Second Year Creative Writing Contest Focuses on Quarry Farm Fireplace

Posted on by Joe Lemak

The Center for Mark Twain Studies is again sponsoring a creative writing contest for area students in grades 2-6, encouraging students to explore Mark Twain’s legacy in Elmira and the Southern Tier.  Submissions for the competition are due by April 19.

One of the winners of last year’s contest reading her story to her classmates in the exact same spot Mark Twain told stories to his daughters.

While staying at Quarry Farm, Mark Twain often encouraged his children to create and tell their own stories based off the tiles adorning the parlor fireplace.   The 24 tiles around the fireplace depict fables written by ancient Greek storyteller, Aesop, who utilized animals, such as crows, snakes, mice, and foxes, to illustrate moral lessons.

Students from schools within a 25-mile radius of Quarry Farm are encouraged to access the fireplace tiles on the CMTS website, marktwainstudies.org, and create their own stories based on the tile images.

Three winners from three different schools will be chosen by CMTS staff.  CMTS has received special permission to give the winners a personal tour inside Quarry Farm, normally only open to Twain Scholars.  The winning students will be able to read their story next to the Quarry Farm parlor fireplace, tour Quarry Farm, and enjoy Mark Twain’s favorite dessert: gingerbread, vanilla ice cream, and lemonade.

Submissions for the contest should be submitted by Friday, April 19, to the Center for Mark Twain Studies, Elmira College, 1 Park Place, Elmira, NY 14901.  Additional information, including a virtual tour of Quarry Farm, can be found online at marktwainstudies.org.

All the contest information and high-resolution pictures of the Quarry Farm fireplace tiles can be found at MarkTwainStudies.org.

About the Center for Mark Twain Studies –The Elmira College Center for Mark Twain Studies was founded in January 1983 with the gift of Quarry Farm to Elmira College by Jervis Langdon, the great-grand-nephew of Samuel Langhorne Clemens. The Center offers distinctive programs to foster and support Mark Twain scholarship and to strengthen the teaching of Mark Twain at all academic levels. The Center serves the Elmira College community and regional, national, and international students and scholars of Mark Twain. –