Mark Twain House

I’ve always been a sucker for literary sightseeing. Once, I walked for nearly 3 miles to get to one of Dostoyevsky’s many apartments in St. Petersburg. Another time, I spent a very long morning fighting a hangover while trying to track down Pablo Neruda’s house in Valparaiso, Chile. Both experiences left me blissful and blistered.

So why is it I’ve never visited the house of any American writer? I’ve seen a few of Frank Lloyd Wright’s homes, some Mies van der Rohe masterpieces, and even added a half day of driving to a road trip in order to catch a glimpse of the St. Louis arch. Maybe America brings out the architecture lover in me? Or maybe it’s because many Americans (me included) don’t inherently treasure the homes of writers. Maybe being an influential writer in America is more about the person than the place.

That is, unless you’re Mark Twain. Mark Twain’s house, where he wrote Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, gets more than 68,000 visitors a year and is definitely on my to do list now that I’m aware it exists. But it looks like if I don’t get there quickly, I might not get the chance.

Apparently, the Mark Twain House is in financial trouble.

But never fear. There’s a new generation of writers (and readers) who are coming to save the day. Jon Clinch, Tom Perrotta, Tasha Alexander, and 9 other authors are hosting a night of readings, signings, and a reception that just might save it.

It’s fitting, really, for literary figures to save this literary landmark. If we save the Mark Twain house, maybe our literary stop-offs will become more popular as U.S. tourist attractions. Maybe we’ll start appreciating the places where our people create their genius.

And if not that, at least we can attract some foreign visitors to appreciate our literary heroes. The Mark Twain House website has a link to view the site in Japanese. Maybe traveling IS the key to bringing out the literary sentiment in people…

Sarah