Death at Christmastime: Mark Twain & The Music of Merciful Release

Mark Twain spent much of the last decade of his life in mourning. Music became the centerpiece of his grieving process. Matt Seybold unwraps Twain’s personal soundtrack to loss and remembrance.

Final Episode of Inaugural Season of The American Vandal Podcast Features Reading & Discussion of Mark Twain’s “Letter From Santa Claus”

In homage to the season, we dedicate an episode to Mark Twain’s 1875 letter to his daughter, in which he impersonates the “jolly old elf.”

Perfect Pairings of Music & Literature: A Holiday Collaboration with The Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes

Learn about how the Clemens family celebrated Christmas and enjoy a holiday-themed musical program at the historic Clemens Center.

Mark Twain, Santa Claus Impersonator

WNPR (Hartford) ran a segment this week about Mark Twain’s “Letter From Santa Claus” featuring an interview with The Mark Twain House‘s Director of Education, James Golden. You can listen to it below: You can read the complete letter in the Mark Twain Project’s digital archive. It is clear that Sam succeeded in instilling Susy (the receiver of Santa’s letter) with the spirit of the season. A few years later, in […]

Mark Twain: Lovesick at Christmas

On December 18, 1868, Mark Twain resumed his “American Vandals” lecture tour after the briefest respite. He had traveled overnight and throughout the day to arrive in Elmira following a performance in Scranton. Less than 24 hours later he boarded the first in the series of trains which would make a circuitous day-long journey to Fort Plain, where he was scheduled to appear on the evening of the 19th. There were […]