The Mark Twain House & Museum Presents Pulitzer Prize-winning Biographer Ron Chernow to Discuss Major New Biography Mark Twain in Hartford on Tuesday, June 10

Preeminent Author of Alexander Hamilton and George Washington Biographies to Appear in Conversation at Immanuel Congregational Church

March 18, 2025/Hartford, CT...The Mark Twain House & Museum (MTH&M) announced today the upcoming Hartford appearance of acclaimed biographer Ron Chernow discussing his latest work, Mark Twain. The event will be held at Immanuel Congregational Church (10 Woodland Street, Hartford, CT, directly across the street from The Mark Twain House) on Tuesday, June 10 at 7pm.

Having received the Pulitzer Prize for Washington - A Life and having his biography of Alexander Hamilton adapted into a hugely successful musical, Chernow is one of the most celebrated and honored non-fiction writers of the modern age. His expansive and deeplyresearched survey of Samuel Clemens' life is the first major biography of "The Lincoln of Our Literature" in two decades.

MTH&M Interim Executive Director Jack Sennott states, "We are thrilled to welcome Ron Chernow back to the museum to discuss his new biography of Mark Twain. We are grateful that our extensive collection of correspondence, photographs, and artifacts helped bring depth to what is likely the most comprehensive and thorough summation of Twain's life, work, and impact on our cultural landscape."

Tickets including a signed copy of Mark Twain are $55. VIP tickets including admission, a signed book and a reception with Mr. Chernow are $125. Priority pre-sale tickets for Members of The Mark Twain House & Museum will be available beginning Tuesday, March 25 at 10am. MTH&M Members will receive a private link via email to access tickets. Tickets for the general public will go on sale April 2 at 10am via the museum's website, MarkTwainHouse.org/events/. To become a MTH&M Member and access priority pre-sale tickets, visit MarkTwainHouse.org/membership/.

About Ron Chernow's Mark Twain

Before he was Mark Twain, he was Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Born in 1835, the man who would become America’s first, and most influential, literary celebrity spent his childhood dreaming of piloting steamboats on the Mississippi. But when the Civil War interrupted his career on the river, the young Twain went west to the Nevada Territory and accepted a job at the local newspaper, writing dispatches that attracted attention for their brashness and humor. It wasn’t long until the former steamboat pilot from Missouri was recognized across the country for his literary brilliance, writing under a pen name that he would immortalize.

In this richly nuanced portrait of Mark Twain, acclaimed biographer Ron Chernow brings his considerable powers to bear on a man who shamelessly sought fame and fortune, and crafted his persona with meticulous care. After establishing himself as a journalist, satirist, and performer, he eventually settled in Hartford with his wife and three daughters, where he went on to write The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He threw himself into the epicenter of American culture, and emerged as the nation’s most notable political pundit. At the same time, his madcap business ventures eventually bankrupted him; to economize, Twain and his family spent nine eventful years in exile in Europe. He suffered the death of his wife and two daughters, and the last stage of his life was marked by heartache, political crusades, and eccentric behavior that sometimes obscured darker forces at play.

Drawing on Twain’s bountiful archives, including thousands of letters and hundreds of unpublished manuscripts, Chernow masterfully captures the man whose career reflected the country’s westward expansion, industrialization, and foreign wars, and the only white author of his generation who grappled so fully with the legacy of slavery. Today, more than one hundred years after his death, Twain’s writing continues to be read, debated, and quoted. In this brilliant work of scholarship, a moving tribute to the writer’s talent and humanity, Chernow reveals the magnificent and often maddening life of one of the most original characters in American history.

Advance reviews are already praising's Chernow's Mark Twain.

"Bestseller Chernow (Grant) again proves himself among his generation’s finest biographers with this magisterial account of the life of Mark Twain . . . Chernow’s razorsharp portrait offers nuanced explorations of Twain’s many contradictions . . . Amply justifying the considerable page count, this stands as the new definitive biography of the revered author.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Remarkable . . . Chernow is an exceptional portraitist, adding depth and shadow to bring his subject fully to life. The impeccable research blends seamlessly into a narrative that examines Twain in all his guises: devoted family man, writer, publisher, entrepreneur, and inventor. Like his subject, Chernow has a keen ear for the perfect quote, insult, and witty rejoinder. This monumental achievement will stand as the definitive life of Mark Twain.” — Booklist (starred review)

“Essential reading for any Twain buff and student of American literature.” — Kirkus (starred review)

About Ron Chernow

Ron Chernow is the prizewinning author of seven previous books and the recipient of the 2015 National Humanities Medal. His first book, The House of Morgan, won the National Book Award, Washington: A Life won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography, and Alexander Hamilton—the inspiration for the Broadway musical—won the George Washington Book Prize. He has twice been a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and is one of only three living biographers to have won the Gold Medal for Biography of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. A past president of PEN America, Chernow has been the recipient of nine honorary doctorates.

About The Mark Twain House & Museum:

The Mark Twain House & Museum is the restored Hartford, Connecticut home where American author Samuel Clemens -- Mark Twain -- and his family lived from 1874 to 1891. Twain wrote his most important works, including Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, during the years he lived there. In addition to providing tours of Twain's restored home, a National Historic Landmark, the institution offers activities and education programs that illuminate Twain's literary legacy and provide information about his life and times.

Author programs at The Mark Twain House & Museum are sponsored by Connecticut Public Broadcasting and the Wish You Well Foundation. Virtual author programs are supported by Suzanne Hopgood in the memory of former MTH&M Trustee Frank Lord. The Mark Twain House & Museum is located at 351 Farmington Avenue in Hartford and is open every day except Tuesday from 9:30am to 4:30pm. For more information call 860- 247-0998 or visit marktwainhouse.org.