Always ahead of his time
Nov. 29th, 2010 10:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bluegargantuaHi,
I'm reading the new, full-length Autobiography of Mark Twain. This is Volume 1. It's 700 pages long and the introduction is 50 and some early material intended for the biography but never used take up another 150 pages. It's a monster of a book but I've already come across an anecdote too interesting not to share.
In 1888, Clemens was sitting down with his friend Thomas Edison who had just invented the phonograph. Clemens tried to leverage his friendship to obtain two of the devices early -- to cut in line for the orders that were already in place. His idea was that he would dictate into one of the machines and then mail the roll to Hartford where an assistant would play the recording and transcribe the recording to print.
Clemens had to wait in line like everyone else and he got ticked off and canceled the order. Had he been successful, he would've had one of the earliest "podcasts" in history.
Fascinating stuff
Tom
I'm reading the new, full-length Autobiography of Mark Twain. This is Volume 1. It's 700 pages long and the introduction is 50 and some early material intended for the biography but never used take up another 150 pages. It's a monster of a book but I've already come across an anecdote too interesting not to share.
In 1888, Clemens was sitting down with his friend Thomas Edison who had just invented the phonograph. Clemens tried to leverage his friendship to obtain two of the devices early -- to cut in line for the orders that were already in place. His idea was that he would dictate into one of the machines and then mail the roll to Hartford where an assistant would play the recording and transcribe the recording to print.
Clemens had to wait in line like everyone else and he got ticked off and canceled the order. Had he been successful, he would've had one of the earliest "podcasts" in history.
Fascinating stuff
Tom
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no subject
Date: 2010-11-30 04:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-30 04:39 am (UTC)He also had schemes to update the copyright on his books by republishing them with selected excerpts from his autobiography -- hoping that the new material would extend his copyright lease. He wanted to provide for his children (although he said his grandkids would have to fend for themselves).
Changes in copyright law, the death of most of his children and the financial security of the rest allowed him to discard the idea.
later
Tom
no subject
Date: 2010-11-30 05:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-30 06:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-30 07:57 pm (UTC)Maybe they will come out with an audio version read by someone who does an AWESOME Mark Twain voice!