Happy Birthday, Sam...

In honor of this, the 174th anniversary of the birth of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, a.k.a. Mark Twain, I present to you this rare motion picture footage of Twain at his Redding, Connecticut estate with daughters Clara and Jean. It was taken by Thomas Edison in 1909, a year before Twain's death. Enjoy...

Stimulus Money for the Twain House?

The historic Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut fell on some pretty hard times last year, but has since been bouncing back thanks to some very successful fundraising. And now, according to WFSB Channel 3 News in Hartford, there may be even more help soon on the way in the form of government stimulus relief.

Hartford mayor Eddie Perez told Channel 3 that he has considered proposing a Hartford stimulus project as a way of protecting the Twain House from future financial ruin. A total of $640 million in stimulus funds have been given to Connecticut, with a large portion obviously going to public works and infrastructure. But Perez and others also hope that a portion of it can be diverted to arts-related projects like the Twain House, as well.

Meanwhile, the Twain House is also waiting to hear back on the status of its recent application for a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Reports of the Twain House's Death Greatly Exaggerated

Thanks to a rousing show of support, it looks like the historic Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut will not be closing its doors anytime soon.

After reports surfaced last year that the former home of the Clemens family was woefully in debt due to an overambitious renovation project, word got out in the news and several high-profile fund-raising efforts got underway.

And now, because of those efforts, the House actually made a profit when the book was finally closed on the fiscal year last weekend. Its operating deficit of $400,000 has been paid off, and that's without even tapping into a $500,000 Annenberg Foundation grant. That grant will be used to kickstart a new $1.5 million Stabilization and Planning Fund, intended to support operations and future fund-raising initiatives.

So it looks like the Mark Twain House has sidestepped financial calamity. If only Twain himself could've done so when he lived there!

Redding's Mark Twain Library Celebrates Centennial

On October 11, 1908, Samuel Clemens--upon discovering that his new hometown of Redding, Connecticut had no library--donated 3,000 books and opened one in a small abandoned chapel on the outskirts of his property. This Saturday, 100 years to the day, Redding's Mark Twain Library will commemorate the anniversary.

In the morning, children are encouraged to attend a birthday party dressed up as their favorite storybook characters. In the afternoon, historian Dan Cruson will present the lecture, "The Impact of Mark Twain in Connecticut". A reception will follow.

Twain did much to help found the library. For one, he tapped rich buddy Andrew Carnegie for a series of annual $500 donations for building a larger library, and also raised money through concerts and readings held at his "Stormfield" estate. Unfortunately, Twain didn't live to see the current library built, as construction did not begin until ten months after his death. Even more unfortunately, thanks to deterioration and lender "loss", only 300 of Twain's original 3,000 donated books remain in the library today.

If you live in the area and would like to attend the birthday bash, call 203-938-2545 for more information.

100th Anniversary of Stormfield Burglary

Tomorrow marks 100 years since the infamous break-in at Stormfield, Mark Twain's Redding, CT residence, during which burglars made off with Twain's silverware and were caught mere hours later attempting an escape by train.

The story made big headlines, and the local report from the Danbury Evening News, can be found here at the excellent blog, The Mark Twain Stormfield Project. Particularly hilarious is Twain's typically droll note to future burglars, left on the front door the next morning:

There is nothing but plated ware in the house now and henceforth. You will find it in that brass thing in the dining room over in the corner by the basket of kittens. If you want the basket, put the kittens in the brass thing. Do not make any noise, it disturbs the family. You will find rubbers in the front hall by that thing that has the umbrellas in it. Chiffonier I think they call it, a pegola, or something like that. Please close the door. -Yours truly, S.L. Clemens.

Documentary Films in Redding

One of the shadiest and littlest-known stories of Twain's life involves the conspiracy against him that occurred near the end of his life when his secretary Isabel Lyon and his personal assistant Ralph Ashcroft tried to defraud him of his fortune. Now that story will be the subject of a PBS documentary, which recently filmed some "recreation" footage in the town of Redding, Connecticut, where Twain lived when the original events unfolded.

