Mark Twain: The First Stand-up Comic
My dream self meets a legend
“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” — Mark Twain
Oddly, I awoke this morning all excited. I dreamt I had met Mark Twain. This is what I remember of the encounter.
Surroundings: A men’s club with dark polished wood furnishings, and ships framed on the wall. Across from me was a man with a bushy mustache, in a white suit sipping from a high ball glass, smiling at me with a glint in his eyes.
Me: Hello, you look a bit like Mark Twain — umm — sorry Samuel Clemens.
M.T.: Well, that’s two of my names. I went by “Josh” in some of my sketches until 1863. Get it — “Josh”. (laughing at his own joke)
Me: Yes, that’s very clever — a humorist named Josh. I get it. No dim wit here. Good to meet you …
M.T: For a while I went by Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass — I like that one too. Sounds important and yet a bit silly. It’s the juxtaposition you see.
Me: Yes, I know what that means. But how did you finally decide on Mark Twain for your pen name?
M.T.: Well, I began lampooning and generally calling people out on their mistaken ideas and wanted to separate my real life from association with that. The name comes from my…
