Talk:Mark Twain/Archive 2

message: There is little or no information about Mark Twain's childhood or marriage or education or death in this article! From my sources, he had primary eduction, up to 5th grade and had married with Olivia Langdon and had three daughters, Clara, Jean, and Susy.  --201.27.60.228 01:21, 5 October 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Missing Information 

message: I seem to recall an urban myth that Twain was so well known, that someone wrote a letter, addressed as "To Mark Twain, God knows where he is". The US Mail was able to deliver this letter, and Twain replied with "God knew". Or something like that. Errabee 00:16, 3 October 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Might be significant for the USPS but probably not for Mark Twain. Lincoln187 09:28, 20 November 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Urban myth

message: The article asserts that Twain explained his pen name as referring to "twine", or string, used in sounding the depth of the river.  Twain himself invariably writes "twain" not "twine", and gives the riverboatman's cry as "mark twain" or, more fully, "by the mark twain".  This has nothing to do with the word "twine", or with a "twisting" of it to "twaine", and everything to do with the fact that "twain" meant "two" (see the Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. twain).  "By the mark twain" meant "according to the mark [on the line], [the depth is] two fathoms".  This is stated by Clemens in a footnote to Chapter 8 ("Perplexing Lessons") of _Life on the Mississippi_ where he glosses "mark twain" as "two fathoms" and goes on to say "Mark three is three fathoms".  
The writer of this article has made two mistakes: misunderstanding the word "twain", and attributing that misunderstanding to Clemens.
66.90.229.42 03:04, 5 October 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Thanks! Excellent comment. I've updated the article, verbatim in parts, with your note. Please feel free to edit and adjust as needed. -- Stbalbach 13:01, 5 October 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Pen name Mark Twain wrongly explained 

message: In the bibliography section this work is noted as unpublished until 2001.  Actual, a 16 copy limited edition was published in 1945 as a test of copyright status.  Of these 16 copies, 12 are in museums or libraries, 2 have disappeared, and 2 are in private libries (one of which is mine).  The 1945 publication is noted in the introduction of the 2001 edition.
Since this article is locked, I as that someone else correct th bibliography.
Bob Nelson - 9 October 2006
:updated as requested. I'm jealous!--Paul 02:25, 10 October 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  A Murder, A Mystery, and A Marriage 

message: I've started an approach that may apply to Wikipedia's Core Biography articles: creating a branching list page based on in popular culture information.  I started that last year while I raised Joan of Arc to featured article when I created Cultural depictions of Joan of Arc, which has become a featured list.  Recently I also created Cultural depictions of Alexander the Great out of material that had been deleted from the biography article.  Since cultural references sometimes get deleted without discussion, I'd like to suggest this approach as a model for the editors here.  Regards, Durova 16:29, 17 October 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: This has just been started from material that keeps being deleted from this entry: Mark Twain in popular culture (Emperor 16:42, 17 October 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Thanks, I'll post there.  Cheers, Durova 18:45, 18 October 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  [[Mark Twain in popular culture|Cultural depictions of Mark Twain]] 

message: Twain helped craft an "American identity," a uniquely American perspective on the world. In his travels, he had the audacity and skill to compare ancient cultures against American norms in a way that promoted and helped define a pride and self-confidence in American culture.
His (mis)use of English celebrated unelevated, colloquial language in ways that also helped to define an America that all Americans could appreciate, idealize and adore.
dpotter 03:04, 24 October 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Twain and the American identity 

message: Twain was known for his opposition to Christian Science which was sort of the Scientology of its day.
I know someone who might write the section.  He knows the topic really well.  Will ask. Keith Henson 18:53, 30 October 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Christian Science? 

message: I added a brief paragraph on the death of Samuel Clemens under the biography header with some notes on its impact, quoting President Taft. Cited the source. Jeremy Bright 20:29, 31 October 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Death of Mark Twain 

message: The phrase "They tried to have more kids but only had daughters" sounds like girls aren't quite children (or they were trying for young goats:)).  I've tried rephrasing it.
-Andrew
Im not sure who removed the Luke Skywalker thing.  Likely some uptight person.  Honestly, after sitting at my desk all day long, I saw that, and I Dont think I have laughed that hard in months.  Thanks to whoever changed it to Luke Skywalker, for brightening up an otherwise crummy 
im not quite sure calling somebody uptight is appropriate 169.244.42.254 17:46, 8 January 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Twain's children 

message: It's marked for cleanup, and for good reason.  It has a good amount of information but lacks organization.  Ideas for how to reorganize it and subsequently pick sections to expand?  My immediate impulse is that his literary career deserves a section apart from his scientific interests and political views. Everyday847 04:14, 18 November 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Career Overview section 

message: In WP:MoS it says that blockquote is preferred over the use of cquote, at least in any FARC. Additionally, as noted, cquote looks silly and cartoonish. That said, I am not going to revert the changes myself. --Bill W. Smith, Jr. 18:53, 18 November 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Blockquote vs. CQuote 

message: the external link should be a reference, not just in the middle of the text.  that's what refs are for.  it's still there. raining girl 23:11, 18 November 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Legacy

message: Photograph should be public domain and usable on Wiki
http://etext.virginia.edu/twain/twain84.jpg
http://etext.virginia.edu/twain/huckfinn.html —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 68.207.206.69 (talk) 03:31, 25 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Excellant Photograph of a Young Mark Twain 

message: If nothing available, then remove that category --128.214.205.4 10:45, 27 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Sources for vegetarianism?

message: Is He Dead?
Evaunit666 01:01, 2 January 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  new book 

message: did he grow up in missouri?
169.244.42.254 17:40, 8 January 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Ssmuel Langhorne Clemens  

message: I think the Taft quote is crass and timeserving. Is there something better?  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.124.170.103 (talk) 23:29, 28 December 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Taft Quote

message: In the article he talks highly of coloured men, black, asian - bet when it comes to natives he's aggressive. Anything effect him that would make him baised?
-G  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.230.81.124 (talk) 23:22, 8 September 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Did Twain have a bad run in with Native Americans?

message: In the passage on pacifism, it states that an article of his was republished for Vietnam War soldiers in "1923."  This should clearly be 1973.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.81.111.134 (talk) 22:16, 28 March 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Misc. 

message: So, it is not surprising to find no mention of Twain's traovil and stay in (and love for) India in the article. He was probably the biggest Indophile who ever lived, Albert Einstein and Will Durant included. I seem to remember he clearly mentioned his stay in Bombay ("the mere glimpse of Indian life") as one of the most rewarding experiences of his life in Following the Equator.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.141.43.113 (talk) 18:50, 29 October 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Travel and stay in India 

message: I saw on the History Channel's expose on Mississippi that Sam Clemens was a river boat captain on the Mississippi River and that when you measure the river's depth, it was called twaining.  And marking twain is when you note the river's depth or number of fathoms.  Not sure how to cite this, hoping someone else could, ha.  69.37.166.38 17:50, 26 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Actually since he stated the origin in other than just his autobiography, the cites do meet WP standards.  Thus it is found in secondary references. A person editing his or her own article does not have that as a claim.  Collect (talk) 15:25, 26 January 2009 (UTC)

text: I would note that a list of all pen names would be worthy encyclopedic content.  Pen name lists "Sieur Louis de Conte", but it doesn't appear here, where one would expect a thorough catalog. ENeville (talk) 18:15, 16 August 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Pen Name Origin