About the author:
\nMark Dawidziak is author or editor of about 25 books\, including three studies of landmark television series: \;The Columbo Phile: A Casebook\, \;The Night Stalker Companion\, \;and& nbsp\;Everything I Need to Know I Learned in The Twilight Zone\, his lighthearted 2017 tribute to Rod Serling&rsquo\;s classic anthology se ries. His latest book\, the Edgar Allan Poe biography \;A Mystery of Mysteries\, has been nominated for numerous awards\, including an Edgar\, Agatha\, Anthony\, Macavity\, and Ohioana Award. He also is an int ernationally recognized Mark Twain scholar\, and five of his books are abo ut the iconic American writer. He spent 43 years as a television\, film an d theater critic at such newspapers as the \;Akron Beacon Journal< /em> \;and the \;Cleveland Plain Dealer. His work on the horror side of the street also includes the novel \;Grave Secrets< /em>\, \;The Bedside\, Bathtub &\; Armchair Companion to Dracul a\, short stories\, and comic book scripts. He lives in Ohio.
\nProvocative\, poignant\, at times heartbreaking\, and often hilarious\,&n bsp\;The Lightning-Bug and the Lightning \;w ill shatter the myths\, misconceptions\, and stereotypes that have surroun ded Twain once and for all.
\nMark Twain warned us of the many probl ems we find ourselves facing today. He cautioned us\, often in ferociously humorous ways\, about the things that would be used to divide us: politic s\, religion\, prejudice\, ignorance\, bigotry\, financial disparity\, cla ss warfare\, envy\, greed\, and more. At a time that has seen him graduall y dropped out of curriculum in public and private schools\, \;The Ligh tning-Bug and the Lightning \;explores why we need to be listening to Mark Twain's words\, now more than ever.
\nIn the style of his bests elling Edgar Allan Poe biography \;A Mystery of Mysteries\,&n bsp\;Mark Dawidziak draws not only on his decades of research as an intern ationally recognized Twain scholar\, but also his 45 years of playing Twai n on stage\, which has given him first-hand familiarity with the effect Ma rk Twain&rsquo\;s words have on an audience\, and why Mark Twain does inde ed matter.
\nAlong the way\, Dawidziak will also draw on the many di scussions he has had over the decades with such winners of the Mark Twain Prize as Carl Reiner\, George Carlin\, Lily Tomlin\, Bob Newhart\, Neil Si mon\, and Carol Burnett\, as well as Twain scholars\, biographers\, docume ntarians (Ken Burns\, most prominent among them) and fans\, including many actors who played him (Hal Holbrook\, Jason Robards\, James Garner).
\ nBooks will be available for purchase\, courtesy of Mac's B acks - Books on Coventry.
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