Just Announced!

The Mark Twain House & Museum is proud to announce the titles for the Short List for The 2023 Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award! The award honors an exemplary work of fiction from the previous calendar year that speaks with an “American Voice” about American experiences, much like Twain’s masterwork, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Over 120 eligible titles were submitted for consideration. Each book was reviewed by multiple members of the reading committee, resulting in a Long List of 35 incredible books announced in June 2023. After careful deliberation, a select committee has further narrowed the list down to a Short List of 10 phenomenal titles. These novels are being read by our final panel of judges who will ultimately decide the winner of the 2023 award.

THE 2023 MARK TWAIN AMERICAN VOICE IN LITERATURE SHORT LIST

BLISS MONTAGE by Ling Ma

DEMON COPPERHEAD by Barbara Kingsolver

MERCY STREET by Jennifer Haigh

MOTHER COUNTRY by Jacinda Townsend

NIGHT OF THE LIVING REZ by Morgan Tally

THE HERO OF THIS BOOK by Elizabeth McCracken

THE KINGDOM OF SAND by Andrew Holleran

THE RABBIT HUTCH by Tess Gunty

TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin

TRUST by Hernan Diaz

The winning title will be announced in October and the award, along with its $25,000 prize, will be conferred by its benefactor David Baldacci at the American Voice Award Banquet on November 3 at The Mark Twain House & Museum. Tickets and information for the ceremony will be available shortly.
 
The Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award is sponsored by: David Baldacci and Bank of America.

Tomorrow: In-Person!

"The acceptance of individual identity without needing to divorce cultural identity is a drumbeat that begs to be heard. The Sea Elephants takes the reader on a journey from coast to coast and hits every note of the human emotional spectrum along the way." - Boston Public Radio WBUR

Thursday, August 31 at 7:00pm ET - Shastri Akella on THE SEA ELEPHANTS - A Novel with Andrea Lawlor (In-Person)

For fans of Shuggie Bain and A Burning, a queer coming-of-age novel set in 1990s India, about a young man who joins a traveling street theater troupe, seeking to outrun the dark secrets of his past

"An exquisite novel destined to be a classic.” ?Eric Nguyen, author of Things We Lost to the Water

After the sudden deaths of his beloved twin sisters, Shagun flees his own guilt, his mother’s grief, and his father’s violent disapproval by enrolling at an all-boys boarding school. But he doesn’t find true belonging until he encounters a traveling theater troupe performing the Hindu myths of his childhood.


Virtual: $5 for non-members. Free for members. LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE.


Catching Up With the Clemenses:

New Episode!

Ever wondered what it takes to put together a new exhibition at The Mark Twain House & Museum? In this new educational video, Jodi and Erin take you behind the scenes to show you how our special exhibits highlight artifacts, convey historical detail, and bring The Gilded Age to life.

After Labor Day!

Wednesday, September 6 at 7pm ET - THE TROUBLE BEGINS: The House that Trudeau Built: The Development of the “Fresh Air” Treatment for Tuberculosis with Chessie Monks-Kelly (In-Person & Virtual)

Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau came to the Adirondacks expecting to die of consumption, or tuberculosis; his recovery led to a booming health industry that lasted 70 years and brought close to 100,000 people to the mountains seeking a cure. Trudeau arrived in Saranac Lake from New York City in 1873, and dedicated the rest of his life to understanding, treating, and preventing the disease. Historic Saranac Lake Archivist / Curator Chessie Monks-Kelly will present on Saranac Lake’s legacy as a tuberculosis destination, and discuss the treatment, research, and people that put the tiny village on the map across the world.

In-Person Event: FREE. REGISTER HERE

Livestream: FREE. REGISTER HERE

Sponsored by CT Humanities and the Center for Mark Twain Studies in Elmira, New York.

Rescheduled!

A New Biography on the Legendary Playwright of Fences, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, The Piano Lesson, and more!

Thursday, September 7 at 12pm ET - Patti Hartigan on AUGUST WILSON: A LIFE featuring Taneisha Duggan - A Lunchtime Conversation (Virtual)

No other American playwright has completed such an ambitious oeuvre than August Wilson, who wrote a series of ten plays celebrating African American life in the 20th century, one play for each decade. Now a new authoritative biography has been written exploring the history of the playwright himself by author and theater critic Patti Hartigan. She interviewed Wilson many times before his death, tracing his ancestry back to slavery and his life from his childhood in Pittsburgh (where nine of the plays take place) to Broadway. She also interviewed scores of friends, theater colleagues and family members, and conducted extensive research to tell the story of a writer who left an indelible imprint on American theater and opened the door for future playwrights of color.

Choose your own price for virtual admission. Free for MTH&M Members. REGISTER & LEARN MORE.

Tickets purchased for the previously scheduled event will be honored for the new date.


Thursday, September 7 at 7pm ET - Maya Binyam on Hangman - A Novel with Alex Jennings (Virtual)

A novel about exile, diaspora, and the impossibility of Black refuge in America and beyond. In Hangman, Maya Binyam tells the story of that search, and of the phantoms, guides, tricksters, bureaucrats, debtors, taxi drivers, relatives, riddles, and strangers that will lead to the truth. It is an uncommonly assured debut: an existential journey; a tragic farce; a slapstick tragedy; and a strange, and strangely honest, story of one man’s stubborn quest to find refuge—in this world and in the world that lies beyond it.  

