I met Peter almost two years ago, at WordWave, and invited him to speak at our South Lake Tahoe Library. I missed his last presentation on his newest book Lake Tahoe Rustic Architecture so I wasn't about to miss this one.
I loved Peter's disclaimer: "Although I am fascinated by American architecture and have written a couple of books on the subject, I am not an architect, nor am I an architectural historian per se. I am a historical geographer interested in what is commonly called the built environment, or the cultural landscape. I am also a reader and a writer, and naturally someone who worships Mark Twain" [hence our friendship- he's just a cool guy].
Peter shared a recently published journal article he wrote, while attending a research fellowship at the Elmira College Center for Mark Twain Studies. During his presentation, he showed us various architectural works and paired them with Twain's witty opinions about them. The talk not only shed light on American buildings and homes but on Mark Twain himself. The quote that made most of us laugh out loud accompanied an illustration of a sod house, “It was the first time we had seen a man’s front yard on top of his house” (Roughing It). Funny stuff.
This was an interesting, informative morning with a very knowledgeable and delightful Twainiac. I ♥ Our Library for all the amazing presentations it shares with our community!
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