On this edition of Ron’s Amazing Stories the blog we look at Mark Twain Who was he? Why Was he? We will attempt to fill your brains with knowledge. How will we do it? Let’s play, True or False with Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain).

Q1 – Let’s Start with a Mark Twain Truth

TRUE – Mark Twain, was an American writer, entrepreneur, publisher and lecturer. Among his novels are The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885). The latter is often referred to as “The Great American Novel“.

Q2 – Mark Twain was a riverboat pilot?

TRUE – He served on many boats navigating the Mississippi River. He did this until he got the call to join his brother Orion in Nevada and the newspaper business.

Q3 – He wrote the story, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, while working the rivers of the Mississippi?

FALSE – In 1865, his humorous story, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County“, was published, based on a story he heard at Angels Hotel in Angels Camp, California, where he had spent some time as a miner. The short story brought international attention and was even translated into classic Greek. His wit and satire, in prose and in speech, earned praise from critics and peers.

Q4 – Mark Twain was a very rich man?

FALSE – Though Twain earned a great deal of money from his writings and lectures, he invested in ventures that lost a great deal of money, notably the Paige Compositor, a mechanical typesetter, which failed because of its complexity and imprecision. In the wake of these financial setbacks, he filed for protection from his creditors via bankruptcy, and with the help of Henry Huttleston Rogers eventually overcame his financial troubles.

Q5 – Mark Twain predicted his own death?

TRUE – Twain was born shortly after a visit by Halley’s Comet, and he died the day after the comet returned, which was April 21, 1910.

I came in with Halley’s Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it. It will be the greatest disappointment of my life if I don’t go out with Halley’s Comet. – Mark Twain

He was lauded as the “greatest American humorist of his age”, and William Faulkner called Twain “the father of American literature”. No matter how you view him, he was one of America’s greatest treasures and his words are still around today.

I leave you with this famous quote: Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter – Mark Twain

This Week’s Podcast:

This week’s show is a jam packed. We open with a woman who can’t button a suit, ride with Marshall Dillon on stagecoach loaded with criminals and end with learning a thing or two about sleeping in your own bed. You can listen to this podcast this Thursday at Ron’s Amazing Stories, download it from iTunes, stream it on TuneIn Radio or listen on your radio Friday night at 8pm Eastern time. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link.