Publisher Description

America is cat crazy, and Mark Twain may have been the American writer most crazy about cats. From his boyhood in Hannibal, Missouri, to his last years in Connecticut, Mark Twain spent much of his life surrounded by cats, and they stalk through many of his best-known books, including The Innocents Aboard, Roughing It, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, and Puddn'head Wilson. In this lighthearted book, Twain scholar Mark Dawidziak explores the writer's lifelong devotion to cats through stories, excerpts, quotes, photos, and illustrations, illuminating a little-known side of this famous writer's life that will appeal to Twain aficionados and cat lovers alike.

Author Biography

Mark Dawidziak is an expert on Mark Twain. A recognized Twain scholar, he has written/edited two books on Twain, with a third (Mark Twain's Guide to Diet, Exercise, Beauty, Fashion, Investment, Romance, Health & Happiness) to be released this June by Prospect Park Books. He has delivered papers at the State of Mark Twain Studies Conference, spoken about Twain at museums and conferences, and performed on stage as Twain for more than thirty years.

Review

Praise for Mark Twain's Guide to Diet, Exercise, Beauty, Fashion, Investment, Romance, Health and Happiness:"Nobody gets Mark Twain the way Mark Dawidziak does." —Ken Burns, award-winning documentary filmmaker
"Mark has got mighty dedicated to the restoration of Twain into our thinking and has pursued a trail of scholarship which led him to deeply research the man we so admire." — Hal Holbrook, actor
"Mark Twain's Guide is such a fun read that the only thing dry about it is the ink." —David Bianculli, television critic and guest host for NPR's Fresh Air

Long Description

America is cat crazy, and Mark Twain may have been the American writer most crazy about cats. From his boyhood in Hannibal, Missouri, to his last years in Connecticut, Mark Twain spent much of his life surrounded by cats, and they stalk through many of his best-known books, including The Innocents Aboard, Roughing It, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, and Puddn'head Wilson. In this lighthearted book, Twain scholar Mark Dawidziak explores the writer's lifelong devotion to cats through stories, excerpts, quotes, photos, and illustrations, illuminating a little-known side of this famous writer's life that will appeal to Twain aficionados and cat lovers alike.

Review Quote

Praise for Mark Twain's Guide to Diet, Exercise, Beauty, Fashion, Investment, Romance, Health and Happiness:"Nobody gets Mark Twain the way Mark Dawidziak does." --Ken Burns, award-winning documentary filmmaker

Details