Episode 5: Ben Tarnoff and John Jeremiah Sullivan

Jul 4, 2025

Ben Tarnoff, a writer and technologist known for his book on Mark Twain, dives into Twain's literary evolution in 1860s San Francisco, highlighting how the frontier experience shaped his voice and laid the groundwork for stand-up comedy. Meanwhile, John Jeremiah Sullivan discusses Twain's cultural revival and shares a fascinating discovery: a lost eulogy and its writer, Adele Amelia Gleason. Together, they explore the intertwining of humor, literary ambition, and the rich tapestry of American identity forged in that vibrant era.

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INSIGHT

San Francisco As Literary Catalyst

San Francisco's rapid growth, isolation, and international mix created unique material for American literature.
Ben Tarnoff argues those local conditions helped writers invent a distinct, vernacular American voice.

insights

INSIGHT

Frontier Humor Became Literary Strength

Twain used frontier and Southwestern humor as raw material to craft a new American literary voice.
Tarnoff contends that Twain turned what he feared as a weakness into the basis of lasting literary genius.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

The Jumping Frog Breakthrough

Twain overheard a Calaveras frog story while in a mining camp and struggled for years to render it on the page.
Its publication became his national breakthrough, showing the power of voice over raw plot.

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Mark Twain and the Literary Revolution in 1860s San Francisco

02:32 • 4min

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Encountering Lapham: A Moment of Inspiration

06:26 • 5min

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San Francisco: A Literary Identity

11:22 • 15min

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The Emergence of Standup Comedy and Literary Aspirations

25:52 • 2min

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Bohemia and Literary Evolution in 19th Century California

28:04 • 20min

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A Literary Reunion: Reflecting on American Literature

47:38 • 3min

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Literary Reflections: Tribute and Transformation

50:42 • 23min

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The Legacy of Adele Gleeson and Mark Twain's Wit

01:13:25 • 26min

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Songs and Verses for Christmas

Adele Amelia Gleason

Songs and Verses for Christmas, by Adele Amelia Gleason, is a collection of poems notable for its contrast between the title and the content. Despite the Christmas-themed title, the poems primarily explore themes of love, loss, and personal reflection. The collection contains lesbian love poems that subvert expectations, providing a glimpse into Gleason's personal life. The volume remains a relatively obscure work but offers insight into the complexities of Gleason's life. The title serves as a disguise for the expression of personal, romantic themes.

Extract from captain stormfield's visit to heaven

Mark Twain

In 'Extract from Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven', Mark Twain uses humor and satire to explore themes of afterlife and societal expectations. The story follows Captain Stormfield's journey through space as he accidentally hitches a ride on a comet that takes him to Heaven. Twain satirizes the conventional depictions of Heaven, offering a humorous and irreverent perspective. The story delves into themes of identity, belonging, and the human tendency to misunderstand the divine. It's a reflection on the nature of faith, societal norms, and the eternal search for meaning.

Ruffing It

From the book

Mark Twain

Roughing It is a semi-autobiographical travelogue by Mark Twain, detailing his adventures in the American West during the 1860s. The book recounts Twain's experiences as a miner, journalist, and traveler, capturing the ruggedness and excitement of the frontier. With humor and wit, Twain describes the people, landscapes, and social conditions of the West, offering a vivid and often satirical portrayal. The narrative blends personal anecdotes with tall tales and social commentary. The book showcases Twain's developing literary voice and provides insight into his evolving perspective on American identity and culture.

Bloodhorses

Notes of a Sports Writer's Son

John Jeremiah Sullivan

Bloodhorses explores the world of horse racing through the lens of sports writing, literary criticism, and personal narrative. John Jeremiah Sullivan delves into the history, culture, and characters of the sport, offering a unique perspective on its significance. The book blends personal anecdotes, historical research, and cultural commentary to create a compelling portrait of horse racing. It also showcases Sullivan’s ability to find deeper meanings and connections in seemingly ordinary subjects. The work is characterized by its rich prose, insightful analysis, and a blend of humor and pathos.

