Missouri’s Hannibal. Author Ron Chernow, who has written several biographies of famous Americans, discussed his most recent book, Mark Twain, on Sunday at the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum.
Chernow wrote the 2004 biography of Alexander Hamilton, which was nominated for the 2005 National Book Critics Circle Award in biography and went on to win the first-ever George Washington Book Prize for early American history. Playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda turned the book into the musical Hamilton in 2015. Many honors, including eleven Tony Awards, were later bestowed to the stage play.
In addition, Chernow’s 2010 book Washington: A Life earned him the 2011 American History Book Prize and the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Biography.
What made Chernow choose to take on Twain, then?
According to Chernow, Mark Twain was the most well-known figure in American literature, and his biography was perfect as it combined a remarkable degree of literary success with personal sorrow. It has every shade of light and shadow a biography could have.
Mark Twain is often regarded as the archetypal American. To my surprise, he scribbled, “I am not an American,” in his notepad. The American is me. That may sound a little cocky, but I believe it to be true. As I was writing this book, I couldn’t help but believe that Mark Twain encapsulated both the greatest and the worst aspects of our national character in a single life and person.
He also discussed Twain’s perspective on modern politics.
When someone said, “My country, right or wrong,” it made him go insane. Chernow stated that while we should always support our nation, we should only do so when our government is deserving. Regarding the press, he had some amazing things to say. He claimed that irreverence is the strongest defense of liberty.
Additionally, he cautioned us about the perils of excessive partisanship. He claimed that the Republicans would reject the multiplication table in the upcoming election if the Democrats included it in their program. That sounds familiar, doesn’t it? You know, I believe that he has continued to speak to us over the course of a century about a variety of topics that are still pertinent to modern-day America.
Since Hannibal was the final destination on a book tour that carried him to 15 towns throughout the United States, Chernow said the occasion felt quite poetic.
The event, held at the Mark Twain Museum Gallery at 120 North Main, drew over 100 attendees. Texas, Chicago, Kansas City, St. Louis, and the surrounding area were among the destinations for visitors. After addressing the audience for forty minutes, Chernow took questions. Richard Garey, a Mark Twain performer, introduced him, and Hannibal Mayor Darrell McCoy gave him the key to the city.
