Hoping to impress his future in-laws with a regular income and a stable lifestyle, in August 1869 Mark Twain acquired part ownership of the Buffalo Express. The Buffalo Express articles in this book mark his transition from journalist, editor, and travel writer, to full-time literary editor.

In August 1869 Mark Twain acquired part ownership of the Buffalo Express. During the following eighteen months, he wrote some of his best short pieces, humorous sketches, rants, and commentaries. Mark Twain at the Buffalo Express collects these complete and unabridged writings for the first time. Twain's writings for the Buffalo Express crackle with his trademark energy, wit, and insight, illuminating his literary and intellectual journey during a seldom-studied period in his life. From these articles Twain cultivated themes and characters that later appeared in his best-known works. Everyone...