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Dear Mark Twain: Letters From His ReadersStock informationGeneral Fields
Special Fields
DescriptionA voracious pack-rat, Mark Twain hoarded his readers' letters as did few of his contemporaries. "Dear Mark Twain" collects 200 of these letters written by a diverse cross-section of correspondents from around the world - children, farmers, schoolteachers, businessmen, preachers, railroad clerks, inmates of mental institutions, con artists, and even a former president. It is a unique and groundbreaking book - the first published collection of reader letters to any writer of Mark Twain's time. Its contents afford a rare and exhilarating glimpse into the sensibilities of nineteenth-century people while revealing the impact Samuel L. Clemens had on his readers. Clemens' own and often startling comments and replies are also included. R. Kent Rasmussen's extensive research provides fascinating profiles of the correspondents, whose personal stories are often as interesting as their letters. Ranging from gushing fan appreciations and requests for help and advice to suggestions for writing projects and stinging criticisms, the letters are filled with perceptive insights, pathos, and unintentional but often riotous humor. Author descriptionR. Kent Rasmussen is a prolific and widely respected scholar of Mark Twain. Among his books are Mark Twain A to Z, The Quotable Mark Twain, Bloom's How to Write About Mark Twain and Critical Companion to Mark Twain. He is also the editor of the recently published Penguin Classics edition of Mark Twain's Autobiographical Writings. Table of contentsList of Illustrations Foreword by Ron Powers Introduction Note on Texts Letters 1861-1870 1871-1880 1881-1890 1891-1900 1901-1910 Note on Sources Acknowledgments Index |