Gary Scharnhorst, author of The Life of Mark Twain in 3 volumes, will discuss Twain as a social satirist throughout his career, from the short story “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” to his indictment of imperialism at the turn into the twentieth century. The talk is open to the public and will be held June 8, 1 p.m., at the Center for Missouri studies in Columbia. Scharnhorst’s epic and authoritative biography of Samuel Clemens not only offers new insights but also corrects several myths about America’s greatest writer. It has been hailed by Kirkus as “An authoritative portrait of the iconic and iconoclastic author” and by Publishers Weekly as “a scholarly biography that will undoubtedly be considered definitive.” Books will be available for sale in the Richard Bookstore inside the Center for Missouri Studies. The event is free and open to the public. This program is cosponsored by the State Historical Society of Missouri and the University of Missouri Press.
Gary Scharnhorst is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of English at the University of New Mexico. He is the author or editor of fifty books, including Mark Twain on Potholes and Politics: Letters to the Editor. He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.