“‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ may be the great American novel and Mark Twain the great American novelist, but in his own lifetime—which ended exactly a hundred years ago today—Twain was read more widely as a travel writer,” writes Nathanial Rich, who looks at the roots of Twain’s fame. But Twain’s travel books “are much closer to anthologies than travel companions.”
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Twain’s Fame
Mark Twain was a great American novelist, but Nathanial Rich notes that in his own lifetime—which ended exactly a hundred years ago today—he was read more widely as a travel writer.
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April 2026
In this monthly issue, we examine how our understanding of energy — and how we source and use it — is evolving.
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