Columnists
I’ll never forget that 1988 call from Carol Piper Marshall, great granddaughter of John Piper, who gave us Piper’s Opera House… “McAvoy, I understand you’re portraying Mark Twain in the schools.” “Yes, Carol, I’m getting to see ten schools a week and loving it.” “Well, how
Columnists
In the merriest of experiments that we are calling, “Jimmy Buffett Meets Mark Twain on the Way to Heaven,” impressionist Darin Talbot and I are connecting dots between two of America’s most colorful characters. We decided to begin by selecting lyrics that might segue seamlessly, and just let time
Columnists
War was the problem solver of choice back when we settled our differences with battle axes, whereupon, with each and every advancement in weaponry, we got more wars. Even when disagreements between countries appeared to be solvable at the bargaining table, well, those disagreements oftentimes slipped off the bargaining table
Columnists
I wanna live on a houseboat with a dog, surrounded by lots of water and love. What could be more tranquil and ideal? I don’t know if statistics will bear me out, but I suspect nobody who has lived on a houseboat has ever started a fight with a
Columnists
Our small but powerful literary society, The Never Sweats, has a common bond, “Love of History and Love of Community,” and Mark Twain is our Patron Saint. So we are excited about the arrival of a splendiferous statue of Mark Twain on the 24th of July. There will be a
Columnists
I met Eglantine in 1964 aboard an ocean liner on my way to the Old World, we were both 21. Coincidentally we were also reading books of philosophy by Sarte, hers in French, mine in English, and her manner was so enchanting, well, I fell in love with her… At
Columnists
If there’s one kid I like the best here at The Lake of the Sky, it’s Darin Talbot, AKA Jimmy Buffett. Some adults are blessed by staying young, and that’s Darin. The fact that he is the spitting image of Jimmy Buffett, and can sing just like
Columnists
For 40 years I honored an imperative that every other book I picked up to read would be a non-Twain book. This little rule of mine kept me from going down the rabbit hole and not coming up. But now that I’m retired and contended in welcoming small
Columnists
There are powerful places here on Mother Earth that can attract and even create formidable interfaces. California produced gold, Nevada produced silver. California attracted Steinbeck, Nevada attracted Twain. And for Twain, his most powerful interface became the river, the raft and Jim. This powerful trio gave us Adventures of Huckleberry
Columnists
Dear celebrants of America 300, It saddens me that I cannot be there to honor this cordial occasion with you, but I have been called home, and will have to witness your grand arrival to pier 300 from afar, don’t ask me where… First, may I congratulate you on
Columnists
Only a moment ago, I was enjoying a jazz recording from some sixty years ago, when I noticed credit was given to the drummer, Buddy Rich, whom I idolized sixty years ago… A delicious memory came flooding back to my mind’s eye of a night out on the town,
Columnists
In the spring of 1803 President Thomas Jefferson was suffering buyer's remorse. He had just handed Napoleon 15 million dollars for Purchase of the Louisiana Territory that nobody knew anything about, including the president. So Jefferson asked Secretary of State, James Madison, "Jim, what exactly did we