51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ English professor Joseph McCullough will appear on the Nov. 11 edition of the A&E network's popular "Biography" show, talking about American humorist Mark Twain.
Twain and his works are one of McCullough's areas of expertise. "I was flattered that the people at "Biography" chose me as one of the two Twain experts they wanted to interview for the show," said McCullough, who chairs 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ's English department.
"Also, I'm pleased that they're devoting a show to Twain," he said. "Because people read "Tom Sawyer" or "Huckleberry Finn" in school and because Twain is quoted - and misquoted - so often, people tend to think they know all about him. In fact, there is much most people probably don't know."
Revealing those little-known aspects of Twain is something with which McCullough is quite familiar. He, along with Howard Baetzhold of Butler University, authored "The Bible According to Mark Twain: Writings on Heaven, Eden, and the Flood," which was published by the University of Georgia Press in 1995.
That ambitious work, which for the first time drew together many of Twain's extensive writings on religious matters and included important previously unpublished pieces, will be released in paperback this fall by Simon & Schuster.
The initial release of the book met with good critical reviews.
"Kirkus Review" referred to Twain's writings in the book as "the 'Satanic Verses' of its day."
Bill Maher, host of "Politically Incorrect," said, "Still blasphemous after all these years. This is the Twain least likely to be adapted into an attraction at Disneyland. Get your own copy for after your local school board burns theirs."
For additional information on the Twain profile on "Biography" or on the book, call McCullough at (702) 895-3533.
