Traveling with Twain

Right in front of his childhood home, an unexploded shell jutted out from the ground, tilted at a 35-degree angle. Every day, Giuseppe Tony Tran would touch the shell with wonder. He was born in the … Read more >>

After a day in Calaveras County, home to the world-famous frog-jumping contest inspired by Mark Twain’s story, we drive west to the island of Alameda, California, to interview Frank Ghiglione, who has his own frog-jumping story. … Read more >>

Of all the cities and towns on Mark Twain’s route west that we visited, Salt Lake City honors him least. The city’s magnificent main library, a 240,000-sq.-ft., five-story-tall curved wedge-shaped beauty by Moshe Safdie and other … Read more >>

In July 2009, a gay couple was detained after one kissed the other on the cheek near the Mormon temple in Salt Lake City, Utah. Matt Aune and Derek Jones were heading home from a concert. … Read more >>

After a full day of interviewing at Louisiana State Penitentiary, we shot north toward Arkansas through Louisiana towns with memorable monikers: Tallulah (not named for the actress), Water Proof and Transylvania (an enormous black bat adorns … Read more >>