File this under “better late than never.” Mark Twain spent his last decade writing his memoirs, producing some 5,000 unedited pages. However, he stipulated that they couldn’t be published for at least a century following his death. (Apropos see this very rare footage recorded by Thomas Edison showing Twain in his last year.) Fast forward to 2010. We have now clocked 100 years. And this November, UC Berkeley will publish the first volume of Twain’s manuscript. The Independent tells you more about this literary event, and suggests why Twain wanted to keep his autobiography under wraps. Get the full article here.
via @ebertchicago
It’s nice to hear that his wishes were respected, and the manuscripts were held. The fact that his estate goes to funding museums and libraries in his honor, makes sure that his legacy is well preserved and only furthered by this publication.