Mark Twain’s San Francisco Love Triangle
(from Chapters 21 – 25 of the newly published Adventures of Mark Twain in the West- How I Became an Author)
Mark Twain, Bret Harte, Ina Coolbrith, and Charles Stoddard are the four San Francisco Bohemian writers of the 1860s who are credited with setting the course for American literature since then. The Mark Twain Valentine’s Special Audiobook tells stories of the love triangle between the first three on that list that were kept from the public for over 160 years, at the insistence of Mark Twain. Mark Twain Associates wondered why?
These stories emerged.
In a letter dated February 14, 1904- Valentine’s Day- to John R. Carpenter, the executor of the estate of Sam’s sister-in-law, Mollie Clemens, Sam asked “If there are any letters of mine, I beg that you will destroy them.” In fact, Mr. Carpenter possessed almost four trunks full of Sam’s letters to his mother, which Mr. Carpenter burned.
Mark Twain Associates have been putting together the pieces of the puzzle since 2010, the 100th anniversary of Sam’s death, and are publishing two books that tell stories that were held back from the public since Mark Twain was a teenager and an irrepressible twenty-something – over 160 years ago.
Now, 118 years after the burning of his letters, you can enjoy Mark Twain’s Valentine audiobook of the love story that occurred 50 years before then, and read the book!
There are two main reasons why Mark Twain wanted certain parts of his life to be kept secret for over a century:
One was the things that he did that made him an American hero in his youth, for which he was sworn to keep mum. This was long before he wrote the Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, the subject of the second “Early Travels” book.
The first (”In the West/Author” book, and Valentine’s Audiobook), are about Sam’s sensitive personal relationships, and specifically, the love triangle in San Francisco between Mark Twain and Bret Harte that had poetess Ina Coolbrith at its apex.
The audiobook brings important California history to life!
The stories take place during the American Civil War, in San Francisco and in Jackass Flat near the Stanislaus River, where Sam heard the tales told by those who had stayed in California’s Gold Country after the Gold Rush subsided— of Jumping Frogs, Tom Cats, rat terriers, pocket mining pigs, an old ram, and Smith of Tulare…
…No, it was Smith of Calaveras; woven together with other stories in Mark Twain’s own words (wise and sarcastic) as much as practical.
Mark Twain we all know and love. Bret Harte was the leader of the group, who mentored the others.
Ina Coolbrith was such a remarkable woman that they invented the concept of a state poet laureate around her: She was the first state poet laureate—for California or anywhere. The people who met at the salons that Ina held in her home on Russian Hill in San Francisco, featured in the first (Author) book and the Valentine’s Audiobook, formed the Bohemian Club. Ina later became Oakland’s first Librarian, in which capacity she mentored Jack London.
This is Mark Twain as most people have never experienced before- in his youth! Mostly all of the San Francisco Bohemians were in their twenties at the time…except for the de Young brothers— Charles and Michael Henry. They were teenagers when they started the San Francisco Chronicle, and Mark Twain worked for them as a reporter!
More recently, Mr. Clark became involved with pioneering research on the involvement of Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), in activities that, at Mr. Clemens insistence, have not been talked about for one hundred years after his death. Mr. Clark has written a multimedia play on the subject and is now defining ancillary products, including an episodic video series.
- Mark Twain
San Francisco Love Triangle - January 20, 2022 - The Adventure Begins… - January 7, 2022
- How I Came to Learn, & Write about The Story that Mark Twain made sure would not be written for 100 years after his Death Episode 1 - January 1, 2021
