Samuel Clemens had several pen names before he settled on the name by which he is best known: Mark Twain. In a sense, Clemens and Twain were two personalities embodied in one life. Twain grew up in Missouri, traveled the world and settled in Connecticut. Over the course of his life, he wrote short humorous stories, historical novels, fantasies and essays on social, religious, philosophical, literary and political issues. He worked in mines and on steamboats. Twain was one of the most popular public performers of his era. He was both a man of the people and friend of the elite. His work has at various times been censored for different reasons by different factions of American culture. Yet his works continue to be read; biographers continue to write about him. He suffered personal tragedies and received public acclaim. Join us to investigate the many sides of the man sometimes acclaimed as the "Father of American Literature." If you only know Twain from humorous quotations and "Huckleberry Finn," you'll be amazed by the scope and complexity of his life and thoughts. He was a man who contained multitudes. Think of this course not as a literary critique or complete academic biography but, rather, a chance to get to know and be entertained by one of America's first "standup comics" and great literary figures.

Course pre-requisites
(required) Osher Membership Fee