The index of the second edition, Vol. I is organized alphabetically, not chronologically, and follows the standards set in Vols 2-4, first edition. The following have not been indexed: fictional characters, most newspaper articles and subheadings (especially from the San Francisco Call), all subjects of all letters, whether paraphrased, summarized, or quoted, as well as persons and places within autobiographical dictation summaries See AMT 1: for more on specifics. Not all subjects listed under Autobiographical Dictations have been indexed, but many have. These summaries were taken from AMT or Mark Twain in Eruption and are not comprehensive.
More recent updates may be found at MarkTwainDaybyDay.webs.com. This edition’s index now includes books, plays and other literary works, as well as the authors of those works. Readers may seek up to date bibliographies for Samuel Clemens’ vast array of writings, including the on-line site of Camfield’s Oxford Companion to Mark Twain. Also, Thomas Tenney’s Mark Twain, A Reference Guide (with many supplements) is still a central reference for works written about Clemens. Alan Gribben’s Mark Twain’s Library: A Reconstruction is an excellent source for Sam’s literary interests and ownership of a vast library of works; many literary works and literary criticisms are beyond the scope of this work.
This index focuses on persons and places, with lesser emphasis on events and subjects, such as baseball or International Copyright efforts. Those who corresponded with Sam are indexed; locations are limited to those Sam stayed or planned to visit. Whenever possible, surname, first name and middle initial or middle name are listed. In some cases these are unknown; some individuals may be double listed, when it was undetermined if they were different people, such as a “Mrs.” listing and a maiden name. If Sam referred to someone in a letter and only the last name is given, and no other reference was found, then the last name only is indexed, if it is all that’s known. Merchants and commercial firms, when named as “John B. Smith, Plumber,” are alphabetized and indexed in the same order as the literal company name, in this case under “John” not “Smith.” Likewise, “Wm. H. Jackson & Co.” as “Wm” not as “William” or “Jackson.”
Mark Twain’s major literary works, may be found directly by name of the work. His minor works, such as essays, sketches, poems, as well as a sprinkling of his interesting events, opinions and experiences may be found as sub headings under Clemens, Samuel L.: Sub headings are indented and underlined; sub-sub headings are doubly indented, etc. ALL SUB HEADINGS ARE SHADED. The principal subheadings for Clemens are:
Attended
Autobio. Dictations
Declined
Essays
Fascinated by
Gave
Honored by
Inscribed
Interviewed by
Invented
Lectures/Readings
Opinion of
Objected to
Poems
Pseudonyms
Purchased
Sketches
Solicited
Speeches
Suffered
Unfinished/Unpublished works
Upset with
Visited
Witnessed
Many listings are mere mentions; some significant, some trivial. In a day-by-day chronology, much of a trivial nature is included, which scholars and researchers may ultimately judge, in context, to be significant. Many speeches, readings and lectures are indexed, but these are not meant to be complete. Readers should seek individual entries in a given timeframe for more specifics. Many readings included several set pieces, and not all lectures were such in the common meaning of the term at that time.
Inquiries may be made to the publisher: HorizonMicroPub@gmail.com
The index of a book should always be written by the author, even though the book itself should be the work of another hand. — Attributed to M.T. by Robert Underwood Johnson, Remembered Yesterdays, p 190n1.
May 10, 2014