I always had a picture in my mind of the Mark Twain Project: gleaming, modern offices, impeccable exhibits and displays of material, a sumptuous reading room, where I could sink down in a big leather chair and read rare manuscripts. And why not? Doesn't Mark Twain deserve such treatment? Well, I finally got the pleasure last month of going there, to spend two quick days doing some research. The staff was helpful and resourceful, but alas, the offices were not quite what I had envisioned: stuck off in a wing of the library, fixtures circa 1950, cramped offices and old equipment. Let me assure you, they aren't wasting any money on office space and accommodations! Like many others on this forum, I have contributed money before. I am doing so again. All of us who care about the future of Mark Twain's works (and that's all of us, isn't it?) should do the same. Even a donation as small as ten bucks would help. Send to the address below, with "Mark Twain Project" on the memo line of your check so the money will go to the right place! The Friends of the Bancroft Library University of California Berkeley, CA 94720-6000 P.S. One of the staff told me the whole thing might have to close down within the next few months. This is serious, folks! John Bird