Coffee with Twain

by Fred Kaplan and Jay McInerney

Published 10 April 2008
Mark Twain has shaped our view of childhood, the frontier spirit, slavery ...and the follies and pretensions of humankind. His novel "Huckleberry Finn" has delighted readers of all ages. Revel now in his caustic wit, tall tales, descriptive powers and colourfully expressed opinions. A relaxed chat with him turns into a roller-coaster ride through the adventures and misadventures of the "father of American literature" (as William Faulkner described him). A true American icon, he set the gold standard for verbal wit and unflinching worldly wisdom. Join him for a coffee (and maybe a cigar) and he'll regale you with stories about his many different guises - for not only was he a novelist and humorist of enduring renown, but also, at various times, a gold miner, riverboat pilot, indomitable entrepreneur ...and inventor of the self-pasting photograph album.