Hero and Me Brian A. Crandall

In this second installment of Mark and Me, Leigh explores "a particular brand of loophole-wriggling American ingenuity" that Mark Twain personifies in his writing. It doesn't matter whether you are talking about the words of Tom, Huck, or even Twain himself in his travel diaries. There is something we all admire about a good ole trickster. But when does pulling someone's leg go from being cute to just plain cruel. Mark Twain certainly pushed the limits. Leigh introspects, "Should I feel guilty about stealing my history teacher's treasured stuffed Loch Ness monster doll named Shougal MacDougal?" Perhaps we'll scratch more than the surface of Leigh's guilty admiration of rascality in Out of Depth.

Most famous literature is wordy and hard to understand. Luckily, Mark Twain isn’t just any author, he’s the great American storyteller. Twain was first and foremost a conversationalist. What can we learn from Twain’s canny sense of humor, and why don’t more people write like they talk?

Leigh Cooper, co-creator of Do Stuff (YouTube Channel), revisits a poorly written college paper, an epic boxing match between two of America’s most prominent writers, and a best friend who doesn’t pull any punches, all in the name of telling it like it is.

The Alamo symbolizes the process through which people and cultures of various backgrounds are Americanized. I hope this episode will recall fond memories, but also reexamine how individuals for better or for worse are enculturated and indoctrinated. Neither of these words are bad in and of themselves--but indeed worth examining.

If you've ever become disillusioned with you childhood hero, you know what that feeling of disappointment is like. It's horrible. Brian A. Crandall ponders whether we need to reconsider our standards for role models in this less than perfect world.