An icon of American Literature, Mark Twain was born Samuel Clemens in 1835. It would be his life experiences and the people he encountered that would inspire characters in his two most well-known novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Known for his wit and his unique perspective on life, Twain’s real life was filled with struggle and hardship as he navigated a world dominated by the Civil War, the Gilded Age, and the tail end of the Industrial Revolution. Twain would see a monumental amount of change during his life, even being one of the first subject of a new medium called moving pictures.
His writing career started at a newspaper, and evolved into writing about his travels, and finally into fiction. Twain’s life is a fascinating one, and one worth exploring to see how a man whose life began with a decade of childhood illness would go on to become one of the most-read authors in all of American Literature.
Check out more about his life from The History Channel.
You can also learn more about him at this link to The Mark Twain House and Museum.
Below are links to biographies, book chats, a TV movie, and interviews about Mark Twain. I also added a link the aforementioned moving picture featuring Twain that was filmed by Thomas Edison.
Enjoy!
Back in two weeks with another great writer!