In 1910, a famous author died, leaving behind an unusual death wish. Samuel Clemens, more commonly known as Mark Twain, wrote an autobiography with the intention of keeping it from publication until the 100th anniversary of his death. Now, in 2010, the University of California Press is publishing his long awaited autobiography.
Many are puzzled as to why Twain chose to keep his book from the world for so long; but one thing is for certain. In his novel, Twain brutally critiques certain people that he saw everyday, such as his lawyer, his publisher and even his landlady. An extensive postponement of his book ensured that none of the people he gossiped about would be angry or humiliated. Another reason that people believe Twain waited so long for publication was that he wanted to secure his popularity with readers long after he was gone.
Judith DeWoskin, a teacher at Community High, is a confirmed Mark Twain fan, and has been teaching his Huckleberry Finn for 28 years. “One possibility is that he wanted the income from his novel to benefit his relatives living today,” DeWoskin said. If this was one of Twain’s concerns, his relatives would certainly be benefiting now. The book, which is hardcover and being sold at the price of $34.95, is topping the national best seller lists, and is sold out in most bookstores.
So why is it that Mark Twain is still so popular a century after his death? “Mainly, I think people are just curious. He was an extremely popular author and now people can learn about his life directly from him,” said DeWoskin.
However, Twain does not just write about his life as an author, but dives into his personal life, discussing a love affair with his secretary, his criticisms of Theodore Roosevelt, and his doubts about God in a writing style that is slightly more raunchy than Twain readers will be used to. This may be why copies are flying off the shelves and bookstores are struggling to replenish their supplies. This book is the first that will appear in a series of three volumes, all to be released in the next five years, making for the complete autobiography of Mark Twain.
