Episode 165 - A New Year's Ode to Friendship: Mark Twain and Helen Keller's Extraordinary Bond
As we bid farewell to 2023, the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast team wishes you a Happy New Year! Don't miss this final episode of the year, weaving history, literature, and friendship into an Ordinary Extraordinary story. Jennie and Dianne are joined by author Pamela McColl as they explore the charming friendship between literary giant Mark Twain and the remarkable Helen Keller.
Discover the shared love of literature, Christmas, and adventures that bound America's most satirical storyteller
and a young Helen Keller together. Unveil how Mark Twain, despite the challenges of Helen's deaf-blindness, became a second father figure, treating her as the extraordinary individual she was.
In the second half, experience an dramatic performance by Charlie and Casper Johnson, embodying the voices of Mark Twain and Helen Keller. Hear the heartfelt letters exchanged between these two icons, a testament to a friendship that bridged the gap between the 19th and 20th centuries.
Photos of Mark Twain and Helen Keller are in the public domain: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/
Photos of columbarium at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington D.C. taken by Michael Dover on 2/26/2018 and posted to www.findagrave.com.
Photos of Mark Twain's gravesite at Woodlawn Cemetery in Elmira, New York taken by Ryan David Schweitzer on 8/23/2017 and posted to www.findagrave.com.
Resources used to research this episode include:
"TESSIE'S TIDBITS: Helen Keller and Mark Twain ." https://www.times-gazette.com. 12 Apr. 2021. www.times-gazette.com/story/lifestyle/2021/04/12/tessies-tidbits-helen-keller-and-mark-twain/7128616002/. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
Meares, Hadley. "Helen Keller and Mark Twain Had an Unlikely Friendship That Spanned More Than a Decade ." https://www.biography.com. 1 June 2020. www.biography.com/authors-writers/helen-keller-mark-twain-friendship. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
Blakemore, Erin. "History’s Other Odd Couple: Mark Twain and Helen Keller ." https://daily.jstor.org. 4 Mar. 2015. daily.jstor.org/historys-odd-couple-mark-twain-helen-keller/. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
Flannery, Christopher . "Helen Keller and her remarkable friendship with Mark Twain ." https://metrovoicenews.com. 24 Feb. 2021. metrovoicenews.com/helen-keller-and-her-remarkable-friendship-with-mark-twain/. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
Twain, Mark. "Letter to Helen Keller from Mark Twain (St. Patrick's Day, 1903) ." https://www.afb.org. www.afb.org/about-afb/history/helen-keller/letters/mark-twain-samuel-l-clemens/letter-miss-keller-mark-twain-st. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
Keller, Helen. "Letter to Mr. Clemens from Helen Keller (March 27, 1906, copy) ." https://www.afb.org. www.afb.org/about-afb/history/helen-keller/letters/mark-twain-samuel-l-clemens. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
Keller , Helen. "Letter to Mr. Clemens from Helen Keller (December 8, 1905, draft) ." https://www.afb.org. www.afb.org/about-afb/history/helen-keller/letters/mark-twain-samuel-l-clemens/letter-mr-clemens-miss-keller. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
Hale, Jen, and Susanna Coit. "The Frost King incident ." https://www.perkins.org. www.perkins.org/the-frost-king-incident/. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
Jones, Josh. "Mark Twain & Helen Keller’s Special Friendship: He Treated Me Not as a Freak, But as a Person Dealing with Great Difficulties." https://www.openculture.com. 13 May 2015. www.openculture.com/2015/05/mark-twain-helen-kellers-special-friendship.html. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
"A Christmas Memory from Helen Keller ." https://www.aph.org. 23 Dec. 2020. www.aph.org/a-christmas-memory-from-helen-keller/. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
"Redding's Mark Twain and Easton's Helen Keller." http://historyofredding.net. historyofredding.net/Mark-Twain-Helen-Keller.htm. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
Keller, Helen . "The Story of My Life." https://www.gutenberg.org. 1 Feb. 1903. www.gutenberg.org/files/2397/2397-h/2397-h.htm. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
Pamela McColl
Author/Historian
Author, historian, and vintage book collector Pamela McColl tours America in 2022 speaking on the poem’s vibrant legacy at dozens of museums, bookstores, and libraries. McColl presents the poem’s story in a new book, Twas The Night – The Art and History of the Classic Christmas Poem.
The author calls the masterpiece of juvenile fiction the most often read, recited, reprinted, and collected work in the library of English literature and considers the 200th milestone of this warm-hearted poem cause for celebration.
“In compiling the material for Twas The Night – The Art and History of the Classic Christmas Poem I accessed art collections and combed through archives across America. I made fascinating discoveries including locating the only known to exist photograph of the poet Clement Clarke Moore ( New York 1779-1863) and of the home where the lines were crafted for Christmas Eve 1822.” McColl
“Charles Dickens and Washington Irving may have created Christmas dinner, but it was Moore “The Poet of Christmas Eve” who gave us Santa Claus with all the trimmings.” McColl
“For the very first time, the poem’s own story is presented. It’s a luscious, entertaining tome that took ten years to create. Bravo, author and editor, Pamela McColl! ” David Paul Kirkpatrick, American film producer and writer, former President Paramount Pictures, President Production Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures.
“A delightful and informative exploration of “A Visit From St. Nicholas” for the holiday season.” Kirkus Reviews.
“Whether a library is focused on art, history, …
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