Astonish the Rest

Still remembered as one of our greatest humorists, Mark Twain is among the best-known and best-loved authors in American history. Born on November 30, 1835, he was named Samuel Clemens -- "Mark Twain" was a pen name he'd permanently choose after first trying out such names as "Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass" and "Josh."

Best known for such classics as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain's writings are celebrated to this day for their wit, fun, and forthright wisdom. So let's give thanks to one of our favorite authors by taking a closer look at the life and times of Mark Twain:

- Samuel Clemens chose his pen name based on the phrase used by Mississippi River steamboat crews to announce that the water was at least 12 feet deep -- and, therefore, safe enough to travel.

- He encouraged his younger brother, Henry, to also become a steamboat pilot. Henry was eventually killed when a boiler on his boat exploded -- an event which Twain claimed to have seen in a dream before it happened.

- While growing up, Twain's family once owned 19 cats at the same time. (Twain was prone to finding colorful names for his cats, including Sin, Sour Mash, and Famine and Pestilence.)

- Though there were some drawbacks to using it -- it only typed in capital letters, and you had to use a foot pedal to advance to the next line -- Twain purchased his first typewriter in 1874 for $125.

- A mark of his fame: he once received a letter from a fan, who wrote down for the address: "Mark Twain, God Knows Where." (That was enough for the postal service!)

- The author put The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn on hold while he invented and patented his very own memory game. (See it here!)

- Twain asked that all his unfinished manuscripts be burned when he died. (No chance of someone coming along to finish his unfinished stories!)  One unpublished work remained, however: his autobiography, mostly written by dictation, which he left with strict instructions that it was not to be published until a century after he died. His request was (mostly) honored -- and the first two (of three) volumes were published in 2010 and 2013.

- Halley's Comet (named after English astronomer Edmond Halley) passes through Earth's vicinity once every 75 years, give or take. When Twain was born, the Comet was visible in the night sky, a fact which Twain was quite proud of:

"I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it. ... The Almighty has said, no doubt: 'Now here are these two unaccountable freaks; they came in together, they must go out together.' Oh, I am looking forward to that." 

Twain proved right; when he passed away in 1910, the Comet had just emerged from the far side of the Sun.

Some words of wisdom from Twain:

"It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have those three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either of them."

"There are two times in a man's life when he should not speculate: when he can't afford it, and when he can."

"The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter."

"The proper office of a friend is to side with you when you are in the wrong. Nearly anybody will side with you when you are in the right."

"A sin takes on a new and real terror when there seems a chance that it is going to be found out."

"All you need is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure."

"Always do right. That will gratify some of the people, and astonish the rest."

"When in doubt, tell the truth."

On the web:

- The Official Web Site of Mark Twain

- Mark Twain Biography - from Biography.com

- Mark Twain House and Museum - the official site for the Connecticut museum.

- "The Eternal, Charming Chatter of the "'Autobiography of Mark Twain'" - from the New Yorker.

- "Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses" - In my favorite Twain piece, the author reviews The Last of the Mohicans and the other books in James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking series.


At the Library:

- From the Catalog - Twain's books and audiobooks, as well as filmed adaptations of his works, available through the Library Catalog.

- The Autobiography of Mark Twain - Volumes 1 and 2 now available from the Library Catalog.



-- Post by Ms. B

Time And Relative Dimensions

On November 22, 1963, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, and the world was changed forever. What if you could change it back? Stephen King’s newest novel, entitled 11/22/63, tells the story of Jake Epping, a thirty-five-year-old high school English teacher who is presented with the opportunity to alter history. Jake's friend Al, who runs the local diner, shares with Jake a secret: Al's restaurant contains a portal to the year 1958. So begins Jake's trip back in time -- to the world of Elvis, sock hops, big American cars ... and JFK. It's the world of troubled loner Lee Harvey Oswald, and of high school librarian Sadie Dunhill -- both of whom will have an impact on Jake's life in a way that transgresses all the ordinary rules of time.

King's novel is being touted as a fascinating look into America in the 50s and 60s, as well as being a thrilling page-turner with a great premise and fully-realized characters. It's also King's first real foray into that sub-genre of science fiction known as time travel, which got me thinking about time travel stories in general.

