Autobiographical Writings
Editor - R. Kent Rasmussen
Introduction by - R. Kent Rasmussen
Penguin Classics
Paperback
: 08 Nov 2012
£9.99
Synopsis
This new collection of autobiographical pieces offers a fascinating insight into the life and philosophy of Mark Twain, author of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, and one of America's most celebrated writers.
A must-have for all lovers of Mark Twain, this selection of his autobiographical writings opens a rare window onto the writer's life, particularly his early years. Born on November 30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri, Samuel Langhorne Clemens first used the pseudonym Mark Twain while a journalist in Nevada in 1863. When his first major book, The Innocents Abroad, appeared six years later, he began what would become one of the most celebrated and influential careers in American letters. Autobiographical Writings will help readers know the author intimately and appreciate why, a century after his death, he remains so vital and appealing.
This edition includes an introduction by R. Kent Rasmussen that summarizes modern scholarship on Twain.
Reviews
» Submit a reviewCritic Review:
—Mark Twain Forum
“Rasmussen seems to have been born with the destiny of bringing order and light to Twain scholarship… So now he’s written yet another book that I would say ought to be near to hand for any scholar doing work on Sam Clemens, the biographical individual.”
—Lawrence Berkove, University of Michigan-Dearborn
Table of contents
Introduction by R. KENT RESMUSSEN
Suggestions for Further Reading
A Note on the Texts
Chronology
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL DICTATIONS
Chapters from My Autobiography
YOUTHFUL MEMORIES
An Unpleasant Adventure
My First Literary Venture
Cub Piloting Days
Early Years in Florida, Missouri
A Mississippi River Story
My Boyhood's Home
Jane Lampton Clemens
The Space-Annihilating Power of Thought
Hunting the Deceitful Turkey
ESSAYS
My Boyhood Dreams
Is Shakespeare Dead?
The Turning-Point of My Life
Glossay
