Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-08-09
MARK TWAIN ON INTERVIEWS.
He Thinks Most of Them Absurdities and
Tells why lie Thinks So.

He Thinks Most of Them Absurdities and
Tells why lie Thinks so.
Mark Twain writes to a correspondent who
wanted to interview him:
No. not is like most interviews pure
twaddle and valueless
For several quite plain and simple reasons
an Interview" must rs a rule, be All alb
suB'lity And chiefly for this reason: 1t is an
attempt to use boat on land, or a wagon on
water. to speak figuratively Spoken speech
is one thing, written speech is another. Print
is proper vehicle for the latter, but it isn't
for the former The moment talk" is put
into print YOU recognise that it is not
what it was when you heard it. you
perceive that an immense something has dis
appeared from it That is its soul. You have
nothing but a dead carcass left on your
hands Color. play of feature, the varying
moduations Of voice, the laugh, the smile,
the informing infections, everything that
gave body warmth, grace, frendliness and
charm, and commended it to your affection.
or at least to your tolerance is gone. and
nothing is left but a pallid, stiff and repul
sive cadavcr.
Such is talk" almost invariably. as you see
it lying in state in an interview The in
terviewer seldom tries to tell one how thing
said, he merely puts in the naked remark
and stops there. When writes for print
his methods are very different He follows
forms which have but little resemblance to
conversaticu but they make the reader under
stand what the writer is trying 10 convey.
And when the writer is making a story, and
finds it necessary to report some of the talk
of his characters observe how cautiously and
anxiously he goes at that risky. and difficult
thing
IF he had dared to say that thing in my
presence, said Alfred, taking a mock heroic
attitude and casting an arch glance upon the
company, blood would have flowed If he
had dared to say that thing in my presence"
said Hardwood, with that in his eye which
caused more than one heart in that guilty as
semblage to quake, blood would have
flowed If he had dared to say that thing
in my presence" said the paltry blusterer,
with valor on his tongue and palor on his
lips, blood would have flowed"
So painfully aware Is the novelist that
naked talk in print conveys no meaning that
he loads and often overloads almost every
utterance Of his characters with explana-
tons and Interpretations 1t is loud con-
fession that print is poor vehicle for talk"
it is n recognition that uninterrupted talk in
print would result in confusion to the reader,
not instruction.
Now, in your interview you have certainly
been most accurate, you have set down the
sentences uttered as | sail them But you
have not a word Of explanation, what my
manner was at several pointsis not indicated
Therefore, no reader can possibly know
where was in earnest and where | was jok-
ing; or whether was joking altogether or
in earnest altogether Such a report Of a
conversation has no value 1t can convey
many meanings to the reader. but never the
right one
To add Interpretations which would convey
the right meanings is n something which
would require-what, An art 50 high and
fine and difficult that no E'ossessor Of 1t would
ever be allowed to waste it on interviews.
No, spare the reader ami spare me; leave
the whole interview out; it is rubbish |
wouldn't talk in my sleep il couldn't talk
better than that.
If you wish to print anything print this
letter: it may have some value, for it may
explain to u reader here and there why it is
that in interviews as a rule men seem to talk
like anybody but themselves.