Spring 2005

M 7:00-9:40    
307 Hibbs
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Texts:

Twain, Following the Equator [1897]. Dover , 1989.
-----, Collected Tales, Sketches, Speeches, & Essays, 1891-1910. Library of America , 1992.
-----, No. 44, The Mysterious Stranger [1897-1908; 1969]. U of California Press (The Mark Twain
Library), 1982.
-----, Letters from the Earth. HarperCollins, 2004.
-----, The Devil’s Race-Track. U of California Press, 1980.

Objectives and Requirements:

This seminar will be on The Late Twain—1895-1910, that is the period following his 1895-1896 world tour. His published works of this period begin with Joan of Arc (1896) and Following the Equator (1897); extend through “The Turning Point of My Life,” the last piece he wrote, published in June 1910, two months after he died; and come up to our time when each year works, mostly from the late period, are published posthumously or are re-published in critical editions.  This period includes his last major piece of fiction, The Mysterious Stranger (in a false text, 1916), many of the essays in Europe and Elsewhere (several false texts, 1923), Mark Twain’s Autobiography (1924), and Mark Twain’s Notebook (1935).  Earlier periods, influences and writings will be included, of course, as appropriate.  Areas of focus for the Late Twain include but are not limited to: race; politics, family and domesticity; gender; biography—including late years death wish and manic depression; dream writings and innovative fiction, including proto-stream of consciousness writing; contemporaneous reception, both academic and popular; polemical writings; Adamic writings; organized religion; textual studies; illustrations (visual texts); autobiography; public personae; international author and celebrity; publishing industry, copyright law, and literary (professional) finance.  As is obvious from this partial list, “his own time” will be explored in this course.

The course will include one report by each student on a critical work or a biography, as well as a brief oral report on the research project.

One important aim will be to gain a firm sense of the current state of Twain studies—literary criticism, biography, literary history, and research and reference works.  Everyone in the class will read and report in class on one biography and one critical work (including at least one review of each) during the semester.  We’ll also locate Twain websites, with brief reports on each.  Images of Twain’s Hartford (CT) home might also be included, time permitting; likewise, video tapes of Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain and about Mark Twain.

Participation in class discussions is critical and expected.  Missed classes should be explained in advance, when possible, and promptly afterwards otherwise.  Course grades will be determined from the research paper, oral presentations and reports, and very importantly from class participation.  Such assigned reading as there will be is to be read by the day it is assigned.

The paper will be a lengthy (25+ pages of text) research study.  It may treat any topic or work, and should display a sophistication of argument drawing upon strong evidence from primary and secondary works.  It needs to show independence of thought and judgment, and feature some originality.  Topics will be discussed and approved by me.  Ordinarily the topic and a brief explanation of the central idea of the paper (or a brief outline) will be submitted in writing, with a copy for me to keep.  The due date for the paper is the last regular class meeting (May 2);papers will be available the Monday of final week (May 9).

 As a policy, missed work cannot be made up.

 At least one smelly-cigar, off-the-record conversation event will occur, probably in connection with pool (participa-tion optional, of course).