Mark Twain

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30 1835 – April 21 1910), better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was a famous and popular American humorist, novelist, writer and lecturer.

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November 30 - 1835 - April 21 - 1910 - Pen name - American - Humorist - Novelist - Writer - Lecturer

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At his peak, he was probably the most popular American celebrity of his time. William Faulkner wrote he was "the first truly American writer, and all of us since are his heirs." Clemens maintained that the name "Mark Twain" came from his years on the riverboat, where two fathoms (12 ft or 3.7 m), or "safe water", was marked by calling "mark twain". But it is often thought that the name actually came from his wilder days in the West, where he would buy two drinks and tell the bartender to "mark twain" on his tab. The true origin is unknown. In addition to Mark Twain, Clemens used the pseudonym "Sieur Louis de Conte" for his fictionalized biography of Joan of Arc (1896).

Related Topics:
William Faulkner - Fathom - Bartender - Joan of Arc

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