Events & Programs
2012: Way Out West
It was 140 years ago this year that the Clemenses were renting a house on Forest Street in the Nook Farm area of Hartford, casting their eyes westward toward a plot of land on a hillside that looked just right for a home for their growing family. Already the author of a bestselling travel book, The Innocents Abroad, Samuel L. Clemens -- Mark Twain -- was publishing a new one, based on travels he'd made a decade before. It was called Roughing It, and it still stands as a monument among the literature of humor, descriptive power and the American West. We've entered a creative spurt too, with courses in writing, a Wrtters' Weekend, and many other events all year for the young, the old, the middle-aged, the mature, the infantile and everyone else.
Jan
January
Steampunk Bizarre Closing Party
Sunday, January 15, 12:00 - 4:00 PM
We celebrate the last day of this excellent exhibit. Last chance to see it!
Our popular Steampunk Bizarre exhibition will end on Sunday, Jan. 15 -- but not before one last bash to celebrate this weird fusion of art, culture, science, history and the Twainian imagination.
On that day, Dr. Grymm and the gang will offer one last chance to socialize among brass bolts, bubbling brain tanks, fantasy paintings, fantastic weaponry and backpack-borne Tom Sawyer fence-painting gear, all inspired by quotations from America's bad boy author -- you have to see it to believe it.
THIS EVENT WILL FEATURE:
- A showing of STEAM DRIVEN by Ajar Communications! @ 12:30
- An Artist panel with the participating artists of the show @ 1:30
- The music of Eli August and Company @ 2:30
- Food Drinks and fun!
And just what is Steampunk? According to aficionado Miss Kitty, "Steampunk is the future as imagined through the eyes of the past. It is mechanical gears and boilers, dirtiness mixed with shininess of brass and copper with the deep red of cherrywood. It is a time for tea and gadgets, airships and ether."
Free! Steampunk attire encouraged!
Nook Farm Book Talk - Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Thursday, January 19, 5:00 PM Reception; 5:30-6:30 PM Book Discussion
Snow date January 26
Nook Farm Book Talks, a collaboration between The Mark Twain House & Museum and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, kicks off with a special discussion! We revisit Harriet Beecher Stowe's seminal abolitionist novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by reading select chapters from her masterwork. The chapters are available by clicking here. Presented in conjunction with the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art and the Amistad Center for Art & Culture, the discussion will focus on the precocious character Topsy.
To prepare for the discussion, guests are encouraged to read chapters 1 through 9 and focus on chapter 16. Hard copies of the book are available at the Stowe Visitor Center. Downloadable chapters will be available at www.stowecenter.org.
Made possible by the Connecticut Humanities Council, the Greater Hartford Arts Council and the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.
This special Nook Farm Book Talk is a prelude to a lecture to be held at the Wadsworth Atheneum entitled "Topsy's Legacy: Imagining Uncle Tom's Cabin After the Civil War" on February 8th at 6:00 pm in the Aetna Theater.
As the popularity of Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 novel Uncle Tom's Cabin grew, so did the number of illustrations that were printed alongside the text, and as the years passed the story and characters became a part of American popular culture. By the turn-of-the-century, Uncle Tom's Cabin was experienced visually in multiple ways, including stage plays and minstrel performances, the broadside posters that advertised these productions, photographs of actors, and early silent films.
This talk explores illustrations of Topsy at the dressing table, a favorite scene from stage adaptations of the book that existed first in the theatre and then later made their way into reprints as erroneous illustrations. Why were apocryphal images such as this one so popular and how did they come to signal both the possibilities and the limits for depicting racial violence in the century that followed America's Civil War?
Made possible by the Connecticut Humanities Council, the Greater Hartford Arts Council and the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.
FREE event!
To register, call (860) 522-9258 ext. 317
Feb
February
Author Denis Horgan on His New Work, Ninety Eight Point Six
A Writing at the Mark Twain House Special
Wednesday, February 8, 5:00 p.m. reception, 5:30 p.m. reading/talk
Longtime Hartford Courant columnist and blogger Denis Horgan discusses and reads from his new book of short stories, Ninety Eight Point Six.
This collection of tales by an acclaimed commentator on manners and morals explores the meaning of identity -- just who are we anyway? -- with humor and an acerbic eye.
