > I remember reading that he did have a chance to meet Clara in her older > > years to try to get a sense of how accurate his impression was. Thanks > Hal > > for keeping Twain's legacy alive. > > > > Marty Baker > > Mark Twain Circle > > > > > > On Tue, Feb 2, 2021 at 9:50 AM David Matuszak <[log in to unmask]> > > wrote: > > > > > I had the pleasure of seeing Hal’s Twain show twice: about 25 years ago > > at > > > the historic Bridges Auditorium at the Claremont Colleges and then > again > > > few years ago at the historic and refurbished Fox Theater in Riverside, > > CA. > > > > > > Hal invited me backstage during that show where I asked him his opinion > > > about Twain’s reluctance to speak about his surfing attempt in the > > Sandwich > > > Islands. I was finishing up a section I wrote about Twain for my epic > > (1550 > > > page) study of surfing history and culture, San Onofre: Memories of a > > > Legendary Surfing Beach. Hal was puzzled too, as was everyone on this > > forum > > > who responded to my request for feedback. Other than Twain’s mention of > > > surfing in Roughing It, he rarely mentioned the experience. Perhaps as > > more > > > small town newspapers around the country digitize their archive, other > > > instances of him mentioning surfing during his lectures will surface. > > > > > > I’ll always fondly remember my short visit with Hal backstage, his > > > gentleness and generosity to share his time with me. In terms of > one-man > > > shows, the best I ever saw were his Twain performances and James > > Whitmore’s > > > Will Rogers show that I had the pleasure of seeing at the newly > restored > > > and grand re-opening of the California Theater in San Bernardino, CA. > > > Ironically, Will Rogers made his last performance there before his > > fateful > > > flight. Both Holbrook and Whitmore stand alone in their long-running > > > one-man shows of two American icons. > > > > > > RIP, Hal, > > > David Matuszak, author > > > San Onofre: Memories of a Legendary Surfing Beach > > > Pacific Sunset Publishing > > > 30320 Live Oak Canyon Rd. > > > Redlands, CA 92373-0668 > > > > > > http://pacificsunset.com/?page_id=15 < > > http://pacificsunset.com/?page_id=15 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Feb 2, 2021, at 6:10 AM, L Oggel <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > > > > > > Thanks, John. Sorry to have this news. We all met him, more than once > > at > > > > Elmira conferences. > > > > > > > > Terry > > > > > > > > < > > > > > > https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail&utm_term=icon > > > > > > > > Virus-free. > > > > www.avast.com > > > > < > > > > > > https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail&utm_term=link > > > > > > > > <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2> > > > > > > > > On Tue, Feb 2, 2021 at 8:45 AM John R. Pascal <[log in to unmask]> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > >> > > > >> > > > > > > https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/02/theater/hal-holbrook-dead.html?action=click&module=News&pgtype=Homepage > > > >> < > > > >> > > > > > > https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/02/theater/hal-holbrook-dead.html?action=click&module=News&pgtype=Homepage > > > >>> > > > >> > > > >> Thank God six classes of The Writings of Mark Twain got to know him. > > > One > > > >> class got to meet him. > > > >> Future classes will continue to study and appreciate him. > > > >> > > > >> John R. Pascal, M.B.A., M.A. > > > >> Teacher of 9th, 11th Grade English Honors, & The Writings of Mark > > Twain > > > >> Honors > > > >> Seton Hall Preparatory School > > > >> Contributing Author to Mark Twain and Youth > > > > > > > > >