Mark Twain

A Literary Legend Takes the Stage

Long Twain Runnin': Hal Holbrook's one-man show has been a fixture for decades — but it never gets old

Tom Sawyer scores a direct hit on your inner ten-year-old

Mark Twain's Advice to Little Girls

Mark Twain, who would have turned 176 this past Wednesday, was famous for writing books about boys and their adventures. But in his other life as Samuel Clemens, he had an older sister. Which may explain why he wrote Advice to Little Girls in 1865, which includes this nugget of wisdom: Later on, Cl ... More >>

Mark Twain Graces Latest US Postal Service Stamp -- Again

​Personally, the first thing we think of when we consider Mark Twain is the man's generally intense demeanor and hair. The last thing we think of is clunky bureaucracy. That's why we we're still not sure what to think about the announcement that the face (and hair) of the Missouri native -- an ... More >>

How Mark Twain Nearly Became the Grinch Who Stole Thanksgiving

steamboattimes.com​On November 30, 1905, Mark Twain turned 70. That blessed occasion was marked by interviews with fawning reporters, equally fawning newspaper articles and plans for an elaborate birthday dinner at Delmonico's, then the fanciest restaurant in New York City. Unfortunately, Nov ... More >>

Funny Lady Fey Lumped in With Missouri's Own Mark Twain

An American hero​Last night in Washington, D.C., funny folks from all over came together to honor Tina Fey in the name of Missouri native son Mark Twain. Fey was the 13th recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.The prize recognizes Ameri ... More >>

Life of a River

An American hero​Last night in Washington, D.C., funny folks from all over came together to honor Tina Fey in the name of Missouri native son Mark Twain. Fey was the 13th recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.The prize recognizes Ameri ... More >>

Smart Book People to Invade St. Louis in April

image via​The Missouri Writer's Guild has announced plans for its 2011 "Just Write!" conference, to be held in St. Louis next April 8 through 10. According to the Guild, the conference will bring the opportunity to pitch to editors and agents and attend workshops, panel discussions and break- ... More >>

A Century After His Death, Twain is Back Atop of the Best-Seller List

image via​October has been a rough month for Jonathan Franzen. First his glasses got stolen. Then he didn't get nominated for the National Book Award. And now Freedom has been overtaken and surpassed on the Amazon best-seller list by volume one of The Autobiography of Mark Twain. Yeah, Franzen ... More >>

Write On: Readers point out other authors we should have included on our literary tour of the city

image via​October has been a rough month for Jonathan Franzen. First his glasses got stolen. Then he didn't get nominated for the National Book Award. And now Freedom has been overtaken and surpassed on the Amazon best-seller list by volume one of The Autobiography of Mark Twain. Yeah, Franzen ... More >>

Playwright and Mark Twain biographer Ron Powers celebrates a confluence of anniversaries in 2010

image via​October has been a rough month for Jonathan Franzen. First his glasses got stolen. Then he didn't get nominated for the National Book Award. And now Freedom has been overtaken and surpassed on the Amazon best-seller list by volume one of The Autobiography of Mark Twain. Yeah, Franzen ... More >>

A Life in Pictures

image via​October has been a rough month for Jonathan Franzen. First his glasses got stolen. Then he didn't get nominated for the National Book Award. And now Freedom has been overtaken and surpassed on the Amazon best-seller list by volume one of The Autobiography of Mark Twain. Yeah, Franzen ... More >>

From Mark Twain to Jonathan Franzen, St. Louis has been home to a surprising number of great writers

image via​October has been a rough month for Jonathan Franzen. First his glasses got stolen. Then he didn't get nominated for the National Book Award. And now Freedom has been overtaken and surpassed on the Amazon best-seller list by volume one of The Autobiography of Mark Twain. Yeah, Franzen ... More >>

Unexpurgated Mark Twain Autobiography to Be Published in November

Image source​104 years ago, when he was 70 years old, Mark Twain began dictating his autobiography to a stenographer. He finished shortly before his death on April 21, 1910. The finished manuscript came in at more than 500,000 words, but Twain didn't expect the whole thing to be published. "F ... More >>

