Lighting Out for the Territory: Reflections on Mark Twain and American Culture reveals who Mark Twain really was, how he got to be that way, and what we do with his legacies today. How did this son of slave holders come to write one the greatest anti-racist works of fiction of all time? Why is that remarkable odyssey erased today in his hometown of Hannibal, Missouri? Which aspects of Twain are celebrated or exploited today and which are ignored?

Whether she is probing Twain's presence in cyberspace or in the classroom, in advertising or animated cartoons, author Shelley Fisher Fishkin is incisive and imaginative. Her boldly original blend of personal narrative, biography, history, and criticism will change the way we look at Mark Twain and, perhaps, ourselves.

1. Lighting Out for the Territory offers an intriguing look at how Mark Twain's life and work have been cherished, memorialized, exploited, and misunderstood. It offers a wealth of insight into Twain, into his work, and into our nation, both past and present.