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The Mark Twain House and Museum Newsletter - July 24, 2024

Arts and Entertainment

August 2, 2024

From: The Mark Twain House and Museum

Just Announced

Thursday, September 5 at 7pm ET - Richard Deming on THIS EXQUISITE LONELINESS: What Loners, Outcasts, and the Misunderstood Can Teach Us About Creativity with Alex Dueben (In-Person) 

In his Exquisite Loneliness, Richard Deming turns an eye toward that unwelcome feeling of loneliness, both in his own experiences and the lives of six groundbreaking figures, to find the context of it and to see what some people have done to navigate this profound sense of discomfort. Deming explores how loneliness has served as fuel for an intense creative desire that has forged some of the most original and innovative art and writing of the twentieth century. This singular meditation on loneliness reveals how we might transform the pain of emotional isolation and become more connected to others and more at home with our often unquiet selves. 

In-Person Event. Choose your own price for non-members. Free for MTH&M and community members. LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE.

Copies of This Exquisite Loneliness are available for purchase through the Mark Twain Store; proceeds benefit The Mark Twain House & Museum. Books will be shipped after the event.

We're Only 23% Away from Our Goal!

Thanks to a generous donor recently making a gift of $500, we've reached 77% of the cost to conserve and restore the following items:

- Six original woven cord and leather pockets of a Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company billiard table. The table was a gift to Mark Twain from Standard Oil magnate Henry Rogers and his wife. There are a number of photographs of Twain playing on the table.

- A tooled leather travel trunk with a canvas and leather cover that is stamped S.L. Clemens (for Samuel Langhorne Clemens) and that still bears many travel labels, including ones from Paris and New York.

We only need to raise $3,372 to ensure work is completed and get these historic Twain artifacts back home where they belong. We hope you will consider a generous gift. Thank you!

Make a Gift

A Special Tour for Kids

What was it like to learn, play, and grow up in the The Gilded Age?

In this special hour-long interactive tour, young visitors explore the everyday lives of the Clemens daughters—the books, games, and songs they loved, the subjects they studied, and the people they interacted with. Led by an experienced guide, this inquiry-based tour invites children to think about the ways that childhood and family life in the Gilded Age were similar and different to their own.

This tour is best suited to children ages 4-10. In order to best serve our youngest visitors and fully explore the experience of childhood in the Clemens home, this tour does not include the third floor of the house.

All children must be accompanied by an adult. GROWING UP IN THE GILDED AGE tours are offered daily at 10:45am throughout the summer. To make a reserveration, CLICK HERE.

Guests participating in the Museums for All program with SNAP EBT cards are eligible to participate in this tour (subject to space availability).

Pet Food & Supplies Donation Drive

It's Jean Clemens' birth month and we can't think of a more fitting way to honor her birthday than to host a Pet Food/Supplies Donation Drive. Jean was an animal lover and advocate her entire life, as well as a huge supporter of the Humane Society. Throughout the month of July, The Mark Twain House & Museum will be accepting donations of pet food and supplies that will be given to the Connecticut Humane Society. A copy of their wish list can be FOUND HEREPlease check the list before donating items to ensure they will be put to good use.

Stop by our lobby during normal business hours to drop off your donations. As a thank-you, you will receive a 10% discount coupon to be used in our museum store. We are happy to continue Jean’s legacy of caring for nature and animals!

From the Store

Elevate your style with this distinctive and fun accessory, the Vintage Red Typewriter Crossbody Bag!

- Material: Premium quality vinyl
- Design: Features a unique vintage typewriter pattern
- Closure: Secure zippered main closure
- Interior: Fabric-lined for added durability and style
- Exterior: Includes a convenient slip pocket for easy access
- Straps: Comes with adjustable and detachable straps for versatile carrying options
- Dimensions: Measures approximately 6" in length, 2" in width, and 8" in height

$39.95 each, plus shipping. ORDER ONLINE or stop in the store!

Come Visit!

Plan your visit to the Clemens Family's National Historic Landmark home in Hartford! Listed by Forbes as the Best Historic House in the United States and selected as one of the Ten Best Historic Homes in the World in National Geographic's The Ten Best of Everything.

Book Your Visit

Upcoming Events

V = Virtual Event; IP = In-Person Event

July 27 - Get a CLUE Murder-Mystery Tours featuring Sea Tea Improv (IP)

August 1 - The Puerto Rican War: A Graphic History with John Vasquez Mejias (IP)

August 25 - Writing in Mark Twain's Library (IP) - SOLD OUT

August 31 - Get a CLUE Murder-Mystery Tours featuring Sea Tea Improv (IP)

September 5 - Richard Deming on THIS EXQUISITE LONELINESS: What Loners, Outcasts, and the Misunderstood Can Teach Us About Creativity (IP)

Starts September 27 - Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours of The Mark Twain House (IP)

November 1 - The Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Celebration (IP)

More to be announced soon!

To see all event information and registration, CLICK HERE.

To preorder books for our upcoming events, CLICK HERE. Signed books will be mailed after the event. Please note that we cannot ship outside of the U.S. at this time.

Your donation to The Mark Twain House & Museum helps us meet our mission to preserve the home and legacy of Mark Twain. Thank you for your generosity!

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