Mark Twain vs. the Emperor of the United States
The story of an Americana darling and his living shadow.
I’m mad at Mark Twain right now.
If you follow along with my writing (you can do so here), you know I’m a massive Twain fan. His stories combine history, travel, and humor, which is totally my vibe. But Twain’s a problematic hero to have. I mean, the man once said that he wanted to dig Jane Austen up and “beat her over the skull with her own shin-bone”.
What the hell? You know, you can be a real asshole sometimes, Clemens.
Twain’s other famous beef pisses me off even more, though. Twain hated Emperor Norton.
Unless you’ve lived in San Francisco, you probably weren’t aware the United States was once ruled by an Emperor. (No, I’m not talking about Trump, but I won’t be surprised at all when he barricades himself inside the oval office the minute he’s voted out.)
I’m talking about Joshua Abraham Norton, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico.
Joshua Abraham Norton was born to wealthy Jewish parents in England in 1818. The family moved to…
