The Modern Scholar: The Life and Times of Mark Twain

Professor of English at Indiana State University and the author of the literary biography Mark Twain: Man in White, Michael Shelden is the perfect candidate to lead this series of lectures on one of the most important - and most influential - of all American authors. From Twain's early history through his landmark achievements and the defining moments of his extraordinary life, Shelden imparts a learned understanding of both the man and his astounding body of work.

Course Syllabus

Lecture 1 The Boy and the Wilderness, 1835-1853

Lecture 2 Mastering the River, 1857-1861

Lecture 3 Becoming Mark Twain, 1861-1866

Lecture 4 A Literary Bonanza, 1867-1869

Lecture 5 The Gilded Age, 1869-1875

Lecture 6 The Poet of Childhood, 1876-1880

Lecture 7 Family Man, 1880-1883

Lecture 8 A River Runs Through It, 1884-1885

Lecture 9 The Wizard of Hartford, 1886-1890

Lecture 10 Going for Broke, 1891-1895

Lecture 11 Death and the Maiden, 1896-1899

Lecture 12 The Most Famous Man in America, 1900-1905

Lecture 13 Man in White, 1906-1907

Lecture 14 The Grand Farewell, 1908-1910

Professor Michael Shelden
Indiana State University