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Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist. Twain grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, which would later provide the setting for Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. He apprenticed with a printer. He also worked as a typesetter and contributed articles to his older brother Orion’s newspaper. While a reporter, he wrote a humorous story, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”, which became very popular and brought nationwide attention. His travelogues were also well-received, and he achieved great success as a writer and public speaker. His wit and satire earned praise from critics and peers, and he was a friend to presidents, artists, industrialists, and European royalty.

Twain was an adamant supporter of abolition and emancipation, also even going so far to say “Lincoln’s Proclamation … not only set the black slaves free, but set the white man free also.” He was also a staunch supporter of women’s rights and an active campaigner for women’s suffrage.

SELECT WORKS
     –   The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876): A novel about a young boy growing up along the Mississippi River. The story is set in the Town of “St. Petersburg”, inspired by Hannibal, Missouri, where Mark Twain lived.
     –   The Prince And The Pauper (1881): Twain’s first attempt at historical fiction. Set in 1547, the novel tells the story of two young boys who are identical in appearance: Tom Canty, a pauper who lives with his abusive father in Offal Court off Pudding Lane in London; and Edward VI of England, son of Henry VIII of England. The two boys meet one day and decide to switch clothes and roles.
     –   Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885) Among the first in major American literature to be written in the vernacular, characterized by local color regionalism. It is told in the first person by Huckleberry “Huck” Finn, a friend of Tom Sawyer and narrator of two other Twain novels (Tom Sawyer Abroad and Tom Sawyer, Detective). It is a sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Often called “the Great American Novel.”
(WIKIPEDIA)

“Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astonish the rest.” – Mark Twain