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The Mark Twain House
& Museum Newsletter
Early February 2014

 Mark Twain said:

"The man with a new idea is a Crank until the idea succeeds." -Following the Equator

 

 

Dear Friends of the Mark Twain House,

 

You know we love new ideas at the Mark Twain House. In two weeks we'll introduce the launch of our newest idea:  The Big Book Getaway at Mohegan Sun on February 21 - 22.

 

What better way to beat the winter blues than to grab a fellow book-lover and come out to meet some of your favorite authors - in person! Dr. Ruth Westheimer, P.J. O'Rourke, and Debbie Macomber are the best-selling headliners of this unique event. We'll have more than 70 authors on site - even yours truly. And for all of you who expressed disappointment at not getting to meet Josh Hanagarne - The World's Strongest Librarian last summer - you will have your chance at the Big Book Getaway!

 

Yes, this is a new idea, and we're excited about it. Join us in this intimate setting where you can meet the authors, make new friends, and shake off the winter blues. I plan to be there for the entire event, and I hope you'll find me and say hello. Register for Friday night only, Saturday only, or both days at a discounted rate. This has the makings of a great getaway weekend!

 

So, won't you please call your literary pals and plan a winter escape that brings all of your favorite authors and genres under one roof? This is going to be a weekend to remember. 

 

I'll look for you there!

 

 

All best,

 

Cindy Lovell

Executive Director

 

MTH&M logo

A Literary Escape to Mohegan Sun, February 21-22

 

Escape to a fabulous resort, mingle with other book lovers and meet celebrated authors at the Big Book Getaway at the fabulous Mohegan Sun Resort on February 21-22, presented by The Mark Twain House & MuseumHear presentations by Debbie Macomber, Sarah Addison Allen, P.J. O'Rourke, Pete Hamill, Eloisa James, Charlotte Rogan, Jane Green, Kitty Pilgrim (of CNN), and even Dr. Ruth WestheimerEnjoy panel discussions on genres including romance, biography, military, fiction, theater, travel, cooking, memoir, spiritualism and history. Enjoy resort gaming, virtual travel, spa services, nightlife, shopping, and dining. Details are here.

 

Admission for the Friday night program is $45; the Saturday program is $65, so economize with a two-day $100 ticket. Go to the Big Book Club Getaway website www.thebigbookclub.org  to register, and to get expanded information on the program, the authors, the panels, special hotel arrangements and activities.

 

The Big Book Getaway is sponsored by The Day, Hallmark Channel, History Press, Essex Books, Reading Group Choices, LymeLine.com, ValleyNewsNow.com, CTHumanities, Dominion Diagnostics, and RJ Julia Booksellers.

 

 


TICKETS NOW ON SALE!

 

The Mark Twain House & Museum presents 
Dan Brown  (The Da Vinci Code, Inferno)

in conversation with John Dankosky at The Bushnell

 

On Saturday, June 7, the creator of The Da Vinci Code, Inferno and other adventures of the symbologist Robert Langdon, comes to The Bushnell  in a fundraiser for The Mark Twain House & MuseumIt's a rare on-stage appearance for Dan Brown, who will engage in conversation with WNPR radio personality John Dankosky, and a special opportunity for his many fans. 

 

Tickets range in price from $25 to $75.  There will be a limited number of $250 VIP tickets available that include a pre-event reception with a chance to meet and chat with Dan Brown; premium VIP orchestra seating locations at The Bushnell event; and a pre-signed copy of Inferno.

 

The Bushnell box office is at 860-987-5900, or click here to buy tickets online.



EARLY FEBRUARY EVENTS
(For full descriptions, click here.)

 

PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk Speaks

Tuesday, February 11, 7:00 p.m.

 

Mark Twain was an animal lover and was steadfastly against the vivisection of animals. The Mark Twain House & Museum welcomes passionate and controversial animal rights activist Ingrid Newkirk, author and the president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). She is best known for the animal rights awareness campaigns she organizes on behalf of PETA, which she cofounded in 1980.

 

$25; $20 for museum members. Call: (860) 280-3130 for more information & ticketing. Or, click here for tickets.

 

 

The Trouble Begins at 5:30! "Mark Twain and Scrapbooking" With Ellen Gruber Garvey

Wednesday, February 12, 5:00 p.m. reception; 

The Trouble Begins at 5:30 p.m.

 

Ellen Gruber Garvey, the author of "Writing with Scissors: American Scrapbooks from the Civil War to the Harlem Renaissance" tells how the proliferating cheap press touched the lives of activists, mourning parents, and all who yearned for a place in history, and how scrapbooks underlie our present-day ways of thinking about information, news, and what we do with it. Mark Twain was a lifelong creator and keeper of scrapbooks. In fact, in 1873 he invented and patented the "self-pasting" scrap book. It was the only one of Mark Twain's inventions to make money!

