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The white period
This year marks a triple anniversary for Mark Twain. He was born 175 years ago, published The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 125 years ago and died 100 years ago. Twain-related historic sites from Hannibal, Mo., to Hartford, Conn., have declared 2010 “The Year of Mark Twain” and hope to inspire a nationwide, yearlong celebration of the man and his writing.
A good way to begin the celebration is with Michael Shelden’s new biography, Mark Twain: Man in White, The Grand Adventure of His Final Years. Shelden succeeds both in presenting a vivid portrait and telling readers something new about a well-known figure.
The book focuses on a brief period in Twain’s life from December 1906 to his death in April 1910. Shelden makes the case that Twain’s final years were full of purpose and activity and that Twain was fully engaged in managing his public image. Some biographers have stressed the sorrow of these years, claiming that the loss of his wife and daughter left Twain embittered and humorless. Shelden asserts that although Twain was deeply wounded by his misfortunes, he continued to meet new friends, embark on adventures, write, seek attention and craft his legacy.
Shelden begins with Twain’s appearance at the Library of Congress to attend a meeting regarding the extension of copyright protection. Waiting until all eyes were upon him, Twain removed his overcoat to reveal that he was dressed all in white from his collar to his shoes. His clothing created a sensation that is hard to imagine by today’s tolerant standards. Newspapers in Washington, New York and Boston ran stories about Mark Twain’s shocking white suit.
The enduring image of Mark Twain is a man in a white suit, with unruly white hair, a thick mustache and wild eyebrows. Our imaginations have retroactively dressed Twain in white for most of his career. He began wearing a white suit less than four years before his death.
The public unveiling of his new look is an iconic moment for this period in Twain’s life. He claimed that he wished never to dress in black again. He had painful memories of time spent in mourning clothes after the deaths of his infant son, his adult daughter and his wife. His white outfit symbolized innocence and irreverence, qualities Twain admired.
Shelden writes that Twain had one eye on posterity as he basked in the attention from his latest exploit. Twain was “intensely conscious of the spectacle, relishing the pleasures of the moment while also eagerly speculating on the afterglow of his legacy,” Shelden writes.
Shelden includes many quotations from Mark Twain throughout the book. This episode is introduced with Twain’s statement that “Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence in society.”
Shelden’s account is thoroughly documented. He connects the stories with the evidence without hindering the flow of the narrative. Readers learn about Twain’s mischievous friendship with millionaire Henry H. Rogers of Standard Oil. Shelden describes Twain’s trips to Bermuda, which Twain claimed added years to his life. Twain’s attention to his autobiography and numerous other writings intended for posthumous publication support Shelden’s theory that Twain remained busy promoting himself through life and was equally concerned with his career after death.
During this period Twain collected many young friends he called his angelfishes. Twain had a talent for listening, especially to children, and was able to relate to young people without being condescending. One member of his “aquarium” later said, “He never made us feel that he was an elderly man whose good manners included being kind to children. On the contrary, he seemed to be having such a genuinely good time himself that age differences were forgotten.”
Perhaps aided by his subject, Shelden has written a scholarly book full of humor and charm. It is a fresh look at a beloved American author.
• Michael Shelden will discuss and sign Mark Twain: Man in White at 7 p.m. Feb. 18 at Left Bank Books, 399 N. Euclid Ave. Call 367-6731 for more information.
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