Mark Twain (1835-1910) is quoted more often these days, I think, than any other person with the exception of Shakespeare. Why is that? Are we just naturally cynical these days? Or are we particularly sensitive right now to the foibles of human nature since our politicians are falling all over themselves to exhibit the worst of them while the media like hungry sharks feed on those very failures and nothing else?
Coincidence: After I chose this work for my Friday blog I happened to notice the July 14, 2008 issue of Time Magazine, which has a cover story on Mark Twain. Do we like him because all of our public figures are so bland and spineless? I wish he were alive today.
Here are some of Twain's pithy sayings from his novel Puddn'head Wilson:
http://etext.virginia.edu/railton/wilson/pwequat.html
and the novel itself http://etext.virginia.edu/railton/wilson/pwhompg.html
6 comments:
Another one who had a lot of good things to say was Will Rogers! Mark Twain was more direct and pithy though. I love his irreverence.
(sorry, the previous comment was duplicated)
Yes, Samuel Clemens also had a theatrical way to saying them too.
That's a great picture of the ornery ol' codger!
Yes, we like ornrey old codgers, don't we?
That's why Gabby Hayes was popular back in the '50s. [grin]
(the kids won't know who he was)
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