An event in our Writing at the Mark Twain House series, which offers writing classes and, for the first time this year, a Writers' Weekend (April 20-21).
Free.
Snow date Wednesday, February 15.
A Love-Chase
A Short Valentine Play by Mark Twain's Daughter, Susy Clemens, performed in the Mark Twain House, with guitar prelude by Shay Bachar and champagne-chocolate reception
Friday, February 10, and Saturday, February 11, two performances/concerts/receptions: 7:00 and 8:30 p.m.
When she was in her teens, Mark Twain's daughter Susy wrote a short play on classical themes called A Love-Chase.
Now, nearly 130 years later, members of the Hartford Children's Theatre, directed by Julia Pistell, perform it again. With a prelude concert by Israeli guitarist Shay Bechar and a champagne and chocolate reception in the Museum Center.
$28; $23 for museum members. For membership information call 860-280-3112.
Japanalia Music Presents a Valentine Sunday Jazz Brunch with Vocalist Dana Lauren
Sunday, February 12, Two seatings: 11:30 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.
The sizzling, sensuous sounds of young jazz songbird Dana Lauren make for a romantic Valentine's brunch.
Japanalia Music presents a Sunday Jazz Brunch in our own Murasaki Cafe, replete with a four-star Japanese cuisine and American breakfast favorites. Hot sounds and heartwarming foods in the coolest place in town. Tickets include a full buffet and beverages; alcoholic beverages available for an additional charge.
$35. Reservations a must! 860-280-3130.
Registration deadline for A Class in Memoir with Lary Bloom and Suzanne Levine
Wednesday, February 15,
Last chance to enroll in our acclaimed memoir class, now in its third year. It's taught by longtime editors, authors and teachers Lary Bloom and Suzanne Levine, starts March 7, and runs for eight weeks, Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Call Steve Courtney, 860-247-0998, Ext. 243, for information.
The Mark Twain House & Museum presentation of the L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival
Friday, February 24, through Sunday, February 26
Now, see what short film comedy is all about on that other coast!
For the first time ever, The L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival, the largest comedy film festival in the USA, is offering an encore event at an East Coast venue -- and that venue will be The Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, Conn., the home of one of America's finest funnymen.
The Festival Encore on February 24, 25 and 26 will be presented by the Connecticut Film Festival, which since 2005 has been offering edgy and innovative filmmaking in the state, including a major annual festival in Danbury.
The event will include the presentation of a "Commie" award for comedic writing and producing excellence to Mike Reiss, who has won four Emmys and a Peabody Award during his twenty-one years writing for The Simpsons.
For a complete schedule of events, go to www.ctfilmfest.com.
The Mark Twain House & Museum presentation of the L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival will kick off a monthly series of independent films at the museum on the fourth Friday of every month, also presented by the Connecticut Film Festival. The series will include the inaugural Viva Cinema Film Festival in July, an offering of films highlighting Latino arts, ideas and cultures
Various prices, including Day Passes and other categories. To purchese tickets, go to the Connecticut Film Festival website, www.ctfilmfest.com.
OPENING: 'A Sound Heart & a Deformed Conscience': The Evolution of Mark Twain's Attitude Toward African Americans
Saturday, February 25, Open during regular museum hours.
Samuel L. Clemens grew up in a society where slavery was the norm and, as he explained it later, assumed to be God's law.
But in later life he championed the rights of African Americans, wrote one of the most searing American antislavery novels (Adventures of Huckleberry Finn) and attacked Jim Crow laws and lynching. A companion piece, under the name "Race, Rage and Redemption," to our exhbition of Jim Crow artifacts from Ferris University in Michigan, "Hateful Things," opening in March.
Free with house tour admission; museum-only tickets are $5.
Mar
March
Nook Farm Book Talk - Griftopia by Matt Taibbi
Thursday, March 1, At the Mark Twain House Museum Center.
5:00 PM Reception; 5:30-6:30 PM Book Discussion
Nook Farm Book Talks, a collaboration between The Mark Twain House & Museum and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, continues with Matt Taibbi's evisceration of Wall Street for what he considers frauds perpetrated on the American people over the last ten years.
The financial crisis that exploded in 2008 isn’t past but prologue. The grifter class—made up of the largest players in the financial industry and the politicians who do their bidding—has been growing in power, and the crisis was only one terrifying manifestation of how they’ve hijacked America’s political and economic life.
Matt Taibbi has combined deep sources, trailblazing reportage, and provocative analysis to create the most lucid, emotionally galvanizing account yet written of this ongoing American crisis. He offers fresh reporting on the backroom deals of the bailout; tells the story of Goldman Sachs, the “vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity; and uncovers the hidden commodities bubble that transferred billions of dollars to Wall Street while creating food shortages around the world.
This is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the labyrinthine inner workings of this country, and the profound consequences for us all.
Made possible by the Connecticut Humanities Council, the Greater Hartford Arts Council and the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.
FREE event!
To register, call (860) 522-9258 ext. 317
Author Susan Schoenberger Leads a Workshop for Would-Be Novelists: 'Getting Started' and 'Finding the Big Idea'
A Writing at the Mark Twain House Special
Saturday, March 3, 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
An afternoon workshop on the art of the novel: "Finding the Big Idea."
Susan Schoenberger's gripping novel on adoption and issues of death and loyalty, A Watershed Year, won the coveted Faulker award even before publication.
Susan Schoenberger, a Faulkner Award winner whose novel "A Watershed Year" was published to acclaim last year, will be leafding a three-hour session on Saturday, March 3, from 1 to 4. And thanks to her generosity it will only cost $20. The subjects are "The Novel: Getting Started" -- how to get over the hump of starting -- and "Writing a Novel: The Big Idea" -- how to craft an idea weighty enough to sustain a full-length novel.An event in our Writing at the Mark Twain House series, which offers writing classes and, for the first time this year, a Writers' Weekend (April 20-21).
$20; register at 860-280-3130
A Class in Memoir with Lary Bloom and Suzanne Levine
Wednesday, March 7, through April 25. (Registration deadline February 15.)
An eight-week, early-evening course on the art of telling one's own story. This is the third season for this popular class, taught by Lary Bloom, the longtime editor of Northeast magazine, and author of The Writer Within, and the much-admired poet (often with an autobiographical twist), Suzanne Levine.
The fee for the eight-week course is $600. Call Steve Courtney at 860-247-0998, Ext. 243, for information and to register. Registration deadline is Wednesday, February 15.
Japanalia Music presents Sunday Jazz Brunch in the Murasaki Cafe: Sinan Bakir Trio
Sunday, March 11, Two seatings: 11:30 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.
Hartford favorite Sinan Baker Trio performs, replete with a four-star Japanese cuisine and American breakfast favorites. Hot sounds and heartwarming foods in the coolest place in town.
$35. Reservations: 860-280-3130.
Get a Clue! Tour
Thursday, March 22, and Friday, March 23. Further information to come.
Inspired by the classic game CLUE, Sea Tea Improve Comedy Troupe invites you into the Mark Twain House to solve a murder mystery! Was it Katy Leary in the Conservatory with the wrench? George Griffin in the dining room with the rope? Get a clue and decide for yourself!
Further information to come.
OPENING: "Hateful Things": An exhibit from the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia at Ferris State University.
Thursday, March 29, 6:00 p.m. A free-to-members opening event. For membership info, call 860-280-3112.
Explore one of the darker chapters of American history and the legacy of slavery on our national consciousness.
"Hateful Things" takes an unflinching look at the Jim Crow era through racist artifacts and objects. It is a companion piece to our exhibit on Mark Twain's own changing attitudes about race, “A Sound Heart & A Deformed Conscience” (opening Feb. 25).
Please note: these exhibitions contain inflammatory and upsetting imagery. Parental discretion is advised.
Through Sept. 3.
Free with regular Mark Twain House tour admission. Museum-only admission is $5.
The Connecticut Film Festival
Friday, March 30, Further information to come.
Further information to come.
Further information to come.
Apr
April
An April Fool's Tour of the Mark Twain House
Sunday, April 1, Further information to come.
Further information to come.
Further information to come.
