Back in 1897, the rumor mill was as active as today’s false news on social media. The rumor mill ran by the constant flow of water on the River Lies. The mill churned out a story at the end of May stating Samuel Clemens, also known as Mark Twain in the larger habitable areas of Louisiana, had died from an illness. Mr. Clemens was in London as part of his world tour to drum up finances to get himself out of debt.
Frank Marshall White of the New York Journal sent a cable to Mr. Clemens as an inquiry about his health. Mr. Clemens replied with a short letter and clarified the situation. At the end of his note, the great American author wrote: “The report of my death was an exaggeration.” Albert Bigelow Paine, Mr. Clemen’s biographer, embellished the quote to read “The report of my death has been grossly exaggerated.” Over the years, the quote changed to “The report of my death has been greatly exaggerated.”
You may have thought this quote about me, given my long absence from this blog. Fear not, valiant fan. I’m alive and sort of well. For the past few weeks, it has been painful to put pressure on my left leg. I’ve had an MRI and should know what the problem is later this week.
So raise a glass in cheer and celebrate today a great quote from a well-known popular author. I’m confident you’ve heard the quote before. Hopefully, you haven’t had to use to clear up rumors of your own premature demise.
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What I’m Reading – Many readers I know like to inquire what their favorite author is reading. At the end of each blog post, I’ll let you know what book is open on my Kindle. I hope my choice of reading material inspires you to read a variety of authors and topics. Currently, I’m reading Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen.