sins of omission

buna
by buna
05-Oct-2010
 

while i was looking through the iranian.com calendar of events, i saw that perhaps the most important date in american literary history was missing. although mark twain wasnt iranian, he is well liked in iran, and he was a very progressive man in his time, and perhaps the greatest american writer and thinker. november first, 2010 marks the 100th year anniversary of his death! on his death bed he dictated a rambling 15 volume autobiography with the stipulation that it would not be published until 100 years after his death. berkeley press has the rights and volume one will come out in berkeley this november 1st. what could be in that book that he wanted kept secret for 100 years.

AND what a lie that there is no censorship in the USA! its censorship by omission. no one that ive talked to here knows anything about mark twain's autobiography, while one would think that it should be the talk of the town. i guess that in this land of excess and waste, dancing with the stars and monday night football take priority.

Balatarin
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Hoshang Targol

Thanks Buna, for an important reminder

by Hoshang Targol on Thu Oct 07, 2010 12:01 PM PDT

Samuel Langhorn Clemens aka Mark Twain born June 18, 1803, death October 27, 1890.

We have a great Persian translation of "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," by Ebrahim Golestan. I'll never forget my hard cover copy of that book , all those years ago,... many of his works have been translated to Persian.

And yes, he is one of the most progressive Amercian writers ever. Late in his life he wrote a book condemning the action of the king of Belgium in Congo. He basically took an anti-imperialist stance and actually used the "I" word. So you could imagine the kind of attacks he got, they called him every single name in the book, because he had the guts to condemn European intervention and genocide in Africa. Truly a great man.

He has a short story called " political-economy," (1870) I always use that as an introduction to my political-economy classes, highly recommended.


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Cost-of-Progress

As a kid

by Cost-of-Progress on Thu Oct 07, 2010 07:43 AM PDT

reading Twains Huck-Fin adventurtes was a treat. He is a remarkable writer, I agree.

As for censorship, it does exist in the US, but it is different.  However, to compare censorship in the US and the so called "developing " countries is a disservice to everyone who can challenge the status quo in the largely free press of the west.

But hey, you're right, with Baseball, America's Got Talent and Football games as the main topic of discussion and interest, who's got time to read and ponder. ay?

Cheers!

____________

IRAN FIRST

____________


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Azarin Sadegh

I think you've missed the date by a few months!

by Azarin Sadegh on Wed Oct 06, 2010 09:33 PM PDT

The Americans have already celebrated his 100th anniversary a few months ago...since Twain death was on April 21, 1910.

//www.twain2010.org/ 

//www.randomhouse.biz/international/PDFs/marktwain.pdf

//www.theworld.org/2010/04/16/world-books-podcast-100th-anniversary-of-the-death-of-mark-twain/

//www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2010/04/18/death-mark-twain-reaches-its-100-year-anniversary/

etc....the list goes on forever!

But it is also true that there are still banned books in America! You won't believe that this year Anne Frank's Diary has been banned in some mid-west school district because of some sexual content!!!

PEN USA just celebrated the freedom to read through its Banned Books week! 

 


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Rea

Do you know Buna is a river in Bosnia ?

by Rea on Wed Oct 06, 2010 07:38 AM PDT

//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thum...

We all learn as we go. About M. Twain or the Buna, regardless.  ;o) 


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Souri

Thanks Buna

by Souri on Wed Oct 06, 2010 07:08 AM PDT

That was a good (and a bad) news. I love Mark Twain. It will be interesting to read his last work!! Below are two blogs of his quotes, I'd posted here in 2008:

 //iranian.com/main/blog/souri/mark-twains-quotes-1

//iranian.com/main/blog/souri/mark-twain-quotes-2


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Anonymouse

I did not know that! That's not a fools joke in E.Europe is it?!

by Anonymouse on Wed Oct 06, 2010 07:00 AM PDT

I mean 15 volumes? How long was he on his death bed?

Who "wrote" it?  Considering the writer probably used an ink pen to write what Mark Twain told him and had to ink his pen every other sentence, that'd take a long time to write.

How many pages in each volume? 

Everything is sacred


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Mehrban

I just started reading

by Mehrban on Tue Oct 05, 2010 06:51 PM PDT

the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a little late and also out of sequence (I have not read Tom Sawyer).  Adventures of Huck finn is a marvel so far.   buna jaan I had no idea it was 100th anniversary of Twain's passing, what a coincidence for me.  

Anyway, if I may continue my oohing and awing, I have to say that this guy Huck makes me think that he has the same spirit that America was built with and how different from us, completely unburdened and uninhibited by tradition.   

Thanks for letting us know about Twain's autobiography coming out soon,  I will look for it.  All the best to you.

Ps.  I did not miss your main point, it is really too bad.  


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