Tag Archives: Mark Twain

2016 Kansas City Worldcon: Academics and Wonderment

Posted on January 1, 2016 by nathanielwms

I’m one of the organizers for the academic track at MidAmeriCon II, the World Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention in my hometown of Kansas City, MO, in 2016. We’re looking for many types of presentations, particularly ones that will appeal to Worldcon’s broad range of attendees … Continue reading →

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At Work with Twain, Millar, Vowell, and more

Posted on November 29, 2015 by nathanielwms

It’s been a busy November, so I’m giving a few updates about my writing.  Stuff I’ve done rather than write blog entries here: Finishing an entry on “science and technology” for a Mark Twain-themed encyclopedia called All Things Twain. Participating in … Continue reading →

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Steampunk Images from Hannibal

Posted on October 10, 2015 by nathanielwms

Just posting some photos from the Big River Steampunk Festival in Hannibal, MO.  My parents went up there over Labor Day weekend and snapped these. As I said in an earlier post, it’s nice to see one of America’s best … Continue reading →

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Doctor Who’s Connecticut Yankee References: Season 9, Episode 1

Posted on September 26, 2015 by nathanielwms

My UC Davis class on Mark Twain’s technocratic writing ended the weekend before the Season 9 premiere of Doctor Who.  I re-read A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court just weeks prior, not knowing that writer/producer Steven Moffat, actor Peter Capaldi, … Continue reading →

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Mark Twain’s Town Discovers Steampunk

Posted on August 10, 2015 by nathanielwms

I recently returned from a Mark Twain conference in Hannibal, MO, and I noticed a change in Twain’s hometown since the last time I was there in 2011. There’s a lot more steampunk stuff. The town is already a tourist destination, … Continue reading →

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Mark Twain “Travel and Technocracy” Class at UC Davis

Posted on May 4, 2015 by nathanielwms

The course announcement for my UC Davis “Studies in an Individual Author” class on Mark Twain went live a few weeks ago.  I’m posting the link and a screen clip here. We’re focusing on travel and technocracy, especially stories where … Continue reading →

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Vote for Kansas City in 2016 at Worldcon

Posted on July 30, 2014 by nathanielwms

If you or someone you know is heading to the World Science Fiction Convention in London in 15 days (Aug 14-18), I encourage you to support Kansas City’s bid to host the 2016 Worldcon.  They’ve done a splendid job of planning. … Continue reading →

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Jack Wright in D.C., Twain and Faulkner at ALA

Posted on May 22, 2014 by nathanielwms

I spent most of Wednesday reading two Jack Wright dime novels at the Library of Congress.  Both are great examples of proto-science fiction that imagines inventors making a difference in real-world affairs. In “Running the Blockade; or, Jack Wright Helping the Cuban … Continue reading →

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Secret Origins: Mark Twain, Profanity, and Science Fiction

Posted on July 25, 2013 by nathanielwms

Yesterday, I posted the following Mark Twain quote on Facebook: “Profanity is more necessary to me than is immunity from colds.” I came across the actual letter where Twain scribbled this comment earlier this week using the awesome online archive … Continue reading →

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Final Exam Questions: Steampunk, Nostalgia, SF Novels

Posted on June 12, 2013 by nathanielwms

Because it’s finals week at UC Davis, I thought I’d go ahead and publicly post the final exam questions from last quarter’s novels class on nostalgia and desiderium.  Here’s a taste of the questions I asked.  Students could write about … Continue reading →

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A Kansas City Labrick in California, Part 3

Posted on February 27, 2013 by nathanielwms

It has been brought to my attention that the term “Kansas City Labrick” may in fact be a geo-social redundancy, akin to “pushy New Yorker” or “dumbass Texan”*. *Any offended Texans, please note that the last one comes directly from … Continue reading →

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A Kansas City Labrick in California, Part 2 (Sci-Fi edition)

Posted on January 18, 2013 by nathanielwms

Two days after teaching Tom Sawyer (see Part 1), I find myself writing a grant proposal to visit libraries with Twain collections.  So, I’m thinking about him in the scope of my research, not just as a fan or a … Continue reading →

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A Kansas City Labrick in California*

Posted on January 15, 2013 by nathanielwms

I’m teaching The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in my Topics in the Novel: Nostalgia/Desiderium class today. Rather than wax on Twain’s approach to nostalgia, I want to wax on my nostalgia for Twain—or lack thereof. See, I grew up in … Continue reading →

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