happy birthday: Mark Twain

“All right, then, I'll go to hell.” ― Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Samuel Langhorne Clemens
Born on November 30, 1835 in Florida, Missouri.
Died on April 21, 1910 (74yrs) in Redding, Connecticut.
Better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist. He is most noted for his novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885),[2] the latter often called "the Great American Novel." [via wiki] 


Excerpt from the back cover of this, Volume 1 (as of today I'm half-way through):

"The year 2010 marked the 100th anniversary of Mark Twain's death. In celebration of this important milestone and in honor of the cherished tradition of publishing Mark Twain's works, IC Press published Autobiography of Mark Twain, Volume 1, the first of a projected three-volume edition of the complete, uncensored autobiography. This major literary event brought to readers, admirers, and scholars Mark Twain;s authentic and unsuppressed voice, brimming with humor, ideas, and opinions, and speaking clearly from the grave as he intended." [University of California Press /visit: thisismarktwain.com] 

 
/Stamps above, image credits: Mark Twain by hannibal1107 // Mark Twain stamp unveiling by Office of Governor Dan Malloy


Virginia City and Mark Twain 
"Virginia City could be considered the "birthplace" of Mark Twain, as it was here in February 1863 that writer Samuel Clemens, then a reporter on the local Territorial Enterprise newspaper, first used his famous pen name. Virginia City historical documents state that Clemens was mugged on November 10, 1863, as he walked over the hill from the south while returning to Virginia City. The muggers relieved Clemens of his watch and his money. The robbery turns out to have been a practical joke played on Clemens by his friends, to give him material to write about. He did not appreciate the joke, but he did retrieve his belongings—particularly his gold watch (worth $300), which had great sentimental value. Clemens mentions the incident in his book Roughing It (published Feb 1872), apparently still sore about it."
[text source, wiki: Virginia City]

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Earlier this year, my two girlfriends +I stopped at Virginia City on our way back from a short summer road trip.
The city motto is: Motto: "Step Back In Time" – Interesting time warp indeed.
Here are some fotos:














It was the first time for the three of us in Virginia City, have you been? What's your favorite book or quote by Mark Twain?
xxom