Mark+Twain+-+Erika+Pauliner

(1835-1910) American writer. Mark Twain once said, "To believe yourself to be brave is to be brave; it is the only essential thing." Twain is famous for "Tom Sawyer," "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," and other books, along with essays, critical work, and more.Born in Florida, Missouri, Clemens moved with his family to Hannibal, Missouri, a port on the Mississippi River, when he was four years old.In addition to writing articles and books, Mark Twain delighted audiences with his public lectures about the far-flung locations he visited on his travels. People were eager to learn about his trips to then-exotic places, such as the Sandwich Islands (now Hawaii), Egypt and the Holy Land. Twain often used the fees he earned with his lectures to pay for additional adventures. His well-attended performances also served to bring attention to his published work. At a time when the public lecture was a very popular form of entertainment, and audiences' expectations ran high, Twain never failed to amuse.Besides speaking on amusing subjects, Twain also wrote about them. In 1873, Twain released a book called //The Gilded Age.// The book was a satire of the very wealthy people of the time ("gilded" means covered in gold). A satire is a kind of work that makes fun of human vices, such as lavish spending. Twain made people laugh at the excesses of the rich.