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Charles Kiernan has, of late, been fobbing himself off as Mark Twain with some success. You be the judge. He’ll roll on just like the river of which Twain is so fond of talking...about boyhood memories, the newspaper publishing business, steamboats and frogs. Mostly, though, he likes to talk about that Mighty Mississip.’
Charles’ show offers his audience a bit of Twain's biography, his humor and his viewpoint. The true subject, however, is Twain’s evolving view on what is man. To illustrate his view on this subject at various points during Twain’s life, Charles (as Twain, of course) feels compelled to give the audience some of the great writer’s personal history (Twain being Twain’s favorite topic). His conclusions are what you might expect if you know something about Twain. It's the journey to that conclusion that you’ll find most fun of all.
In addition to the time he spends as Samuel Langhorne Clemens, Charles also performs Americana tales, collectively labeled as the "Lost Dollar" stories. This collection of wisdom and humorous tales make up the life of a little village stuck way back in the hills, pretty far from just about anywhere. Over time, Charles has woven these Applalachian anecdotes into a humorous patchwork quilt of stories featuring a set of unforgettable characters: Right Reverend, Sam and Simon Seamore, Granny Pollard and Uncle Willard, just to name a few.
Pennsylvania born and raised, Charles Kiernan has spent the better part of his life on the eastern side of Pennsylvania. Somewhere in the dim past he remembers graduating ‘for Kutztown University.’ He’s married with two children, now grown, and spent many years in front of a computer terminal as a systems analyst for the County of Lehigh.
Now retired from gainful employment, he performs in theatres, listening clubs, arts festivals, schools and libraries. He is coordinator for the Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild, Pennsylvania State Representative for the National Youth Storytelling Showcase, and State Liaison for the National Storytelling Network.
He is also the recipient of the 2008 Individual Artist Award from the Bethlehem Fine Arts Commission.
Charles is also author of the soon to be published young adult fantasy novel: "Ailuros."
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