New book of previously unpublished Mark Twain essays

Who is Mark Twain? from Flash Rosenberg on Vimeo.

Julia from HarperStudio sez, "We're publishing a book of previously unpublished pieces by Mark Twain called WHO IS MARK TWAIN? (UK, US) and Flash Rosenberg illustrated a section read by John Lithgow."

Who is Mark Twain, Harper Studio

Buy Who is Mark Twain?, UK

Buy Who is Mark Twain?, US

(Thanks, Julia!)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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buddy66

So Harper’s claims either that Twain was first published in 1895, or they first published him in 1895. If the first, wrong; if the second, they came late to the party. By 1895 he was America’s leading public figure. No other American writer achieved such a pinnacle of success.
Anonymous

I’m confused — officially, haven’t these writings already been published by the Mark Twain Project at UCB? Maybe not for general public consumption, but technically it’s incorrect to say “previously unpublished” if they’re part of the MTP papers.
Anonymous

To get the full backstory on the origin of the work see Bob Hirst’s introduction. Bob is the general editor of the Mark Twain foundation: http://browseinside.harpercollins.com/index.aspx?isbn13=9780061806186&kitid=4&WT.mc_id=REFL_HS_BKPG_042009
Fred H

Even Twain’s throwaway stuff is good. I psyched.
Anonymous

Interesting for corporate publishing, I guess. HarperStudio is to Harper Collins as Saturn is to GM. Innovative until Murray pulls the plug. Face it Bob, if it can happen to someone as talented as Lisa Gallagher, it can happen to you.
CVR

Twain of course eventually came to the position that copyright should be perpetual (i.e. the Sonny Bono / Walt Disney position)

http://www.boingboing.net/2007/09/23/mark-twains-nutty-19.html
lairaja

Collection/derivative is copyrighted. However, cannot see how the essays, individually, which are public domain would revert back to copyright regime. (IANFTUSA)
Takuan

you’re kidding!
Brainspore

No. Freaking. Way. These essays were just lying around where, now?
Anonymous

What saddens me is that the copyright law says that all works (including unpublished works) created by authors who died before 1939 are public domain, meaning that these essays are unambiguously in the public domain. But yet that doesn’t stop this company from claiming copyright until 2129 over these essays.
adonai

@#3 – maybe someone should build a $300 book scanner & release the essays into the public domain?