 

This is a Free Event!  Made possible by the generous support of First Niagara Foundation.  Additional support provided by Hot Tomato's Ristorante."

 

 

Social Media for Writers: A Workshop with Caitlin Thayer

Saturday, February 15, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

 

Writers should be naturals at using social media, right? Well, not necessarily. All writers are masters at their craft, but social media is a different kind of art. This workshop will explain how different social media platforms can help writers promote themselves and their work, and build a community around them. We'll discuss Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn and others. Bring your questions and your laptops!

 

$40. Call: (860) 280-3130 for more information & ticketing. Or, click here for tickets.

 

 

Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours

Friday, February 21, 6:00, 7:00, 8:00 & 9:00 p.m.

 

We reprise our popular Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours for spooky October. The Mark Twain House has been featured on Syfy Channel's Ghost Hunters and the Biography Channel's My Ghost Story.

On these tours participants will hear all these creepy tales -- and learn about Mark Twain's own interest in the supernatural.

 

Filled with haunted history, dark tales and Victorian traditions surrounding seances and spiritualism, these nighttime tours are as educational as they are goosebump-inducing.

 

They sell out fast, so be sure to make your reservations soon!

 

The tours are tsponsored by Tsunami Tsolutions.

 

Call: (860) 280-3130 for more information & ticketing. Or, click here for tickets.

 

 

 

 
 
 
Thank you to our new Members (since January 8)
 
Jane E. Ambrozaitis
Amy Brunelli
Jay & Nisreen Cain
Lynn Cullen
Mary Anne & William DeGrazia
Leila B. Dutton
Karla Harding
Elyssa Karanian
Lisandra B. Lassen
Leo Lynch
Jennifer Radaskie
Darrin & LeAnn Rees
Rhonda Walker 

Thank you to our Donors (since January 8)
 
Individual Donors
 
Nancy Banulski
Linda Biancalani
Douglas & Theresa Boains
Gregory & Nancy Butler
Keith A. & Sally S. Dobbins
Chloe & Wesley Horton
An-Ping & Sarah Hsieh
David R. Jimenez
Lynn L. Kayser
Alan Kreczko & Becky Latimer
Roger & Jane Loeb
Robert S. & Sarah C. Martin
Robert M. & Andrea Milstein
Paul F. & Linda Pendergast
David E.E. Sloane - In Honor of Victor Doyno & Michael Kiskis
Henry Steiner
Edward & Marge Storrs

(Make the most of your donation --be sure to ask your employer about Matching Gifts!) 



 
 
MARK TWAIN STORE FEATURED ITEM



It's cold outside, so enjoy this wonderful coffee!  It was
developed by The Friends of The Mark Twain House & Museum and produced by a local coffee maker, Omar.  It's a medium roast sure to please.

To purchase this coffee, visit our store or click here.


We rank as one of the
"Top 10 Historic Homes
in the
World" in
National Geographic's 
The Top 10 of Everything book! 


JOIN The Mark Twain House & Museum! 
  
Enjoy the special insider benefits of membership in The Mark Twain House & Museum. And there's the sheer joy of being part of the legacy of Mark Twain, whose wit and insight remain alive today in 2013 -- exactly 150 years after Sam Clemens took on his famous pen name and entered history. 

Make a DONATION Today!

Your donation to The Mark Twain House & Museum has a major impact on our ability to preserve this beautiful home, provide crucial educational programs for thousands of schoolchildren, offer mind-stimulating and spine-tingling events for adults, and welcome thousands of visitors each year.  
 
 ...and make your donation count double: Find out if your employer has a Matching Gift program.
 
Donate online, call 860-280-3112, or send your donation to: The Mark Twain House & Museum, Development Department, 351 Farmington Ave, Hartford, Connecticut 06105.
 
Join the FRIENDS
 
The Friends of The Mark Twain House & Museum offer wonderful speaking events, social gatherings, and fun volunteer opportunities. Pony up $30 and you'll get it all, too! 

 

It's the volunteer organization that has supported the museum for more than 50 years. To join, call Membership Co-Chairs Chuck Paydos, 860-242-4825, or Dee Peters, 860-233-4066. 

 


The Mark Twain House & Museum has restored the author's Hartford, Connecticut, home, where the author and his family lived from 1874 to 1891. Twain wrote his most important works there, including
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. In addition to providing tours of Twain's restored home, a National Historic Landmark, the institution offers activities and educational programs that illuminate Twain's literary legacy and provide information about his life and times. The house and museum at 351 Farmington Ave. are open Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and Sunday, noon-5:30 p.m. For more information, call 860-247-0998 or visit us online. Programs at The Mark Twain House & Museum are supported by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of the Arts, and the Greater Hartford Arts Council's United Arts Campaign.
David Cash
Mark Twain House & Museum