Lifelong Learners
An Independent Collaborative

Lifelong Learners

An Independent Collaborative

A Taste of Twain

Course Leader(s)
Day of Week: Thursday
Course Length: 10 weeks
Starting: 09/11/2025
Ending: 12/04/2025
Period of Day: Period 2 In-Person
Time: 11:30 - 1:00
Course Fee: $100

Course Description:

Mark Twain elicits a lot of memories for our generation, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is still a part of many Middle School curricula. A complex man and a prodigious writer of all kinds of material, Twain authored over 60 short stories, numerous essays and newspaper articles as well as books. Of course, he is also known for many of his pointed quips about the nature of man and the world. In this 10-week class, we will delve into the library of Twain’s quips, short stories, and essays in order to get a taste of what stirred his creative juices. And, we will let Hal Holbrook bring to life the man and the mind of Mark Twain!  In each class we will touch on Mark Twain’s background, discuss several stories/essays, and view some excerpts of Hal Holbrook’s “Mark Twain.” You will be asked to read a number of his writings as many are quite short. I would expect that to take about one hour a week. 

Books and Other Resources:

The Complete Short Stories of Mark Twain, edition, Digireads.com Publishing, from Amazon.

Most of the short stories are available online so some people may prefer that option.

Course Leader Bio(s)

Maryann Wyner

I began my adult life as a teacher, and after starting a family and managing a craft store, I returned to the field of education, teaching high school English and history and in my later working years as a tutor and a middle school library assistant. I hold a bachelor’s degree from Clark University and a master’s in English from Simmons College. My last teaching position was at Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall in Waltham, MA.  Upon retirement in 2014, I found LLAIC, and here I got to teach and learn at the same time…and not grade papers or ask anyone to remove his hoodie! I have taught several courses, including Harper Lee’s Mockingbird and Watchman, Young Adult Literature, the Great Migration in America and the short stories of Somerset Maugham, Kate Chopin, Mark Twain and F. Scott Fitzgerald. I have also been involved in high school theater productions and the Lilac Players. This is a reprisal of my Mark Twain course.