Harriet Elinor Smith

Mark Twain's semi-autobiographical travel memoir, "Roughing It" was written between 1870-1871 and subsequently published in 1872. Billed as a prequel to "Innocents Abroad", in which Twain details his travels aboard a pleasure cruise through Europe and the Holy Land in 1867, "Roughing It" conversely documents Twain's early days in the old wild west between the years 1861-1867. Employing his characteristically humoristic wit and flare for regional dialect,...

Considered to be one of America's all-time brightest authors, Mark Twain has left his mark on the literary world. Authoring such gems as "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," Twain's insight on the ever-evolving and expanding America gave the world a better understanding on the social issues that plagued the country. Here in his own words, Twain chronicles his life and career, offering some perspectives on how his books were created.

"I've struck it!" Mark Twain wrote in a 1904 letter to a friend. "And I will give it away-to you. You will never know how much enjoyment you have lost until you get to dictating your autobiography." Thus, after dozens of false starts and hundreds of pages, Twain embarked on his "Final (and Right) Plan" for telling the story of his life. His innovative notion-to "talk only about the thing which interests you for the moment"-meant that his thoughts...