"In Mark Twain, a Literary Life, Everett Emerson, author of The Authentic Mark Twain, revisits one of America's greatest and most popular writers. Building upon that earlier work, he explores the relationship between the life of the writer and his writings. The assumption throughout is that to see Mark Twain's writings in focus, one must give proper attention to their biographical context." "In reporting the author's life, Emerson has endeavored to permit Mark Twain to tell his own story as much as possible, through the use of letters and autobiographical writings, some previously unpublished. These glimpses into the life of the writer will be of interest to all who have an abiding affection for Samuel Clemens and his extraordinary legacy."--BOOK JACKET.