How did Mark Twain get his name, and why did he change it in the first place? Mark Twain, perhaps the most notable literary writer of all time, chose a byline that summed up his fondest memories.
The Talented Twain
Twain, known today as one of the most talented American writers of all time, is perhaps one of the truest examples of a man who was torn. Though it appears that Samuel Clemens (the author's given name) was born to write, a closer look at his life's works, quotes and comments, reveals that he might not have been upset if his career had taken a different turn. Clemens may very well have preferred a career as a riverboat pilot, content to navigate his beloved Mississippi River for a lifetime.
Those who knew Twain personally hint that he might have rather died voiceless, never having put pen to paper, if it meant he could keep his position as riverboat captain. But for the Civil War, Mark Twain might never have become a writer at all.
A Deep Love
Clemens had published for several years using different pen names. His earliest works, submitted to his brother Orion's Hannibal Journal, were simply signed "Josh." He was also known to sign letters with the name Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass.
Clemens ultimately chose to take his place in the literary world with the name Mark Twain, which reflected his adoration of life as a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi. Riverboat captains knew the phrase well, as it meant that the water was deep enough for their boats to find safe passage. When confronted with shallow water, pilots would drop a weighted rope marked off with measurements. Each mark had its own name, and Mark Twain was the minimum depth the riverboats' paddle wheels needed for travel, making it a favorite term among pilots.
Clemens said that the name Mark Twain had a richness about it that made it hard to resist. The name had been used by riverboat pilot Isaiah Sellers, who published reports about water conditions along the Mississippi for the New Orleans Picayune. Clemens claimed that he adopted the name while covering the Civil War after learning of Sellers' death, though some scholars have challenged this claim, pointing out that no prints of the Sellers columns have ever been found.
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