Classic Authors: Mark Twain

Samuel Longhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, entered the world 2 months early, weighing only 5 pounds. It was 1835, a time when preemies could not be expected to live. In fact, his mother wrote, "A lady came in one day and said you don't expect to raise that babe do you. I said I would try. But he was a poor looking object to raise." Despite his premature birth, Mark Twain would live to become one of the most famous authors in the history of American literature.

Prior to earning fame as a novelist, Twain had various jobs, including apprentice printer, editor, journalist, steamboat apprentice, steamboat pilot, miner, and lecturer. He soon became famous for his writing and his wit.

He married Olivia Langdon, a union which lasted for 34 years. Ironically, Twain's first child, Langdon, was born prematurely. The child lived only 2 short years. Twain then fathered three girls, all of whom preceded him in death.

Twain's marriage lent stability to his life and it was in these years that he wrote his most famous novels, among them The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and The Prince and the Pauper.

Twain's novels about life on the Mississippi River proved him to be a master at writing local color. On this subject, he once said, "My works are like water. The works of great masters are like wine. But everyone drinks water."

On April 21, 1910, Mark Twain slipped into a coma. At sunset, his heart failed him, and he died in his bed. During his lifetime, he had published over 30 works in various genres. He had also earned the respect of the literary world, and received honorary degrees from Yale University, University of Missouri and Oxford University.

There are many Web sites about Mark Twain. Some of my favorites are:

Ever the Twain Shall Meet at http://www.lm.com/~joseph/mtwain.html

Mark Twain at http://marktwain.miningco.com/

The Twain Web at http://web.mit.edu/linguistics/www/forum...

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