To CONTACT the Australian Mark Twain Society, paste the
following line into the address bar of your email program [deleting the
bit in the middle]:
info@[remove]marktwain.com.au
Mark Twain in 2010 ...
Already a literary colossus when he died, Mark
Twain (1835-1910) only seems to grow in stature in the new
millennium. Sam Clemens may have taken his last puff on one of those
foul-smelling cigars a century ago, but his appeal shows little sign of
diminishing.
While the Australian Mark Twain
Society (AMTS) is admittedly a grandiose title for what
continues to be largely a one-person operation, please don't let that
prevent you from delving into the following pages. Despite more than a
century of scholarship and research in Twain's name, very little is known
or published about his influence on Australasian culture. So if you have
an interest in Australasian history or literature, the field is wide open
for research in this area.
Encouraged by some of the world's
leading Twain researchers, this website attempts to serve as a conduit, a
lightning rod if you like, to encourage ongoing discoveries about Twain
and his work -- particularly in the Australasian context. You will also
find mention of Artemus Ward. Those of you who know of the connection
between Twain and Ward will require no further introduction. However,
should Artemus Ward be new to you, you are encouraged to whet your
appetite here, then hunt the local antiquarian book store for a prized
copy of his works.
Among the first tangible results of this
privately funded project has been published research into Twain's previously
undocumented connections with colonial Australia and New Zealand. For more
information about "The ‘Petrified Man’ Returns: An Early Mark Twain Hoax
makes an Unexpected Appearance in Australasia", visit the Australasian Journal of American
Studies or contact the Australian Mark
Twain Society directly.
At the Sixth International Conference
into Mark Twain Studies in August 2009, the Australian Mark Twain Society
revealed to the international research community, for the first time,
dramatic new findings that identify the mysterious figure who is alleged
to have successfully impersonated Mark Twain in Australia in the 1870s
[more]. Efforts are currently under way to
bring this remarkable story to life with an exciting new documentary. For
more information about this project, contact Hipwell International
Production Services via their website at www.hips.com.au
If you become completely smitten by the Sam Clemens bug,
there is one journal you can't afford to miss. The "Mark Twain Circle"
provides readers with the latest Twain scholarship around the world. It is
truly an indispensable asset to anyone interested in Twain. Become a
member of the MTC by downloading an application here.
Rare Artemus Ward letter to 12-year-old girl re-discovered in
colonial Australian newspaper The Australian Mark Twain Society (AMTS) brings together readers
who are interested in the life and works of the famous American writer,
Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910). AMTS encourages awareness and analysis of the vast river of Twain
output, which began in the late 1850s and continued until shortly before
the author's death at his home in Redding, Connecticut, a century ago. In addition, AMTS provides short information seminars to interested
community groups, and aims to play an active role in ongoing literary
research into Mark Twain and his visit to Australasia in 1895. Donations of books, newspaper clippings and any other material relating
to Mark Twain are most welcome. If you or your family have a story about
Twain's visit to Australia, please be sure to share it with us.
The Australian Mark Twain Society welcomes
queries from the curious. If you can help with any of the following
questions, please be sure to contact the editor. In the course of my research I have come across the
following quote about the Melbourne Cup, attributed to Mark Twain:
"Nowhere in the world have I encountered a festival of people that has
such a magnificent appeal to the whole nation. The Cup astonishes me."
This is a very frequently used quote, and as it seems to encapsulate the
Melbourne Cup beautifully ... however nowhere have I been able to find the
source for this quote. I was hoping you may be able to advise me? The only
published text I am aware of where Twain discusses the Cup is in
"Following the Equator" ... and it is not in this text. A copy of Twain's lecture schedule for his journey to
Australia in 1895 reveals that he was actually in transit to New Zealand
at the time the Cup was run that year, a fact which many commentators seem
to miss when they discuss Twain's 'visit' to the 1895 Melbourne Cup! Any assistance or direction you can give me on the source of
the above quote would be very much appreciated! AMTS Editor's response: 2. Australian author Chris Holyday writes ... Although I have read Mark Twain widely, Henry Lawson said
that he had read "all of Mark Twain." My Henry Lawson research leads me to
believe that Lawson must have met Twain in Sydney in October, 1895.
