The Lonely Three-Breasted Woman of the Stromboli Circus
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Much academic dispute has revolved around the authenticity of this found Mark Twain manuscript. Signed only S.C., it is difficult to imagine the famed father of American letters holding interest in the vulgar. Further, to whom could he have been writing such a tale? The letter is unaddressed, as if conceived to be sent, but never executed. Nevertheless, many (see Smythe, 1997, Jones et al 2002) believe the home-spun style and familiar feeling characterizations are strong enough indicators to offer the possibility of a found piece in an unfamiliar genre. Indeed, others (Garcias, 2012) go so far as to suggest Twain himself, or his body of work, is an amalgamation of authors a la Shakespeare. While we reject this assertion on historical record alone, it is undeniable that this short story - the Lonely Three-Breasted Woman of the Stromboli Circus - addresses themes of interest to Twain. Enough so that we accept the possibility it is indeed an authentic lost story, as advertised.
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