Ron Chernow

Yeah, no, absolutely. I mean, this is kind of a good example of kind of the difference between things were perceived then and now. Because he collects, and that was the term that he used, that he collected a dozen of these girls. He called them his angelfish. They became members of his aquarium club.

He was very careful to incorporate the mothers, the grandmothers into this. There was nothing secretive. He actually flaunted it. Actually, one of the girls, Dorothy Quick, he met on the transatlantic liner. And when it docked in New York, there would always be, you know, a scrum of reporters waiting for Mark Twain in New York. And he gets off the boat with this 11-year-old girl.

He was very careful to incorporate the mothers, the grandmothers into this. There was nothing secretive. He actually flaunted it. Actually, one of the girls, Dorothy Quick, he met on the transatlantic liner. And when it docked in New York, there would always be, you know, a scrum of reporters waiting for Mark Twain in New York. And he gets off the boat with this 11-year-old girl.

He was very careful to incorporate the mothers, the grandmothers into this. There was nothing secretive. He actually flaunted it. Actually, one of the girls, Dorothy Quick, he met on the transatlantic liner. And when it docked in New York, there would always be, you know, a scrum of reporters waiting for Mark Twain in New York. And he gets off the boat with this 11-year-old girl.

And the next day, newspapers across the country, you know, the headlines are, Mark Twain captive of little girl. You know, and people found this. a very kind of charming, endearing accent. Oh, Mark Twain, you know, he's written beautiful books about American children. Of course, he loves it. So far from being secretive about it, you know, he flaunted it.

And the next day, newspapers across the country, you know, the headlines are, Mark Twain captive of little girl. You know, and people found this. a very kind of charming, endearing accent. Oh, Mark Twain, you know, he's written beautiful books about American children. Of course, he loves it. So far from being secretive about it, you know, he flaunted it.

And the next day, newspapers across the country, you know, the headlines are, Mark Twain captive of little girl. You know, and people found this. a very kind of charming, endearing accent. Oh, Mark Twain, you know, he's written beautiful books about American children. Of course, he loves it. So far from being secretive about it, you know, he flaunted it.

In fact, I tell the story in the book that one of his friends, who was a famous actress, you know, came to dinner one day dressed as a 12-year-old girl, you know, with kind of buttons and bows and everything because she wanted to be one of his angelfish. So this is the way it was kind of handled. People were reacting in this kind of very jovial way to it.

In fact, I tell the story in the book that one of his friends, who was a famous actress, you know, came to dinner one day dressed as a 12-year-old girl, you know, with kind of buttons and bows and everything because she wanted to be one of his angelfish. So this is the way it was kind of handled. People were reacting in this kind of very jovial way to it.

In fact, I tell the story in the book that one of his friends, who was a famous actress, you know, came to dinner one day dressed as a 12-year-old girl, you know, with kind of buttons and bows and everything because she wanted to be one of his angelfish. So this is the way it was kind of handled. People were reacting in this kind of very jovial way to it.

Whereas we look at this behavior now and it's, you know, very disturbing, very, you know, odd and disquieting. He never acted on it. I mean, it's very different. When I was doing the research, I read a book about, you know, Lewis Carroll in the case of, Lewis Carroll, where superficially might seem similar, but Lewis Carroll collected nude photos and nude drawings of the girls.

Whereas we look at this behavior now and it's, you know, very disturbing, very, you know, odd and disquieting. He never acted on it. I mean, it's very different. When I was doing the research, I read a book about, you know, Lewis Carroll in the case of, Lewis Carroll, where superficially might seem similar, but Lewis Carroll collected nude photos and nude drawings of the girls.

Whereas we look at this behavior now and it's, you know, very disturbing, very, you know, odd and disquieting. He never acted on it. I mean, it's very different. When I was doing the research, I read a book about, you know, Lewis Carroll in the case of, Lewis Carroll, where superficially might seem similar, but Lewis Carroll collected nude photos and nude drawings of the girls.

There was nothing like that with Twain. What the underlying dynamic was, I really don't know. But he had kind of enough control over himself. But he liked it. He would read aloud to them. They would play pool together. He did announce during his last three, four years of life, he said, I worked hard enough in my life. I just now want to play, you know, so it was like kind of a second childhood.

There was nothing like that with Twain. What the underlying dynamic was, I really don't know. But he had kind of enough control over himself. But he liked it. He would read aloud to them. They would play pool together. He did announce during his last three, four years of life, he said, I worked hard enough in my life. I just now want to play, you know, so it was like kind of a second childhood.

There was nothing like that with Twain. What the underlying dynamic was, I really don't know. But he had kind of enough control over himself. But he liked it. He would read aloud to them. They would play pool together. He did announce during his last three, four years of life, he said, I worked hard enough in my life. I just now want to play, you know, so it was like kind of a second childhood.

But it's really strange and weird. I mean, I'm not here to defend it. It's really kind of very creepy. And I think that everyone who reads the book will have that reaction to it. But I also kind of have to describe in fairness to him, you know, what it was and what it wasn't.

But it's really strange and weird. I mean, I'm not here to defend it. It's really kind of very creepy. And I think that everyone who reads the book will have that reaction to it. But I also kind of have to describe in fairness to him, you know, what it was and what it wasn't.

But it's really strange and weird. I mean, I'm not here to defend it. It's really kind of very creepy. And I think that everyone who reads the book will have that reaction to it. But I also kind of have to describe in fairness to him, you know, what it was and what it wasn't.

You had a wonderful line in your Kennedy science speeches that talked about the colossal mess of being human. You know, that's kind of what Twain is about. You know, he was once asked, how he knew so much about human nature because he traveled a lot. He met a lot of people. He said, oh, no, no, I look into myself. He felt that every human being has all of nature inside himself or herself.