Autobiography of Mark Twain, Volume 1

Mark Twains final and uncensored masterpiece, presented in three volumes, is alandmark publication in American literature.';Twain will begin to seem strange again, alluring and still astonishing . . . in ways that still resonate with us.'New York Times ';His crystalline humor and expansive range are a continuous source of delight and awe.'Los Angeles Times Book Review Ive struck it! Mark Twain wrote in a 1904 letter to a friend. And I will give it awayto you. You will never know how much enjoyment you have lost until you get to dictating your autobiography. Thus, after dozens of false starts and hundreds of pages, Twain embarked on his Final (and Right) Plan for telling the story of his life. His innovative notionto talk only about the thing which interests you for the momentmeant that his thoughts could range freely. The strict instruction that many of these texts remain unpublished for 100 years meant that when they came out, he would be dead, and unaware, and indifferent, and that he was therefore free to speak his whole frank mind. The year 2010 marks the 100th anniversary of Twains death. In celebration of this important milestone and in honor of the cherished tradition of publishing Mark Twains works, UC Press is proud to offer for the first time Mark Twains uncensored autobiography in its entirety and exactly as he left it. This major literary event brings to readers, admirers, and scholars the first of three volumes and presents Mark Twains authentic and unsuppressed voice, brimming with humor, ideas, and opinions, and speaking clearly from the grave as he intended. Editors: Harriet E. Smith, Benjamin Griffin, Victor Fischer, Michael B. Frank, Sharon K. Goetz, Leslie Myrick