However, I have not been able to prove this. Certainly, McNamara's
bookshop was opposite the Protestant Hall where Twain delivered his Sydney
lectures. And Lawson met his future wife there in late 1895. Bertha Bredt
also confirmed that they both shared a love of Twain. After their marriage
in early 1896, Henry and Bertha headed for the 'wild west' of Australia
looking for gold - and roughing it! Can you help with any information on the Twain link to
Lawson. I am aware that Archibald of "The Bulletin" took Mark Twain
fishing to Manly. They fished off the rocks and Archibald arranged for
someone below to hook a large snapper to Twain's line!! Maybe it was
Lawson? 3. A woman living in the Australian town of Annandale
writes ... I live in Johnston Street, Annandale and have recently been
told that Mark Twain may have stayed with Henry Parkes during Twain’s tour
of Australia in the 1890s. Some quick web searches during my work lunch
break have been unable to confirm (or deny) this suggestion. Bill Bryson
is supposed to have researched this fact and established it as truth but I
am unable to find reference. Can you help me with this quest please? If you can help, email info@marktwain.com.au with the
answer and we'll publish it here.
The Mark Twain You Don't Know (Theatre)
A new interpretation of some of Twain's later writings is
appearing on stage at Sydney's Parade Theatres, which is part of the
Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art. Running from 1-13 March,
"The Mark Twain You Don’t Know" is presented by actor Chris Wallace and
Olentangy Music. The performance includes material adapted from "Letters
From The Earth", "A Conversation As It Was By The Social Fireside In The
Time Of The Tudors", "The War Prayer", "The Adventures Of Huckleberry
Finn" and "The Autobiography Of Mark Twain". The material has been
presented in Melbourne and Los Angeles and is said to be on its way to New
York. For more information contact ticketek -- ticketek.com.au or 1300 795
012
Mark Twain Returns To Wellington
(Theatre)
"Mark Twain and Me in Ma-oriland" – from 21 Mar
2010
Weaving historical fact with magical realism, "Mark Twain and
Me in Ma-oriland" fuses a spaghetti western with an epic love story.
Inspired by true events, this bullet-ridden, comic tale is set amidst the
saloons of Whanganui in 1895 – a combustible time of mercenaries,
prophets, vaudeville, and self-serving mayoralty. The production kicks off
in Wellington, New Zealand on 21 March. Read more about it here...
FOUNDED IN 2007
CAN YOU HELP? — READER QUERY
1. One of Australia's leading archives asks
if Twain really went to the Melbourne Cup in 1895 ...
A brief
check of my references would seem to confirm that you are indeed wise to
be sceptical when attributing this particular quote to Twain or his visit
to Australasia. David Fears's excellent day-by-day account of Twain would
appear to confirm that your reasoning is correct. As you suggest, Twain
was not even in Melbourne on the day of the race. And while Miriam
Shillingsburg seems to suggest that "Argus" editor Frederick Haddon
unsuccessfully attempted to persuade Twain to write about the Cup (others
might have tried as well), I don't think she was implying that Haddon
authorised a bogus story about Twain and the Cup. However given the
heightened competition to get Twain say something "clever" about the race,
it seems likely that a journalist took it upon himself to invent a Twain
quote for the occasion. During this era, it was not unknown for
journalists to completely fabricate entire Twain interviews. Shillingsburg
writes about this in some length.
To my ear the quote: "Nowhere in
the world have I encountered a festival of people that has such a
magnificent appeal to the whole nation. The Cup astonishes me", sounds
more like the words of a parochial Australian journalist than anything
Twain would have coined. Fears attributes a much more authentic sounding
quote about the Cup from Twain in which he noted it was a race where "everybody bet on the wrong horse". This comes, I should think, from
Twain's private travel journal and sounds much more like the sort of thing
Twain would have thought, even if he didn't actually say it to anyone.
References:
1. David H. Fears, "Mark
Twain Day By Day Vol 2 1886-1896", Horizon Micro Publishing, Banks OR,
(first edition), 2009, p.1076.
2. Miriam J. Shillingsburg, "At Home
Abroad, Mark Twain in Australasia", University Press of Mississippi, 1988,
pp. 118-119.
About this book:
Discover how -- just after the Civil War -- Artemus Ward allowed America to laugh. This immensely enjoyable book by John Pascal is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the evolution of English comedy. Read more about Ward and his remarkable life here ...