wildly curious
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Chasing the Last Laugh

Major James B Pond, University of Virginia Library, http://bit.ly/2a0uRqV
"Mark having breakfast in Olympia Wash Aug 11 -- 1895"

Monday, we’re telling the story of what author Richard Zacks calls Mark Twain’s “raucous and redemptive round-the-world comedy tour.” Twain was once America’s highest paid writer, but he was also a remarkably bad businessman. In 1895, with his career on the rocks and with what today would be millions in debt, Twain embarked on a 5-continent speaking tour he hoped would save him. Zacks joins Doug to talk about Twain’s wildly popular humor, his missteps, and what drove his quest for redemption.

Richard Zacks is a journalist and author. His work has appeared in The New York TimesThe Atlantic, and Harper's Magazine among many others. His books include Island of Vice: Theodore Roosevelt's Quest to Clean Up Sin-Loving New York and Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, the First Marines, and the Secret Mission of 1805. His new book is called Chasing the Last Laugh: Mark Twain's Raucous and Redemptive Round-the-World Comedy Tour  [Indiebound|Amazon|Audible]

Doug Fabrizio has been reporting for KUER News since 1987, and became News Director in 1993. In 2001, he became host and executive producer of KUER's RadioWest, a one hour conversation/call-in show on KUER 90.1 in Salt Lake City. He has gained a reputation for his thoughtful style. He has interviewed everyone from Isabel Allende to the Dalai Lama, and from Madeleine Albright to Desmond Tutu. His interview skills landed him a spot as a guest host of the national NPR program, "Talk of the Nation." He has won numerous awards for his reporting and for his work with RadioWest and KUED's Utah NOW from such organizations as the Society of Professional Journalists, the Utah Broadcasters Association, the Public Radio News Directors Association and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Related Content
  • Tuesday we're telling the story of a bankrupt and dying Ulysses S. Grant and the colorful Mark Twain. In 1884, Grant lost all his money in a Ponzi scheme…