For a course in American literature that I took as part of my Creative Writing MFA, I encountered Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn for the first time. I was blown away by its power, its honesty, and its use of dialect to capture the personalities of the different characters. Since than I have been on a journey to learn more about Mark Twin.
I have visited his home in Hartford, Connecticult, several times, and was given a special tour that let me spend time in the billiard room where he did a lot of his writing.
Now I am going to use my Global Fellowship to visit other sites related to him, starting in Hannibal, Missouri, where he was born. I will go on to Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and ultimately California to get to know the places where he went from being an adventurer to becoming a writer. If my Global Fellowship grant holds out, I will try to go to Hawaii.
Link coming soon for Qais’ blog.