Virtual: Choose your own price for non-members. Free for members. LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE.


The Author of The Chain and the Sean Duffy Series Comes to Hartford!

Saturday, September 9 at 7pm ET - Adrian McKinty Live with Colin McEnroe on THE DETECTIVE UP LATE: A Sean Duffy Novel (In-Person)

Irish thriller writer Adrian McKinty comes to The Mark Twain House & Museum to discuss his latest Sean Duffy thriller, The Detective Up Late, with WNPR’s Colin McEnroe.

Born in Belfast in Northern Ireland during “The Troubles,” Adrian McKinty traveled to the United States as an illegal alien, finding work in bars, on building sites, and as a Teamster driver. He married an American and became a U.S. citizen, eventually becoming a teacher in Colorado. After he moved to Australia with his wife, the Oxford-educated philosophy major turned his hand to writing novels. Although his books were acclaimed and award-winning, he found himself evicted, bartending, and driving for Uber…until his novel The Chain impacted the bestseller lists and changed his life completely.

McKinty chats with writer, broadcaster and humorist Colin McEnroe on his improbable journey and his latest sure-to-be-blockbuster, The Detective Up Late, the latest novel in his blockbuster Sean Duffy series set in Belfast.

Ticket includes signed book. In-Person Event: $42 for non-members, $37 for MTH&M Members (please login to access your discount). LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE.


The Author of When I Was Puerto Rican Returns to Hartford

Wednesday, September 13 at 7pm - Esmeralda Santiago in conversation with Ricardo Maldonado on LAS MADRES - A Novel (In-Person Event)

The award-winning author of When I Was Puerto Rican joins Ricardo Alberto Maldonado, recently named as head of The Academy of American Poets, to discuss her new novel Las Madres: a powerful story of family, race, faith, sex, and disaster that moves between Puerto Rico and the Bronx, revealing the lives and loves of five women and the secret that binds them together.

In-Person Event: $42 for non-members, $37 for MTH&M Members (please login to access your discount). Ticket includes signed book. LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE.


Friday, September 15 at 7pm ET - Becky Libourel Diamond on THE GILDED AGE COOKBOOK: Recipes and Stories from America's Golden Era with Jason Scappaticci (In-Person)

This new cookbook transports the reader back in time to lavish banquet tables set with snow-white linen tablecloths, delicate china, and sparkling crystal glasses. Cuisine featuring rich soups, juicy roasts, and luscious desserts come to life through historic images and artistic photography. Gilded Age details and entertaining stories of celebrities from the era—the Vanderbilts, Astors, Goelets, and Rockefellers—are melded with historic menus and recipes updated for modern kitchens.

In-Person Event: $10 for non-members, $5 for MTH&M Members (please login to access your discount). LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE.


Saturday, September 23 at 6pm - THE 8th ANNUAL BARK TWAIN BASH...IT'S THE CAT'S MEOW

The Mark Twain House & Museum and Kenway’s Cause present the 8th Annual Bark Twain Bash, an evening of celebrating our four-legged friends! Proceeds to benefit Kenway’s Cause and the Mark Twain House & Museum. We will be presenting special awards to special friends of animals and even animals themselves! The event is hosted by iHeartMedia’s Renee DiNino and Buzz Engine’s Jacques Lamarre with a special presentation by The MTH&M’s Executive Director Pieter Roos

Your $40 ticket includes delicious goodies prepared by Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ. Cash bar.

LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE.


Upcoming Events

V = Virtual Event; IP = In-Person Event

Thursday, August 31 - The Sea Elephants - A Novel with Shastri Akella (IP)

Wednesday, September 6 - THE TROUBLE BEGINS: The House that Trudeau Built: The Development of the “Fresh Air” Treatment for Tuberculosis (IP & V)

Thursday, September 7 - August Wilson: A Life with Patti Hartigan (V)

Thursday, September 7 - Hangman - A Novel with Maya Binyam (V)

Saturday, September 9 - Adrian McKinty on The Detective Up Late - A Sean Duffy Novel (IP)

Wednesday, September 13 - Esmeralda Santiago on Las Madres (IP)

Friday, September 15 - The Gilded Age Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from America's Golden Era with Becky Libourel Diamond (IP)

Tuesday, September 19 - Those We Thought We Knew - A Novel with David Joy (V)

Wednesday, September 20 - THE TROUBLE BEGINS: Digging Up the Past - Then & Now of the Historical Hotel Ampersand (IP & V)

September 23 - The Bark Twain Bash...It's the Cat's Meow fundraiser with Kenway's Cause (IP)

September 26 - The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel: Genius, Power and Deception on the Eve of World War I with Douglas Brunt (V)

September 29 - Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours being for October (IP)

October 4 - THE TROUBLE BEGINS: Work and Play in Mark Twain's Creative Process with Dr. Kerry Driscoll (IP & V)

October 11 - THE TROUBLE BEGINS: The Phenomenon of Summer Reading with Donna Harrington-Lueker (IP & V)

October 25 - THE TROUBLE BEGINS: Lurking, There, in the Underbrush: The Gilded Age in the Adirondacks with Robert Engel (IP & V)

More to be announced soon!

To see all event information and registration, CLICK HERE.

To preorder books for our upcoming events, CLICK HERE. Signed books will be mailed after the event. Please note that we cannot ship outside of the U.S. at this time.