Join us for a fascinating talk with Dwayne Eutsey, author of There Is No Humor in Heaven: Mark Twain and Religious Liberalism. Eutsey reveals a side of Twain rarely considered: his friendships with liberal ministers and the surprising role of religion in his life and writing. The presentation will explore Twain’s connections with Thomas K. Beecher, Annis Eastman, Joseph Twichell, Horace Bushnell, and Moncure Conway, all of whom shaped Twain’s views on faith, doubt, and humor. Despite Mark Twain’s reputation as a hostile critic of religion, the iconic humorist cultivated close friendships with several prominent ministers throughout his life.
Dwayne Eutsey’s intriguing new book “There is No Humor in Heaven”: Mark Twain and Religious Liberalism traces the influences of various liberal clergy throughout his life, from his time on the western frontier to his later years in Elmira and Hartford. Published by the University of Missouri Press, Eutsey’s book posits that Twain, as a frustrated Gospel preacher himself, always considered his work as a humorist as a form of preaching.
In this presentation at the Chemung County Historical Society, Eutsey will discuss the friendships Mark Twain had with a number of liberal ministers who served in (or were related to) Elmira: Thomas K. Beecher and Annis Eastman, ministers at Park Church; Joseph Twichell, who co-officiated with Beecher Twain’s wedding to Olivia Langdon; Horace Bushnell, “heretical” Congregationalist minister and mentor to Beecher and Twichell; and, in a round-about way, radical Emerson protégé Moncure Conway.