Twain Dreams

Angus

A slightly irreverent look at Mark Twain, his writing, the times he lived in, and the birth of industrialization and mass culture.

Episodes

  1. 23h ago

    Episode 5: A Reading Twainbow

    Print media. What was it? How was it made? What could it be used for, besides wrapping presents? Were the people who engaged with it in any manner big old nerds who were regularly given wet willies by the jocks of the day? We answer these and more questions as we follow a young Samuel Langhorne Clemens through his time as a printer's apprentice. It was grueling work – mind-numbingly and finger-losingly repetitive – but some of those who mastered it, like Sam, would have an outsized role in shaping American culture for the next fifty-something years. Also, we shame Ryan Fitzpatrick for his sloth and indolence. Sources: Autobiography of Mark Twain Parts 1-2, published 1924 (compiled by Alfred Bigelow Paine) Mark Twain Project Online (https://www.marktwainproject.org) Mark Twain: A Biography by Alfred Bigelow Paine, published 1912 Inventing Mark Twain by Andrew Hoffman, published 1997 American Colossus: The Triumph of American Capital 1865-1900, by H.W. Brands, published 2010 The International Printing Museum's YouTube channel! Seriously these guys are the best, check them out (https://www.youtube.com/@InternationalPrintingMuseum) The Library of Congress Newspaper Archives (https://loc.gov)

  2. Oct 6

    Episode 4: Back to School Starring Rodney Twaingerfield

    This week, we're going to school! But not real school, because this podcast is not an accredited educational institution (yet). Young Samuel Clemens wouldn't care though, because he thought school was for losers. Instead, we travel the mean streets of Hannibal, Missouruh and find out what the future Mark Twain learned from his parents and neighbors about class, race, morality, rebellion, and independence. I really wanted to call this episode Twained By The Bell but "saved" and "Twain" don't sound that much alike and if I don't keep myself honest, then who will? Autobiography of Mark Twain Parts 1-2, published 1924 (compiled by Alfred Bigelow Paine) Mark Twain Project Online (https://www.marktwainproject.org) Mark Twain: A Biography by Alfred Bigelow Paine, published 1912 Inventing Mark Twain by Andrew Hoffman, published 1997 Mark Twain in Eruption, published 1940 (compiled by Bernard DeVoto) Hannibal, Missouri Tourism Website https://visithannibal.com/ The Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum https://marktwainmuseum.org/

  3. Sep 22

    Episode 3: What Ever Happened To Baby Twain?

    Good news! After getting rid of Mark Twain in Episode 1, we've brought him back to life via the power of podcast magic. But bad news too: he's just a little baby, incapable of doing much besides sucking his thumb and crying. So instead, we zoom out and look at the political and economic world of the early-to-mid 1800s. Then we focus on two particular incidents that affected lil' Twain: his family's flight from Florida, Missouri in the aftermath of the Panic of 1837, and his parents' systemic cruelty to the enslaved woman he viewed as part of his family. Then I babble about Silicon Valley (the place, not the TV show) for a few seconds and the episode ends. Sources: Autobiography of Mark Twain Parts 1-2, published 1924 (compiled by Alfred Bigelow Paine) Mark Twain Project Online (https://www.marktwainproject.org) Mark Twain: A Biography by Alfred Bigelow Paine, published 1912 Inventing Mark Twain by Andrew Hoffman, published 1997 American Colossus: The Triumph of American Capital 1865-1900, by H.W. Brands, published 2010 How Not to Get Rich: The Financial Misadventures of Mark Twain by Alan Pell Crawford, published 2017

  4. Sep 1

    Episode 2: When It Twains, It Pours

    We spend this episode following Mark Twain’s dad around. Unfortunately, Marshall Clemens kinda sucks, both in the sense that he’s a lousy hang and pretty bad at everything. But his failures provide a useful counterpoint to his son’s successes, and reveal a lot about early 19th century American life. At the very least, he marries the far more interesting Jane Lampton and they make Mark Twain together, which is probably more than you can say for yourself. If you're able, please support the pod at https://ko-fi.com/twaindreamspodcast! Sources: Autobiography of Mark Twain Parts 1-2, published 1924 (compiled by Alfred Bigelow Paine) Mark Twain Project Online (https://www.marktwainproject.org) Mark Twain: A Biography by Alfred Bigelow Paine, published 1912 Mark Twain by Ron Chernow, published 2025 Inventing Mark Twain by Andrew Hoffman, published 1997 American Colossus: The Triumph of American Capital 1865-1900, by H.W. Brands, published 2010 How Not to Get Rich: The Financial Misadventures of Mark Twain by Alan Pell Crawford, published 2017 Music: "Moonlight on the Lake", White, C. A., Columbia Quartette, 1908

  5. Aug 18

    Episode 1: The Twain Has Left The Station

    Mark Twain dies almost right away, which is kind of unfortunate because we need him for the rest of the podcast. Luckily, we're able to time travel like the guy from A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, but overshoot a little and end up in the American Revolution, where we catch up with Mark Twain's grandpa and dad. Sources: Autobiography of Mark Twain Parts 1-2, published 1924 (compiled by Alfred Bigelow Paine) Mark Twain in Eruption, published 1940 (compiled by Bernard DeVoto) Mark Twain Project Online (https://www.marktwainproject.org) Mark Twain's Stormfield (http://historyofredding.net) Mark Twain: A Biography by Alfred Bigelow Paine, published 2004 Mark Twain by Ron Chernow, published 2025 How Not to Get Rich: The Financial Misadventures of Mark Twain by Alan Pell Crawford, published 2017 Opening Remarks to The Unabridged Mark Twain, by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., 1976 Music: "Good Night, Little Girl, Good Night", Macy, James Cartwright - Hays, Julia M. - Burr, Henry, 1910

  • 5 Episodes

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

A slightly irreverent look at Mark Twain, his writing, the times he lived in, and the birth of industrialization and mass culture.

Information

  • Creator
    Angus
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Twain Dreams

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