Nook Farm Book Talk -- Emancipation Narratives: A selection of works by Frederick Douglass, Josiah Henson, Harriet Jacobs
Thursday, April 5, At the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, 77 Forest Street, Hartford
5:00 p.m. reception, 5:30 p.m. talk
Nook Farm Book Talks, a collaboration between The Mark Twain House & Museum and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, continues with Emancipation Narratives: A selection of works by Frederick Douglass, Josiah Henson, Harriet Jacobs
Made possible by the Connecticut Humanities Council, the Greater Hartford Arts Council and the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.
FREE event!
To register, call (860) 522-9258 ext. 317
A Sunday Jazz Brunch
Sunday, April 15, Two seatings: 11:30 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.
Cafe Eiko at Japanalia presents a Jazz Brunch in our own Murasaki Cafe, replete with a four-star Japanese cuisine and American breakfast favorites. Hot sounds and heartwarming foods in the coolest place in town.
Further information to come.
The Writing at the Mark Twain House Writers' Weekend
Friday, April 20, and Saturday, April 21.
After a dynamic keynote speaker (to be announced) on Friday evening, immerse yourself on Saturday in the many genres of writing: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, travel writing, business writing and more -- with a special session on the business of getting published. Includes Friday and Saturday receptions, lunch, and a special writers' tour of the Mark Twain House.
$150 for all events, receptions and Saturday lunch.
Connecticut Film Festival
Friday, April 27, through Sunday, April 29. Further information to come.
Further information to come.
Further information to come.
May
May
The Trouble Begins at 5:30
Wednesday, May 2, 5:00 p.m. reception, 5:30 p.m. lecture
An exploration of the issues around the "Race, Rage and Redemption" exhibit.
Free. Supported in part by the Connecticut Humanities Council, Connecticut Explored magazine and The Friends of the Mark Twain House & Museum.
Nook Farm Book Talk - Pudd'nhead Wilson by Mark Twain
Thursday, May 3, At the Mark Twain House Museum Center.
5:00 PM Reception; 5:30-6:30 PM Book Discussion
Nook Farm Book Talks, a collaboration between The Mark Twain House & Museum and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, continues with a discussion of Mark Twain's classic Pudd'nhead Wilson.
This intriguing work tackles the seminal American issue of slavery in an antebellum tragicomedy of switched identities, as a freeborn child and a slave child change places. The result is a biting social commentary-plus a good old-fashioned murder mystery...
Made possible by the Connecticut Humanities Council, the Greater Hartford Arts Council and the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.
FREE event!
To register, call (860) 522-9258 ext. 317
The Trouble Begins at 5:30
Wednesday, May 9, reception, 5:30 p.m. talk
An exploration of the issues around the "Race, Rage and Redemption" exhibit.
Free. Supported in part by the Connecticut Humanities Council, Connecticut Explored magazine, and The Friends of The Mark Twain House & Museum.
A Mother's Day Jazz Brunch
Sunday, May 13, Two seatings: 11:30 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.
Cafe Eiko at Japanalia presents a Jazz Brunch in our own Murasaki Cafe, replete with a four-star Japanese cuisine and American breakfast favorites. Hot sounds and heartwarming foods in the coolest place in town.
Further information to come.
The Trouble Begins at 5:30
Wednesday, May 16, 5:00 p.m. recepti0n, 5:30 p.m. talk
An exploration of the issues around the "Race, Rage and Redemption" exhibit.
Free. Supported in part by the Connecticut Humanities Council, Connecticut Explored magazine and The Friends of the Mark Twain House & Museum.
The Trouble Begins at 5:30
Wednesday, May 23, 5:00 p.m. reception; 5:30 p.m. talk
An exploration of the issues around the "Race, Rage and Redemption" exhibit.
Free. Supported in part by the Connecticut Humanities Council, Connecticut Explored magazine, and The Friends of the Mark Twain House & Museum.
Connecticut Film Festival
Friday, May 25, through Sunday, May 27. Further information to come.
Further information to come.
Further information to come.
June
June
Nook Farm Book Talk - Poganuc People by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Thursday, June 14, At the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, 77 Forest Street, Hartford, Connecticut
5:00 PM Reception; 5:30-6:30 PM Book Discussion
Nook Farm Book Talks, a collaboration between The Mark Twain House & Museum and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, continues with Harriet Beecher Stowe's loosely based autobiographical work.
