For those who have not yet read Kevin Mac Donnell's excellent piece about Hal in the Mark Twain Journal, by all means, track it down. It's a marvelous tribute to someone who deserved every wonderful thing said about him. On Monday, January 24, 2022, 05:01:26 PM EST, John Peter Zavez <[log in to unmask]> wrote: And Uber man doesn't have quite the gravitas it had in Friedrich's day........ -----Original Message----- From: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Wolfgang Hochbruck Sent: Monday, January 24, 2022 1:42 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Hal Holbrook ....Nietzsche wasn't nearly as funny as Twain -- and then he went completely bonkers, which is a real show-stopper under all circumstances. One of my friends and colleagues here is the chief editor of Nietzsche's complete works, and he hasn't heard of anyone ever doing a Nietzsche impression. Come to think of it, Holbrook went on tour as Twain longer than Twain did himself, didn't he? Quite amazing. best w On Mon, 24 Jan 2022 17:19:44 +0000 Mac Donnell Rare Books <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >OK, if not Goethe or Schiller, how about Nietzsche? > >For one thing, his mustache is a heck of lot better than Twain's, plus >he said a lot of witty Twainian things ("In heaven, all of the >interesting people are missing"). But he might want to avoid that "God >is dead" shtick; some audiences can be touchy. > >As for Hal Holbrook, I can't add much to what I said in my elegy in the >MTJ, but I cannot imagine anyone who ever met him didn't come away from >that encounter without an indelible memory, and I think anyone who ever >saw him in live performance as Mark Twain counts that experience as a >blessing. > >Kevin >@ >Mac Donnell Rare Books >9307 Glenlake Drive >Austin TX 78730 >512-345-4139 >Member: ABAA, ILAB, BSA > >You can browse our books at: >www.macdonnellrarebooks.com > > >------ Original Message ------ >From: "Wolfgang Hochbruck" ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Sent: 1/24/2022 9:50:51 AM >Subject: Re: Hal Holbrook > >>..what a remarkable story - thanks for sharing! I don't think Hal >>Holbrook ever toured Germany, i would have loved to see him. He may >>even have been a far distant relation; there is a story in the family >>that some great x 4 or so uncle changed his name to Holbrook upon >>arrival in the USA because people choked on the German "ch" and he >>didn't like the idea of being called Hogbrook -- In the early 80s, >>there was a Twain impersonator on tour in Germany, and i saw him but i >>don't remember who it was nor was the tour particularly successful. At >>that time, nobody over here had ever >heard >>of living history presentations, and teachers of German would likely >>have fainted at the idea of somebody impersonating Goethe or >>Schiller... >> >>best >>w >> >> >> >>On Mon, 24 Jan 2022 07:12:55 -0500 >> Warren Miller <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >>>Thank you for remembering Hal Holbook, Shelley. >>> >>>I had the good fortune to win a scholarship to attend Culver >Military >>>Academy starting in the fall of 1958. It was a fabulous and >>>life-changing experience. I graduated in 1961. Having graduated from >>>Culver in >1944, >>>Mr. >>>Holbrook had preceded me there by seventeen years. I saw him perform >>>once there and several more times over the years. The last time was >>>in >the >>>early >>>1990s when my beloved bride and I lived in Tulsa. Before the curtain >>>went up that night, I sent a note to him backstage; on the back of my >>>business card, I said I was a Culver graduate and asked him if he >>>would do >'The >>>War >>>Prayer' which I had seen the first time at Culver more than thirty >>>years before. I had read that he chose what he was going to do in a >>>given performance as he went along, based on the audience's reaction >>>to >the >>>choices he was making. Sure enough, near the end of the evening, he >>>did the 'The War Prayer.' It was even more spectacular and moving >>>than I had remembered. I was thrilled. >>> >>>A couple of weeks later, I got a handwritten note from him in the >>>mail. He thanked me for attending and said he hoped I enjoyed 'The >>>War >Prayer'. >>>I >>>was thrilled yet again and also humbled. >>> >>>What a wonderful, wonderful man. We lost a great American a year >ago. >>>May >>>he rest in peace. >>> >>>Thank you again, Shelley. >>> >>>Warren Miller, CPA, CFA >>>Lexington, Virginia >>> >>>On Sun, Jan 23, 2022 at 10:58 AM Shelley Fisher Fishkin < >>>[log in to unmask]> wrote: >>> >>>> One year ago today, on January 23rd, the world lost a gifted >actor, >>>a >>>> brilliant scholar of Mark Twain, and a kind, generous, and caring >>>human >>>> being. Many of us on this list lost a friend. Hal Holbrook Z”L — >>>May his >>>> memory be a blessing. >>>> >>>> >>>> =============================== >>>> Shelley Fisher Fishkin >>>> Joseph S. Atha Professor of Humanities; Professor of English, and >>>> Director of American Studies, Stanford University >>>> Mail: Department of English, Bldg. 460, 450 Jane Stanford Way, >>>Stanford >>>> University, Stanford, CA 94305-2087 >>>>https://english.stanford.edu/people/shelley-fisher-fishkin < >>>>https://english.stanford.edu/people/shelley-fisher-fishkin> >>>> >> >> >>Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Hochbruck >>Dept. of English >>Centre for Security and Society >>Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg >>Rempart St. 15 >>D-79098 Freiburg >>Germany >> Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Hochbruck Dept. of English Centre for Security and Society Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg Rempart St. 15 D-79098 Freiburg Germany