Happy 177th Mark Twain
Today is the 177th birthday of Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain.
Huckleberry Finn is both celebrated as a classic, and reviled as the target of censors, though it is this latter distinction which is the true proof of its greatness
Place a hold on it here
Mark Twain may not have been bothered as much by censorship as we might think, and seems to have taken it with philosophical humour, if we are to judge by any of his quotes.
"In America–as elsewhere–free speech is confined to the dead."
"There are laws to protect the freedom of the press's speech,
but none that are worth anything to protect the people from the press."
"But the truth is, that when a Library expels
a book of mine and leaves an unexpurgated Bible lying around where unprotected
youth and age can get hold of it, the deep unconscious irony of it delights
me and doesn't anger me."
Whether or not you like my selections, Mark Twain is one of the most often quoted people who ever lived and there is no shortage of online sites to find more.
And these from the Huffington Post
If you would like more in depth information on this author there also The Mark Twain Project containing his writings, nearly 2500 letters , pictures and biographgical information.
Also worth visiting is Mark Twain's public Domain works at Project Gutenberg
Comments