Dr. Matt Klauza, a professor at Palm Beach State College, visited Emerald Cove Middle School on Jan. 30 to enlighten sixth-grade students about the life of Mark Twain. Students in Amy Yuzenas’s gifted classes studied the classic novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and they were interested in learning more about the life of its illustrious author. Klauza volunteered his time to teach and inform the curious students.
The students were fascinated to learn about Mark Twain’s life in the 1800s, beginning with his childhood along the Mississippi River. Mark Twain incorporated many details of his own life into his novels and short stories, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He traveled extensively across America, as well as in Europe and the Middle East, and had many different occupations such as a steamboat pilot, soldier and newspaper writer before becoming a novelist and lecturer.
Klauza is considered an expert on Mark Twain’s life and his writings, and he has served twice as a scholar-in-residence at the Center for Mark Twain Studies in New York. The students enjoyed his presentation and benefited from his vast knowledge and enthusiasm for Mark Twain.
ABOVE: Dr. Matt Klauza discusses the life of Mark Twain with Emerald Cove Middle School students.