Since H.G. Wells arguably invented the genre with his classic story The Time Machine (see below for a link), time travel stories have flourished on the printed page as well as in movie theaters and on television screens. So while you're waiting for your reserved library copy of 11/22/63, check out these other great stories about traveling through time:

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis.

Here's a novel about someone presented with the chance not to alter the course of history -- but rather to study it. Kivrin will be traveling to the fourteenth century to observe one of the deadliest eras in human history: the Black Death sweeping through Europe. While on the surface, the assignment seems easy -- she'll just receive her modern-day inoculations and be on her way -- things get complicated when a crisis leaves her stranded in the past. While her instructors try desperately to get her back, Kivrin is left to struggle her way through one of the most harrowing periods of the Middle Ages. A different sort of time travel story, this novel places less emphasis on flashy technology and action sequences, and more on the unfolding of character growth and development.

Night Watch: A Novel of Discworld by Terry Pratchett.

Pratchett's infamous Discworld series has been renowned for years for its sharp humor and witty satire of the typical fantasy tropes. But as the series has continued its grown into a fine (and funny) fully developed story of its own, with fully-developed characters and fresh ideas of Pratchett's own. This particular installment in the series stars the put-upon leader of the Watch, Sam Vimes, as he's dragged back in time to serve as a mentor ... to his younger self. And it's up to the two Vimes to deal with a revolution -- which, for the elder Vimes, has already happened.

Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus by Orson Scott Card.

Most famous for his young adult sci-fi series about Ender Wiggin and his fellow classmates from Battle School, Card has also written a number of other science fiction and fantasy titles. This book, the first in a planned series, follows a group of future scientists sent back in time to observe Colombus's westward exploration. They find out more than they bargained for when they discover that Columbus is acting under the orders of another group of scientists -- these from an alternate future -- who were sent back to try and prevent their own terrible timeline from coming to pass. The scientists from our own timeline send back three agents to various turning points in history, trying to find an outcome for history that won't result in the genocide of the Native American people -- but the agents will never know if they succeed. Sound confusing?  It is, but Card pulls off the the twisting, turning plot-tangle with aplomb.

Yesterday's Enterprise - from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Trials and Tribble-ations - from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

The various Star Trek series -- there are five in total -- are full of episodes about time travel and alternate timelines. Here are two of the most famous: in Yesterday's Enterprise, the crew of the starship Enterprise suddenly find themselves in an alternate timeline where dead crewmates haven't died, the Federation is at war with the Klingons -- and only one person on board knows anything has changed. And in Trials and Tribble-ations, the DS9 crew travels into the past to the time of Captain James T. Kirk, in an episode with such plot twists (and with an impressive use of CGI technology used to place DS9 actors onto the bridge of Captain Kirk's Enterprise) that the story would be nominated for a Hugo award.

Time Traveler: A Scientist's Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality by Ronald L. Mallett, with Bruce Henderson.

A non-fiction read about time travel? Not as far-fetched as it sounds. Dr. Ronald Mallett, a Pennsylvania native (who is also one of the first African-American theoretical physicists), writes about his discovery of the basic equations that he believes are needed to one day develop a working time machine. Interwoven with his personal journey about his life and family (he first became interested in the concept of time travel after losing his father at the age of ten), this book is both science thesis and memoir -- and truly original.


Time Travel Classics:

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells.
Wells's classic novel has been adapted into audiobooks, radio plays, and films.

Doctor Who - the series.
This classic British television series -- about an alien called the Doctor and his time-traveling blue police box -- was recently updated for modern audiences.

Back to the Future - Complete Movie Trilogy.
Join Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd in the famous film trilogy about an ordinary high schooler and his mad scientist friend traveling into the past and future as they try to keep their own timeline intact.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain.
A nineteenth-century man is transported back in time to the land of Camelot.

Terminator - film.
A cyborg assassin is sent back in time to kill the mother of future rebel leader John Connor -- before Connor can even be born.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle.
Though not having quite as much time travel as its three sequels, the first novel in L'Engle's YA, sci-fi, time-traveling quartet is easily the best of the lot.

Peggy Sue Got Married - film.
A fainting spell at her high school reunion send Peggy Sue back in time to her senior year of high school -- and gives her another chance at getting her future "right."


-- Post by Ms. B