I could not have completed this book without the encouragement of my wife, Cynthia, and my daughter, Sophia, whose love always inspired me, even when it seemed as though my days in the microfilm room would never end. Special thanks for their continuous support are also due to my parents, Jim and Maryellen McWilliams; to my grandmother, Roberta Earnhardt; and to my aunt and uncle, Bob and Sandy White.
I would also like to recognize the contributions of five good friends: Thanks to Ed Malone for the many discussions about literary scholarship that have preoccupied us since we began as lowly master's students in 1986; and thanks to Nick Franke for all the advice -- legal and personal -- offered over the past decade. Also, thanks to Greg Jewell, president of the Humanities Defense League, who always knew how to turn pro when the going got tough. Finally, thanks to Cicero Bruce and Mike Given for the hundreds of visions and revisions that we shared at Booby's during the long, hot summer of '94.
Last, I would like to thank three eminent Twainians who have answered my questions with patience: Drs. Thomas Tenney, College of Charleston; Lawrence Berkove, University of Michigan-Dearborn; and Robert Hirst, University of California- Berkeley.