In response to Mark Midbon, As a high school English teacher in a conservative area of Northwest Florida, I read with fear your message about the fight to remove "Huck" from public schools in Arizona. I have taught the novel for 23 years with wonderful results; however, I have encountered some hostility when I have introduced the novel to students. After our discussion, though, even the most militant students recognize what Twain was trying to do. Just this summer I directed a production of "Big River," the musical version of the novel (and the most true-to-Twain dramatization of "Huck" in existence) for Pensacola Little Theatre. At auditions, there was not a single performer who could carry the role of Jim, and I was devastated. We searched the community of African American singers and had only hesitant response until these singers heard the music from the show. Ultimately I was able to cast the perfect Jim, a young man who insisted that the word "nigger" remain in the script to maintain authenticity. Our pre-show publicity addressed the racial charges against the book, and we sold out every performance and received a standing ovation for every one of them. The relationship between Huck and Jim in the show was carried over into the relationship between the boy and the man who played them. In fact, "Huck" had a terrible time actually saying the word "nigger." "Jim" took him aside and said, "Look me in the eyes and say it five times and don't flinch. I am not bothered by the word; I know what it's doing, and so should you." There is hope, even in the rural South, of enlightenment. "Big River" was the most fulfilling experience of my life, and it effected change in our community. Gayle Cowley