Feldman's Faves: July 21, 2025

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE

Last week was a good one for Goodmans – the Staircase Quinceañera was an event to remember as was the Family Day at Dale’s cottage. We are definitely a great and special place to work.

The past week also provided the world with some good life lessons. First and foremost is Scottie Scheffler’s interview (that has gone viral) about life fulfillment beyond golf. If you haven’t seen it is worth the five minutes. And then of course, he went and won the British Open.

The other life lesson – from Coldplay of all things – is to avoid “kiss cams” – something I mentioned to JC in advance of us going to Oasis next month…

This week’s theme is Ron Chernow’s new book on Mark Twain.

MARK TWAIN By: Ron Chernow – There are certain biographers whose new books are an event – Robert Caro, David McCollough and Walter Issacson are the Top Guns in my mind. But then again, so is Ron Chernow – we all know the story of Hamilton because of his book (and Lin Manuel Miranda, of course) and his biography of Ulysses S. Grant is universally acknowledged as the best written on his life. So it is no surprise that his book on Mark Twain, is making Twain himself, the man of the moment. Reviews of this massive book have been mixed but for someone who loves Twain’s books I was willing to take on this tomb. There is no doubt that there are some slow moments to struggle through (painstaking detail about his home life) but at the same time, Chernow does as great job at describing in great detail the strengths and flaws of one of the most interesting and complex characters in American history. Twain was a prolific writer and amazing family man. He was also an abysmal failure in business and saw great tragedy losing his wife and all but one of his children over his lifetime.  He was also a little strange- he had a weird (what seems to be non-sexual) obsession with young girls who he surrounded himself with called the Anglefish in his  Aquarium (and there is  lot of real estate in the book given to this).  But for me what stood out in this book was Twain’s relationship with President Grant (Twain published Grant’s autobiography) and  Chernow being an expert in both men’s lives did a great job weaving their stories together. One final observation is that as accomplished as he was, Twain was just a person like all of us with all sorts of character flaws and Chernow does a great job in showing his human side. As one reviewer notes, “Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Chernow is known for writing massive biographies of the country's most enduring figures, including Ulysses S. Grant and Alexander Hamilton. So it comes as no surprise that his biography of author and humorist Mark Twain clocks in at more than 1,000 pages. It's also forgivable, considering that Twain was such a colossal figure in American literature and history that his authorized biography was more than 1,500 pages long. Chernow's “Mark Twain” is well worth that length to learn more about the author best known for introducing readers to Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Chernow's book aptly portrays Twain as someone who “fairly invented our celebrity culture,” the precursor to the influencers that dominate our lives today. Twain had no qualms about cashing in on his fame, with his name being used to promote cigars, pipes and other products. But Twain was known just as much for the attitude linked to the humorist and his works. Twain, as Chernow describes him, was “someone willing to tangle with anyone, make enemies and say aloud what other people only dared to think.” Chernow's biography avoids the trap of idolizing Twain and gives an honest assessment of the author's life, including his flaws and contradictions. Revered for addressing the evils of slavery in “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” Twain was also someone who avoided lending his voice to condemning the practice of lynching. That silence, Chernow writes, was a major missed opportunity to help foster a national debate. Chernow also delves into the uncomfortable subject of Twain's obsession in his later years with teenage girls, developing close friendships with teens that he dubbed his “angelfish.” Chernow's willingness to give readers the unvarnished truth about Twain makes the biography stand out, as does his ability to simultaneously explore the historical and literary context of Twain's writing. Even Twain's lesser-known works are addressed. Twain comes alive in the pages of Chernow's biography, which shows how much he was influenced by his wife and her “delicate restraining hand." It also portrays the complex and fraught relationship Twain had with his daughters. The book drags at some points, which is inevitable in a tome of this size, and is strongest when it tells the relationship Twain had with the written word. Chernow writes that “words were his catharsis, his therapy, his preferred form of revenge. The recurring theme of Chernow's biography is Twain's love affair with the written word, and it ably demonstrates the impact that relationship had on a nation.” Reading Twain is a commitment that is probably not for everyone but if you do read it you will learn a lot about the man, the times in which he lived and some universal life lessons.  Here’s a good review from The Atlantic – https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/06/ron-chernow-mark-twain-review/682584/

CONAN O'BRIEN NEEDS A FRIEND - Ron Chernow – Here’s a “meta” experience – Conan O’Brien the most recent recipient of the Mark Twain Award for Humour interviewing Ron Chernow, Mark Twain’s most recent biographer. For those of you who don’t have the or interest to read this massive book, this interview does a good job addressing some of the key themes in Chernow’s work. Here’s an excerpt from the PODCAST itself, “Writer and journalist Ron Chernow feels very warmly about anyone who has won the Mark Twain Award for American Humor, including our friend Conan.   Ron sits down with Conan for a deep dive into the life of Mark Twain, touching on Twain’s mercurial personality, his affinity for oddball inventions, the unique relationship he shared with his wife, his obsession with Shakespeare’s true authorship, and much more. Check out Mark Twain by Ron Chernow here.’  https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/conan-obrien-needs-a-friend/id1438054347?i=1000710328508

Thank you for your ongoing engagement and participation.

And remember to stay safe, stay healthy and to docket daily.

Jon