See Mark Twain at the Booth Museum

Thursday evening, August 21, Mark Twain will pay a visit the Booth Museum. No, not the real Mark Twain - he died 98 years ago (at the age 75). The multi-talented Jim Dunham will bring this remarkable American icon to life before your very eyes. This is isn't a seance to channel the dead, although Twain probably would have loved that, but instead Dunham will present an hour long performance on Mark Twain, by Mark Twain. You read correctly - "by Mark Twain." Dunham has compiled excerpts from a number of Twain's writings that chronicle his life and the times he lived in. Dress in a white suite, the standard attire of Twain in many of photographs, Dunham will take on the persona of Mark Twain and present this unique first person narrative, thus becoming Mark Twain for one hour and one hour only. It's something you really don't want to miss.

So maybe you're sitting there reading this blog entry and thinking "I remember a little about Mark Twain from school, but I really don't know much about him. What's so special about Mark Twain?" Well, you are in luck. Here is a brief (very brief) biography of Mark Twain.

Mark Twain, known as an American humorist and satirist, was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in 1835 in Missouri. He was the 6th of 7 seven children although only 4 of the children survived to adulthood. During his lifetime, Twain worked as typesetter at a printer in Missouri; as a printer in New York City, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Cincinnati; a steamboat pilot; a coal miner; and writer for numerous newspapers. He married in 1870 and he and his wife had 4 children - 1 boy which died and 3 girls. Twain is best know for writing "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," which was based on his childhood in Missouri, and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." Twain's writing differed from other authors because the characters in his writings talked like the average American talked - with dialects and regional accents. His writing was also highly influenced by journalism as he wrote for newspapers for much of his life.

If you want to learn more about Mark Twain, there are a couple of places you may want to check out online: The Mark Twain House and The Official Website of Mark Twain. And of course, you could always read his books.