Mark Twain

An item at American Writers Museum

Mark Twain grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, on the banks of the Mississippi River. The town supplied the setting for his novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884). The prolific Twain wrote in a dazzling array of formats: journalism, travel writing, short stories, novels, essays, speeches, lectures, and even a play and a children's book.

A true original, Twain was among the first writers to use colloquial language, or everyday speech. He was a skilled humorist but also addressed serious subjects like slavery, which he viewed as an abomination. Indeed, as he matured, Twain's writing took on an increasingly critical view of his fellow Americans. At the same time, he was a beloved national and international celebrity.

AMERICAN VOICES

An exhibit at American Writers Museum

American writing is distinctive, diverse, and comes in many forms from across the nation. The 100 authors featured here represent the evolution of American writing. Learn more about each writer on the timeline by turning the panels below their portraits. Explore centuries of writing by pulling, turning, and touching the interactive elements on the counter.

This is not meant to be a list of the greatest or most influential writers. Instead, we present authors and works as part of the American story as it grows and changes. Taken together, this rich literary heritage reflects America in all of its complexity: its energy, hope, conflict, disillusionment, and creativity.

American Writers Museum