More than 100 years after his death, Mark Twain remains one of the most colorful and well beloved American authors. Even infrequent readers know of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn who have become iconic characters in the American imagination, and Twains public persona and incisive wit are the stuff of legend. Both prolific and profound, Twain managed to expose social ills and elicit a hearty dose of laughter from his readers, who themselves were often the very targets of his critique. There was a dilemma that defined Twains religious struggles hope for rectifying clear injustice required something uncorrupted by those wrongs. Twain seemed able neither to relinquish his hope for a better world nor to embrace a God of perfect goodness who alone is capable of accomplishing that redemption. This Postmodern Realities podcast episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Marybeth Baggett about her Volume 41 4 Aug. 2018 feature article, Mark Twains Tightrope Walk, Caught between Despair and Hope