Travels Along the Equator

The subtitle is Following the Equator: A Journey Around the World

Mark Twain

'Travels Along the Equator' is a travelogue by Mark Twain, documenting his journey around the world in the late 1890s. Twain's narrative covers his observations and experiences in various countries, including Australia, India, and South Africa. The book blends humor, satire, and social commentary, offering a critical perspective on imperialism, colonialism, and cultural differences. Twain's characteristic wit and sharp insights are evident throughout the narrative. The book provides historical insight into the global political and social landscape at the turn of the century.

#1392

• Mentioned in 19 episodes

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Mark Twain

Published in 1884 in the UK and 1885 in the US, 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' is a sequel to Mark Twain's 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'. The novel follows Huck Finn, a young boy who escapes his abusive father by faking his own death, and Jim, a runaway slave. Together, they embark on a perilous journey down the Mississippi River on a raft. Along the way, they encounter various characters, including con artists and feuding families, and Huck grapples with moral dilemmas, particularly regarding his support for Jim despite the societal norms against helping a runaway slave. The novel is a critique of pre-Civil War American society, especially its treatment of slavery and racial issues, and it has been praised for its realistic portrayal of boyhood and its exploration of complex moral themes.

The luck of Roaring Camp

Bret Harte

Bret Harte's "The Luck of Roaring Camp" is a short story that follows the journey of a group of miners in the California Gold Rush. The story explores themes of community, morality, and the harsh realities of life in the Wild West. Harte's vivid descriptions of the mining camp and his memorable characters create a compelling narrative. The story's exploration of the human condition and the power of community have made it a subject of ongoing critical analysis. Its enduring legacy lies in its exploration of the human condition and the enduring power of storytelling.

Pulphead

John Jeremiah Sullivan

The Bohemians

Norman Ohler

#106

• Mentioned in 114 episodes

James

Percival Everett

Percival Everett's "James" is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that reimagines the classic tale of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Jim. Everett's writing is both sharp and witty, blending humor and pathos to create a compelling narrative. The novel explores themes of race, freedom, and identity in a way that is both timely and timeless. Everett's unique voice and perspective offer a fresh take on a familiar story, challenging readers to reconsider their assumptions about race and American history. The novel's unexpected twists and turns keep readers engaged until the very end, leaving a lasting impression long after the final page is turned.

#49179

Jim

The Life and Afterlives of Huckleberry Finn's Comrade

Shelley Fisher Fishkin

“I think the conflict for Twain is that he does want to be taken seriously as a writer,” says Ben Tarnoff on this week’s episode of The World in Time. “The tricky part is that he does have a deep affinity for the low culture of the frontier expressed primarily through humor and tall tales. That he connects to that at an intuitive level. He has an ear for it. But he worries that if he goes too far in that direction, he’ll never be able to develop a reputation as a real writer. And that’s something he really wants, too. And arguably, his breakthrough—which I argued that he achieves in the West first—is coming to recognize that those two aren’t mutually exclusive, that that’s a false choice, that he can actually do both, and do both quite well, and that what he thought was a weakness could be a strength.” This week on the podcast, Donovan Hohn hosts a two-part episode all about Mark Twain. First, he speaks with Ben Tarnoff, author of The Bohemians: Mark Twain and the San Francisco Writers Who Reinvented American Literature, about how Twain’s time in the far West shaped his indelible literary voice and helped give birth to stand-up comedy. In part two of this episode, Hohn speaks with writer John Jeremiah Sullivan about why Twain appears to be undergoing a cultural revival, and about how tracking Twain’s travels in newly-digitized archives led to Sullivan’s discovery of a lost Twain eulogy—and its lost writer, Adele Amelia Gleason. Finally, to conclude the episode, Sullivan shares with World in Time listeners yet another long lost passage, this one written by Twain himself, which Sullivan recovered while searching through a database of digitized Indiana newspapers.

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