Twain's Feast Reading and Book-Signing Tonight

​Sorry for the late notice on this, but if you've ever wondered how the diet of 19th-century America -- or, specifically, of famed author Mark Twain -- differed from contemporary cuisine, then visit Pudd'nhead Books in Webster Groves (37 South Old Orchard Avenue; 314-918-1069) at 7 p.m. this eveni ... More >>

LA Times Visits Hannibal Twice, Says "Twainiacs" Will Soon Be Converging In Force

Image viaCome ye tourists and travel writers!​Before kicking the bucket in 1910, Missouri's own literary sage Mark Twain expressed the wish that his autobiography not be be published for 100 years hence. Now the time has come, and it's due out in November. Which means ramped up tourism for Hanniba ... More >>

E. Coli Closes Six Missouri Beaches This Weekend

Photo: Jennifer Silverberg​The Missouri Department of Natural Resources yesterday announced that six beaches within state parks are too polluted for swimming this weekend. Beaches at Mark Twain, Wakonda, Crowder, Cuivre River, St. Joe, and Thousand Hills state parks all tested for dangerously hig ... More >>

River Wild

Photo: Jennifer Silverberg​The Missouri Department of Natural Resources yesterday announced that six beaches within state parks are too polluted for swimming this weekend. Beaches at Mark Twain, Wakonda, Crowder, Cuivre River, St. Joe, and Thousand Hills state parks all tested for dangerously hig ... More >>

Left Bank Books' Upcoming Tasty Events

Image viaCat Cora is coming to St. Louis.​"It seems only natural that this increased interest in what we eat and where we eat it would lead to a need for more literature on the subject, which includes new cookbooks, of course, but also includes great food writers, authors who write about how peopl ... More >>

This Weekend, Play Mark Twain's Board Game!

Wikimedia CommonsMark Twain in 1877, a few years before he invented the game that would, if there were any justice, be a favorite in bars the world over. Happy deathday, sir!​In an astonishing oversight, Daily RFT neglected to mention that this past Wednesday, April 21, was the 100th anniversa ... More >>

NYT: Mark Twain Was Gifted Editor, Gaping A-Hole

Image ViaWith a mustache like that, you know Mark Twain meant business.​Even if you slept through every single high school English class you already know that Mark Twain is a great American novelist. What you probably don't know -- unless you read this morning's New York Times-- is that the Missou ... More >>

Cleaving Twain

Image ViaWith a mustache like that, you know Mark Twain meant business.​Even if you slept through every single high school English class you already know that Mark Twain is a great American novelist. What you probably don't know -- unless you read this morning's New York Times-- is that the Missou ... More >>

Which Mark Twain Quote Best Summarizes Lawmakers' Quest to Rename Highway?

Mark Twain and his jockey enter the on-ramp of I-70, circa 1880.​I'm not sure which of his quotes on foolishness Mark Twain would choose to comment on the recent actions in the Missouri Senate where legislators are attempting to rename a stretch of Interstate 70 through St. Louis. Back in 1999, st ... More >>

A Raft of Adventures

Mark Twain and his jockey enter the on-ramp of I-70, circa 1880.​I'm not sure which of his quotes on foolishness Mark Twain would choose to comment on the recent actions in the Missouri Senate where legislators are attempting to rename a stretch of Interstate 70 through St. Louis. Back in 1999, st ... More >>

Hop to It

Mark Twain and his jockey enter the on-ramp of I-70, circa 1880.​I'm not sure which of his quotes on foolishness Mark Twain would choose to comment on the recent actions in the Missouri Senate where legislators are attempting to rename a stretch of Interstate 70 through St. Louis. Back in 1999, st ... More >>