In this book, Stowe depicts the life and times of a small Puritan town Poganuc, based on her childhood in Litchfield, Connecticut. It features colorful characters like Miss Dolly and Colonel Davenport, local politics, small town religiosity, and anecdotal recipes for life.
Made possible by the Connecticut Humanities Council, the Greater Hartford Arts Council and the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.
FREE event!
To register, call (860) 522-9258 ext. 317
A Father's Day Jazz Brunch
Sunday, June 17, Two seatings: 11:30 a.m. and 1:15 a.m.
Cafe Eiko at Japanalia presents a Jazz Brunch in our own Murasaki Cafe, replete with a four-star Japanese cuisine and American breakfast favorites. Hot sounds and heartwarming foods in the coolest place in town.
Further information to come.
Connecticut Film Festival
Friday, June 29, through Sunday, July 1. Further information to come.
Further information to come.
Further information to come.
July
July
Nook Farm Book Talk - Harold: The Boy Who Became Mark Twain by Hal Holbrook
Thursday, July 12, At the Mark Twain House Museum Center.
5:00 PM Reception; 5:30-6:30 PM Book Discussion
Nook Farm Book Talks, a collaboration between The Mark Twain House & Museum and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, continues with a discussion of actor Hal Holbrook's autobiography.
Harold is Holbrook’s affecting memoir of growing up behind disguises, and his lifelong search for himself. Abandoned by his mother and father when he was two, Holbrook and his two sisters each commenced their separate journeys of survival. Raised by his powerful grandfather until his death when Holbrook was twelve, Holbrook spent his childhood at boarding schools, visiting his father in an insane asylum, and hoping his mother would suddenly surface in Hollywood. As the Second World War engulfed Europe, Holbrook began acting almost by accident.
Thereafter, through war, marriage, and the work of honing his craft, his fear of insanity and his fearlessness in the face of risk were channeled into his discovery that the riskiest path of all—success as an actor—would be his birthright. The climb up that tough, tough mountain was going to be a lonely one. And how he achieved it—the cost to his wife and children and to his own conscience—is the dark side of his eventual fame from performing the man his career would forever be most closely associated with, the iconic Mark Twain.
Made possible by the Connecticut Humanities Council, the Greater Hartford Arts Council and the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.
FREE event!
To register, call (860) 522-9258 ext. 317
Viva Cinema Latino
Thursday, July 19, through Sunday, July 22. Further information to come.
Further information to come.
Further information to come.
A Sunday Jazz Brunch
Sunday, July 22, Two seatings: 11:30 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.
Cafe Eiko at Japanalia presents a Jazz Brunch in our own Murasaki Cafe, replete with a four-star Japanese cuisine and American breakfast favorites. Hot sounds and heartwarming foods in the coolest place in town.
Further information to come.
Aug
August
Connecticut Film Festival
Friday, August 24, Further information to come.
Further information to come.
Further information to come.
Sept
September
Nook Farm Book Talk - The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Thursday, September 13, At the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, 77 Forest Street, Hartford, Connecticut
5:00 PM Reception; 5:30-6:30 PM Book Discussion
Nook Farm Book Talks, a collaboration between The Mark Twain House & Museum and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, continues with Kathryn Stockett's array of sharply defined black and white characters in the nascent years of the civil rights movement.
In writing about such a troubled time in American history, Southern-born Stockett takes a big risk, one that paid off enormously. Critics praised Stockett's skillful depiction of the ironies and hypocrisies that defined an era, without resorting to depressing or controversial cliches. Rather, Stockett focuses on the fascinating and complex relationships between vastly different members of a household.
The Help has been a cultural touchstone for the millions of readers who have cheered on Skeeter, laughed with Minny, and hissed at Hilly. The noble and strong Aibileen has become a heroine for countless fans whose letters have poured in from all over the world. Now the bestselling and beloved book is available in a deluxe gift edition.
An immensely popular book, The Help has been on bestseller lists longer than any other hardcover fiction title since The Da Vinci Code in 2003.
Made possible by the Connecticut Humanities Council, the Greater Hartford Arts Council and the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.
