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One of the best loved writers of all time, Mark Twain, had a tough childhood in rural Missouri and had to leave school at the age of 12 after his father died. He worked as a printer and then a Mississippi steamboat pilot before heading out west to try his luck as a silver miner in Nevada, where he found his true vocation as a writer. His colourful descriptions of a new and evolving nation and the rollicking tales of his travels around the globe are full of his irrepressible humour, but late in life his optimism deserted him when he faced financial ruin and lost his wife and two of his daughters. His writing turned darker, and he developed a strange fascination with teenage girls. In this biography of one of America’s most beguiling characters, we explore whether Mark Twain, the eternal optimist, became a bitter and twisted old man as some have suggested, or retained the cheery, light-hearted persona that produced the books that have entertained and enchanted millions for over 150 years. Part One focusses on the first 32 years of life, with Part Two to be released soon. Finding Out More I found Ron Powers biography, Mark Twain – a Life to be detailed and comprehensive without being too academic. There are other biographies that provide different viewpoints on his life and Mark Twain’s autobiography, which is very entertaining, if not entirely reliable! I have listed some of the best of these on my Amazon Store Page. Academic References Amare, N., & Manning, A. (2017). The Mormon Entombed in Mark Twain’s Heart: Ina Coolbrith and Samuel Clemens. Mark Twain Journal, 55(1/2), 159-192. Csicsila, J. (2018). The England Trip of 1872: Mark Twain's First Season in Hell. The Mark Twain Annual, 16(1), 1-10. Gribben, A. (1972). Mark Twain, phrenology and the“ temperaments“: A study of pseudoscientific influence. American Quarterly, 24(1), 45-68. Harris, S. K. (1985). Mark Twain's Bad Women. Studies in American Fiction, 13(2), 157-168. Jones, A. E. (1956). Mark Twain and sexuality. PMLA, 71(4-Part-1), 595-616. Richers, J. E., & Cicchetti, D. (1993). Mark Twain meets DSM-III-R: Conduct disorder, development, and the concept of harmful dysfunction. Development and Psychopathology, 5(1-2), 5-29. Selby, P. O. (1980). Osteopathy and Mark Twain. Mark Twain Journal, 20(3), 24-25. Copyright Disclaimer The primary purpose of this video is educational. I have tried to use material in the public domain or with Creative Commons Non-attribution licences wherever possible. Where attribution is required, I have listed this below. I believe that any copyright material used falls under the remit of Fair Use, but if any content owners would like to dispute this, I will not hesitate to immediately remove that content. It is not my intention to infringe on content ownership in any way. If you happen to find your art or images in the video, please let me know and I will be glad to credit you. Images Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons Wellcome Collection Library of Congress Mark Twain House and Museum, Hartford, Ct. Internet Archive Music Louis Moreau Gottschalk - Le Bananier Public domain Louis Moreau Gottschalk - Tournament Galop - Rampart Winds of the United States Air Force Academy Band Public domain Frédéric Chopin - Nocturne op 32 no 1 - Constantin Stephan CC4.0 Arabian Epic music - World Music official – CC3.0 Luau, Hawaiian Ukulele Music – Mikecolemusic – CC4.0 Cowboy Sting Kevin MacLeod ()Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License The Cow Boy Rag – Bobby Heath, Charley O'Donnell The Cowboy Rag Claude Paul Taffanel - Wind Quintet in G minor -Andante -The Soni Ventorum Wind Quintet CC2.0 Johann Sebastian Bach - Partita For Solo Flute, a minor (BWV 1013). Scott Goff, flute Debussy Rêverie - Arr for Soprano saxophone and piano - David Hernando Vitores Riding into the Sun Telecasted CC0 Bone Dry Telecasted CC0 Mark Gustavson A Fool’s Journey CC3.0 Ludwig van Beethoven - Octet The Soni Ventorum Wind Quintet CC2.0 Growth/Decay Density and Time CC0 City Walk John Pattucci CC0 YouTube Video produced by Graeme Yorston and Tom Yorston.
