It's such a cool house! Though I rag on Connecticut (often), the Mark Twain House is shaped like a ferryboat and is across the street/green (literally) from the Harriet Beecher Stowe house. So you could have not one but *two* literary adventures in one day!!
Twain's very brief stint as a soldier in the Confederate army during the Civil War as a young man put him off war as a solution to issues. "King Leopold's Soliloquy" and the similar "War Prayer" were his satirical reactions to warmongering.
So, I live in rural Australian town called Wagga Wagga (New South Wales, population ~50,000). Funny thing is, Samuel Clements/Mark Twain visited here in 1895. The town had been caught up in a 'trial of the century' type affair called The Tichborne Case and Clements wanted to see the town because of it. Back then Wagga probably had a population of around 4000, so not much of a going concern.
The case itself is kind of fun: A local butcher claimed to be the long lost heir to an estate and fortune in England. The real heir died when his ship went down 20 years earlier. Funny thing is, when this butcher turned up in England the heir's mother accepted him as her son (presumably out of grief). He was written 'back' into the will and would have inherited it all, but for various concerned parties who managed to prove that he wasn't who he said he was. He wound up with a 14 year prison sentence. It was apparently quite the scandal at the time.
I'm so glad you wrote about Huck Finn and James. I'm going to listen to the audio of James as soon as I'm off the Libby waitlist (next week!) but now I think I should reread Huck Finn first it's been so long - I loved that book and it also inspired a real life scenario in which me and my childhood friends decided to float to the Mississippi River from Nebraska (starting in a creak near my backyard; we made it about two miles and had to walk the muddy, wet road home..). Anyway, I look forward to James!
I loved Demon, but could not get through David Copperfield (your description made me laugh). And lastly...if you're giving away gift subscriptions for #amwriting I'm interested...! But no worries if other writers are interested... Happy new year of reading <3
Two miles is kinda far for kids! I’m glad you didn’t run into any rattlesnakes. And David Copperfield took me months and months and months. Such a slog!
I’ll send an email invite your way for the Blueprint challenge!
So much good stuff here! I want to read James, share it w/my dad, discover King Leopold’s Soliloquy AND have been on the fence about the Blueprint challenge. I think this is a sign—I’d love a gift subscription if you have enough
Oh, never mind. I found your email. An #amwriting gift should be coming your way soon! It has to go through their website, so there is a bit of a lag. Lmk if you don't get it by tonight or tomorrow.
Jenna- I feel like one of the most striking things about Huck Finn when I read it was how the linguistics was so different from today. Everything sounds and reads quite differently. And I had just finished learning English and so the adjustment was interesting. Thanks for sharing!
So excited to read James. Twain is a long time fav of mine since I read "The Awful German Language" while learning German. It's been awhile, but didn't King Leopold get a call out in "The Poisonwood Bible"? (If you need another book for your shelf)
Fun fact! I worked at the Mark Twain House for a summer in college. Very haunted, very fun.
That is a fun fact! And a new bucket list item! Connecticut here I come!
It's such a cool house! Though I rag on Connecticut (often), the Mark Twain House is shaped like a ferryboat and is across the street/green (literally) from the Harriet Beecher Stowe house. So you could have not one but *two* literary adventures in one day!!
Twain's very brief stint as a soldier in the Confederate army during the Civil War as a young man put him off war as a solution to issues. "King Leopold's Soliloquy" and the similar "War Prayer" were his satirical reactions to warmongering.
Oh! I’ll have to go find War Prayer! Thanks David :)
Glad both books lived up your expectations! (And my kids' rooms are still not clean...)
Hahahahaha. Neither are my kid’s rooms. Thanks so much for your comment and providing some of the inspiration to read James :)
So, I live in rural Australian town called Wagga Wagga (New South Wales, population ~50,000). Funny thing is, Samuel Clements/Mark Twain visited here in 1895. The town had been caught up in a 'trial of the century' type affair called The Tichborne Case and Clements wanted to see the town because of it. Back then Wagga probably had a population of around 4000, so not much of a going concern.
The case itself is kind of fun: A local butcher claimed to be the long lost heir to an estate and fortune in England. The real heir died when his ship went down 20 years earlier. Funny thing is, when this butcher turned up in England the heir's mother accepted him as her son (presumably out of grief). He was written 'back' into the will and would have inherited it all, but for various concerned parties who managed to prove that he wasn't who he said he was. He wound up with a 14 year prison sentence. It was apparently quite the scandal at the time.
That’s crazy!!! I love it :)
I'm so glad you wrote about Huck Finn and James. I'm going to listen to the audio of James as soon as I'm off the Libby waitlist (next week!) but now I think I should reread Huck Finn first it's been so long - I loved that book and it also inspired a real life scenario in which me and my childhood friends decided to float to the Mississippi River from Nebraska (starting in a creak near my backyard; we made it about two miles and had to walk the muddy, wet road home..). Anyway, I look forward to James!
I loved Demon, but could not get through David Copperfield (your description made me laugh). And lastly...if you're giving away gift subscriptions for #amwriting I'm interested...! But no worries if other writers are interested... Happy new year of reading <3
Two miles is kinda far for kids! I’m glad you didn’t run into any rattlesnakes. And David Copperfield took me months and months and months. Such a slog!
I’ll send an email invite your way for the Blueprint challenge!
Thanks :)
So much good stuff here! I want to read James, share it w/my dad, discover King Leopold’s Soliloquy AND have been on the fence about the Blueprint challenge. I think this is a sign—I’d love a gift subscription if you have enough
Oh, never mind. I found your email. An #amwriting gift should be coming your way soon! It has to go through their website, so there is a bit of a lag. Lmk if you don't get it by tonight or tomorrow.
Thanks-got it!
I do! Send me your email and I’ll sign you up for a gift subscription 👍
Jenna- I feel like one of the most striking things about Huck Finn when I read it was how the linguistics was so different from today. Everything sounds and reads quite differently. And I had just finished learning English and so the adjustment was interesting. Thanks for sharing!
So excited to read James. Twain is a long time fav of mine since I read "The Awful German Language" while learning German. It's been awhile, but didn't King Leopold get a call out in "The Poisonwood Bible"? (If you need another book for your shelf)