Mark Twain is currently keeping company on The New York Times bestseller list with contemporary pop and political icons George W. Bush, Keith Richards, Jay-Z, and Jon Stewart – and yet, he has been dead for an entire century! Never before has this author, dubbed “The Father of American Literature,” been more popular, and his new book, The Autobiography of Mark Twain is the dad gift book of the holiday season. He is a literary genius whose use of language and satire gave him critical acclaim, and so we couldn’t pass up the chance to host a presentation about Mark Twain (on his 175th birthday, no less!) by the other iconic Mark – Dr. Mark Schenker, Associate Dean of Yale University.

On Tuesday, November 30 at 7 PM, to an audience of 165 patrons, Dr. Schenker discussed the uses and mis-uses of language in Samuel Clemen’s fiction with a lecture entitled, “As Language Is My Witness: Language, Lies, and Laughter in Mark Twain”. It was a wonderful opportunity to hear about one of literature’s best from such an engaging and thought-provoking speaker.

Click here to view the entire lecture, or watch the video below.

Thank you to Channel 79 for recording this presentation, which will show at various times on the local television station this month. Click here for a schedule of current airings on Channel 79.

"As Webster Is My Witness": Language, Lies, and Laughter in Mark Twain with Mark Schenker from Darien Library on Vimeo.