The Mark Twain House & Museum

10/30/2026

Mark Twain was an early adopter. 🎩

He poured a fortune into the Paige Compositor, a typesetting machine with 18,000 parts built to replace skilled human typesetters. It ran years behind schedule, a rival machine beat it to market, and the losses helped push Twain into bankruptcy in 1894.

Today’s machines promise to write the book itself. Before we hand over the pen, it’s worth asking what makes human writing worth protecting.

Join The Mark Twain House & Museum Saturday, November 7 for Creative Writing in the Age of AI, a day of conversation with 2026 Mark Twain Award winner Lydia Millet, David Baldacci, Ron Charles, and writers, scholars and educators on creative values, creative work, and what it means to be human. Come in person in Hartford (lunch included) or watch the livestream. Educators and students get discounted tickets.

Creative Writing in the Age of AI Symposium

Swipe for the full lineup 👉 Tickets: www.marktwainaward.org

What should always stay human? Tell us in the comments 👇

10/28/2026

Last fall, writer and teacher John Warner visited us to talk about his book More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI. He returns this November to moderate our day-long symposium “Creative Writing in the Age of AI.”

Creative Writing in the Age of AI Symposium

Register now to join us in person or via live stream: https://marktwainaward.org/ai-symposium

10/28/2026

On December 1, join us for a riveting discussion with actress and author Illeana Douglas about her most recent book, Jungle Red! Illeana Douglas

A largely forgotten masterpiece, the 1939 film The Women remains a glamorous but stinging satire about women forced by society to be defined by men. In her critically acclaimed new book Jungle Red!: The Making of MGM’s The Women, acclaimed actress and writer/director Illeana Douglas restores this classic motion picture to its rightful place in Hollywood history, and its lasting legacy as a template for later female-driven projects like Sex and The City and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Drawing from a deep well of research that includes never-before-seen photographs, memos, and script notes, Douglas writes not only how this film came together but captures how the lives of the people who made it intersected before, during and after, and how the conflicts on-set and off resulted in the greatest film ever made about women . . . by a man!

$35.00 Bundled Ticket includes a copy of the book (Museum members should log in for their discount).

$5.00 General Admission ticket (book will not be included).

The museum store will be open before and after this event. Ms. Douglas will sign copies of Jungle Red! that were bundled with tickets and sold by the museum store.

Tickets link: https://marktwainhouse.org/event/an-evening-with-illeana-douglas/

10/27/2026

10/27/2026

Visitor Notice | Tuesday, October 27

Please note that the Mark Twain House will be closed for tours today due to an unforeseen facilities issue. Our Museum Center remains open to visitors.

House tours are expected to resume tomorrow, Wednesday, October 28.

We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding!

10/27/2026

October looks good on the Mark Twain House. 🍂

A little autumn charm, a lot of literary history. Come visit us this week!

🏡 marktwainhouse.org

10/23/2026

Lydia Millet, writer and winner of the 2026 Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award, will also join us for award night on November 6 and as a panelist for “Creative Writing in the Age of AI," on November 7.

Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award 2026 Celebration

Register your tickets today: www.marktwainaward.org