The Kansas City Public Library celebrates the life and work of Mark Twain with Twain and His Times throughout February 2009. This program complements the Reading Missouri [6] initiative, encouraging patrons to read Missouri writers.
Dennis Okerstrom focuses on The Inner Side of Laughter: The Humor of Mark Twain on Tuesday, February 17, at 6:30 p.m. at the Central Library.
The continued appeal of Twain’s works owes in part to his still-lively sense of humor, according to some critics. That humor often carried a bitter tone, developed in reaction to tragic incidents in his life. A study of his literature and life reveals Twain as akin to a clown whose painted smile covers a morose visage.
Okerstrom is an English professor at Park University who specializes in American literature.
Admission is free. Click here [7] or call 816.701.3407 to RSVP. The Twain and His Times series will conclude in March 2009.
