Twain of The Bay

According to John Miller in San Francisco Stories, Mark Twain came to San Francisco to escape the Civil War. Soon he was reporting on political corruption, fashion, and fog for the SF Chronicle, The Call, and the Golden Era newspapers. His writings examined questions of politics, society, and moral tensions. Twain’s often-misunderstood attitudes toward slavery, emancipation, and women’s rights, as well as the darkness within his famous humor, are explored. Robert Hirst of the Mark Twain Project re-introduces Twain’s life on the Bay and shares findings from recent research. Stanford’s Shelley Fisher Fishkin looks at Twain’s views on race and women. Robert Middlekauf considers Twain’s most notable interactions with Bay Area luminaries.