Mark Twain continues censored and uncensored

Mark Twain was the kind of man who might tell an off color joke then greatly apologize, who wrote essays and stories he knew would offend and kept others private for the same reason. A century after his death, Mark Twain remains uncensored and censored.

The humorist and author worried enough about what he could say in public to withhold anti religion essays and to restrict his autobiography from being published until 100 years after his death. The first of three planned volumes of the  integrated version, released in 2010 and including harsh words for military actions and American business and became a surprise best seller that has sold hundreds of thousands of copies.But Twain also believed in getting out the truth. “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”upset honorable people when it came out and still  causes an uproar 126 years later.

Twain’s most famous novel has been paired with “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” in a volume to be published next month by New South Books will replace slave in place of the N-word  which is  offensive but often used  in the 1880s”He was profoundly a Victorian gentleman or tried to be,” says Twain biographer Ron Powers. “It mattered to him if his wife approved of what he wrote and he was eager to please the public. But there were categories, like race, before which he was intrepid. In San Francisco before the Civil War, he was run out of town because he was criticizing the police for beating up Chinese people.”