Lyon, who secretly was involved with Ashcroft, lulled the recently widowed Twain into a flirtatious friendship, even hoping to marry the ailing, elderly author. Meanwhile, Ashcroft had treacherously acquired power of attorney over his employer's finances. With the help of his daughter Clara, Twain was finally able to identify the threat and dismiss both of them. After her father's death, Clara saw to it that any mention of the conspirators was removed from Twain's public papers, which is why the details of the story were a mystery for so long.

But using collections of the author's private works and journals, Karen Lystra was able to finally piece it all together in her 2006 book Dangerous Intimacy: The Untold Story of Mark Twain's Final Years. And it's that book which has inspired the documentary currently being produced by History Film Inc., according to the Redding Pilot.

Producer Richard Altomonte made the trip to Redding, former site of Twain's famous Stormfield mansion, to film some key sequences, using several Twain aficionados from the town to play the parts of people like Clara and Jean Clemens, as well as Lyon herself. The film is expected to air on PBS later in the fall. For more info, visit historyfilm.com.

Sculpture on Loan to Redding's Mark Twain Library

Utah sculptor Gary Lee Price is known for his unique sculptures of historical figures sitting on or standing near real, functional benches. Of particular interest to him is Twain--in fact, we have one of his Twain pieces in the heart of town right here in Fairfield, CT.

According to the Danbury News-Times, one of Price's Twain sculptures is currently on loan by Cavalier Galleries in Greenwich to the Mark Twain Library in Redding, CT (the town in which Twain died, incidentally). The sculpture depicts Twain along with his beloved characters Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher.

The work of art will be at the library until the end of the summer, or possibly even until the end of the year, inviting passersby to sit and take a break (as me and my kids often do in Fairfield). Entitled "Never the Twain Shall Meet", the work is one of 40 cast from the original mold last year. Interested in acquiring it permanently from the Cavalier Gallery? The cost is $48,000.

Writers Join Forces to Save the Twain House

In the wake of recent reports of the financial difficulties of the Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut, several writers will be holding a reading next month to raise money to keep the landmark in operation, according to The Boston Globe.

The addition of a costly visitors center several years ago have put the Twain House severely in the red, and the threat of closure now looms. But authors such as Jon Clinch--who wrote the Twain-inspired novel Finn--are determined to prevent it. Joining Clinch will be Philip Lopate, Stewart O'Nan and other authors. On September 23, they will be reading at the Twain House, with all benefits going to the non-profit organization that operates the House.

For more info, go to marktwainhouse.org.

Twain's Work Included in Course on Deafness in Literature

"I am filled with the wonder of her knowledge, acquired because shut out from all distractions. If I could have been deaf, dumb and blind, I also might have arrived at something."

--Twain on Helen Keller

The works of Mark Twain have been included as part of a course this summer at the University of Virginia called "Deafness in Literature and Film", according to Media-Newswire. The course takes a look at the treatment of the deaf in some major movies and major books of the 19th and 20th centuries. The course also includes works by deaf authors, some performed on film in sign language. The instructor, Christopher Krentz, is director of the University's American Sign Language program.

Later in his life, Twain became fascinated with the young Helen Keller, whom he greatly admired. While residing in Connecticut, he also lived a mile away from a school for the deaf in the town of Hartbrook.

Twain House Mere Weeks from Shutting Down

The running gag is that Mark Twain is in danger of losing his famous home for the second time. But this is a serious matter, as the historic Hartford, Connecticut structure continues to struggle with its financial crisis.

Thanks to an overly ambitious visitor's center that was constructed in 2003, costing the Twain House nearly twice the $10 million it had expected, the situation is now grim. Twain House officials estimate coming up short by $370,000 by the end of the year, despite attracting 68,000 visitors in 2007 and eliminating two-thirds of its staff.

Within a month, the landmark--which the Clemens family occupied from 1874 to 1891--may be forced to close to the public if something is not done. Hartford television station WFSB is now joining the fight to keep the House open by further publicizing its plight and helping raise the necessary funds. Any wishing to contribute to this very worthy cause may do so here.