Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by the pen name Mark Twain,
was an American writer, humorist and essayist. He was praised as the
"greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William
Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature." Twain is
noted for his novels, Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn, which has been called the
"The Great American Novel" and The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer. He also
wrote poetry, short stories, essays, and non-fiction. Twain was raised in
Hannibal, Missouri, which later provided the setting for both Tom Sawyer and
Huckleberry Finn. He served an apprenticeship with a printer early in his
career, and then worked as a typesetter, contributing articles to his older
brother Orion Clemens' newspaper. He wrote both fiction and non-fiction. As his
fame grew, he became a much sought-after speaker. His wit and satire, both in
prose and in speech, earned praise from critics and peers, and Twain was a
friend to presidents, artists, industrialists, and European royalty.