FREE event!
To register, call (860) 522-9258 ext. 317
Connecticut Film Festival
Friday, September 21, Further information to come.
Further information to come.
Further information to come.
Oct
October
Nook Farm Book Talk - Election by Tom Perrotta
Thursday, October 4, at the Mark Twain House Museum Center.
5:00 PM Reception; 5:30-6:30 PM Book Discussion
Nook Farm Book Talks, a collaboration between The Mark Twain House & Museum and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, continues with a discussion of Tom Perrotta's novel Election which again demonstrates how remarkably astute an observer and writer of the adolescent experience he is.
The book is set in a New Jersey high school amidst a hotbed of political activity: students are voting for their school president. Perrotta's cast of characters are exaggerated but convincing. They convey adolescence as it often is--sometimes painful and frequently awkward. Tracy is the popular girl, smart and pretty, but she isn't quite as perfect as her classmates assume. A sordid affair with a teacher lurks in the shadows. Paul is the jovial football jock, but his parent's divorce has left him hurt and vulnerable. Then there is Paul's younger and geekier sister Tammy, the tormented underdog struggling with her sexuality.
Plot develops through a series of mini-chapters, narrated by the main protagonists. There are also frequent interjections from Mr. M, the all-around good teacher every kid loves--the kind of teacher Hollywood loves to enshrine in sentimental flicks. A genuine crescendo of excitement and anticipation consumes the reader, as we eagerly await who has won the election. This is a novel of teenagers on the brink of adulthood, and is probably best appreciated by grownups with enough perspective on their own adolescent experiences to be able to take the bitter with the sweet.
Made possible by the Connecticut Humanities Council, the Greater Hartford Arts Council and the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.
FREE event!
To register, call (860) 522-9258 ext. 317
Connecticut Film Festival
Friday, October 26, Further information to come.
Further information to come.
Further information to come.
Nov
November
Nook Farm Book Talk - Angle of Repose by Wallace E. Stegner
Thursday, November 1, at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, 77 Forest Street, Hartford, Connecticut
5:00 PM Reception; 5:30-6:30 PM Book Discussion
Nook Farm Book Talks, a collaboration between The Mark Twain House & Museum and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, continues with the 1971 winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Angle of Repose, which has also been selected by the editorial board of the Modern Library as one of the hundred best novels of the twentieth century.
Wallace Stegner's uniquely American classic centers on Lyman Ward, a noted historian who relates a fictionalized biography of his pioneer grandparents at a time when he has become estranged from his own family. Through a combination of research, memory, and exaggeration, Ward voices ideas concerning the relationship between history and the present, art and life, parents and children, husbands and wives. Set in many parts of the West, Angle of Repose is a story of discovery--personal, historical, and geographical--that endures as Wallace Stegner's masterwork: an illumination of yesterday's reality that speaks to today's.
Made possible by the Connecticut Humanities Council, the Greater Hartford Arts Council and the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.
FREE event!
To register, call (860) 522-9258 ext. 317
Connecticut Film Festival
Friday, November 30, Further information to come.
Further information to come.
Further information to come.
Dec
December
Nook Farm Book Talk - No.44, The Mysterious Stranger by Mark Twain
Thursday, December 6, at the Mark Twain House Museum Center.
5:00 PM Reception; 5:30-6:30 PM Book Discussion
Nook Farm Book Talks, a collaboration between The Mark Twain House & Museum and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, concludes its 2012 series with a discussion of Mark Twain final novel, No. 44, the Mysterious Stranger. In this book, Twain returns to Medieval Austria and tells of No. 44's (ie. Satan's) mysterious appearance at the door of a print shop and his use of heavenly powers to expose the futility of mankind's existence.
This version also introduces an idea Twain was toying with at the end of his life involving a duality of the "self", one being the "Waking Self" and the other being the "Dream Self". Twain explores these ideas through the use of "Duplicates", copies of the print shop workers made by No. 44.
Made possible by the Connecticut Humanities Council, the Greater Hartford Arts Council and the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.
FREE event!
To register, call (860) 522-9258 ext. 317
Connecticut Film Festival
Friday, December 28, Further information to come.
Further information to come.
Further information to come.