Happy 174th Birthday, Mark Twain

​Samuel Langhorne Clemens a.k.a. Mark Twain, was born on this day in 1835. Arguably America's greatest writer and certainly the finest from Missouri, Twain grew up in Hannibal. But did you know his birthplace was the even tinier town of Florida, Missouri? In 2000, the Census recorded just 9 reside ... More >>

By the Boards: Dennis Brown on the STL Theater Scene October 15-18

​Unity Theatre Ensemble is this area's stealth company -- except when they're performing. Then it's everything they can do to keep the roof nailed down. But publicity is not their strong suit. Music is. Until their Cotton Club Revue got nominated for four Kevin Kline awards earlier this year, many ... More >>

Satisfaction with St. Louis Police Depends on Where You Live

topteedesigns.com​The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department yesterday released findings from a satisfaction survey it conducted recently. The poll of St. Louis residents found that three in four people were "satisfied" with the operation of the department and even more (86 percent) found police ... More >>

Mizzou? Illinois? Which Team Will Kick Some Aft This Year?

​Once again the universities of Missouri and Illinois will start their football season with a game September 5 at the Edward Jones Dome. But besides the gridiron showdown and all the pre- and post-game tailgating downtown, this year's competition features something better. What really matters in 2 ... More >>

Cultural Festivals Receives NEA Big Read Grant for St. Louis to Meet Today's Tom Sawyer

flickr.com/photos/crackdogThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer, which Mark Twain published in 1876, recounts the adventures of a young boy growing up in the 1840s in the fictional town of St. Petersburg, Missouri, on the banks of the mighty Mississippi.These adventures include: tricking his pals into whitew ... More >>

The Felice Brothers

9 p.m. Thursday, June 18. The Firebird, 2706 Olive Street.

Jamie Foehner Tribute Article Memorial Service Information

In this week's paper, I wrote a longer tribute to Jamie Foehner, who passed away last week. There will be a memorial tribute to him on Sunday, April 5, at Lemmons starting at 4 p.m. Details are still being worked out, but I expect information to come to light soonish, once people chime in. Meanwhile ... More >>

Last Night: Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain at Lindenwood University, 9/20/08

In this week's paper, I wrote a longer tribute to Jamie Foehner, who passed away last week. There will be a memorial tribute to him on Sunday, April 5, at Lemmons starting at 4 p.m. Details are still being worked out, but I expect information to come to light soonish, once people chime in. Meanwhile ... More >>

Malcolm asks the eternal question: Why's my pork fat so mushy?

In this week's paper, I wrote a longer tribute to Jamie Foehner, who passed away last week. There will be a memorial tribute to him on Sunday, April 5, at Lemmons starting at 4 p.m. Details are still being worked out, but I expect information to come to light soonish, once people chime in. Meanwhile ... More >>

Crank Tap, Indian-Style

In this week's paper, I wrote a longer tribute to Jamie Foehner, who passed away last week. There will be a memorial tribute to him on Sunday, April 5, at Lemmons starting at 4 p.m. Details are still being worked out, but I expect information to come to light soonish, once people chime in. Meanwhile ... More >>

Trial by Fryer

HotCity presents a challenging Last Days of Judas Iscariot

Make It a Weekend Adventure

HotCity presents a challenging Last Days of Judas Iscariot

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

Week of September 21, 2005

Need-to-Be Inspired Minds

Want to go (to Hannibal)

Smells Like Clean Spirit

Short Cut to Nirvana espouses enlightenment, but it's sketchy on how to get there

Capsule Reviews

Dennis Brown and Deanna Jent suss out local theater

This Old Man

A musical in ASL? Sign us up!

Love and Theft

Or love, Oregon-style

Lost Downtown

An insider's guide to downtown St. Louis

Lost Downtown

Amid the lofty renaissance, the hardcore of the urban core

Capsule Reviews

Dennis Brown and Deanna Jent suss out local theater

Never the Twain Shall Meet

Resurrecting Solomon Carver

Look but Don't Huff

Spider Sniff is not what you think

Night & Day

June 2 - 9, 1999