On June 5, 2000, Jo and I visited the Mark Twain Mansion in Hartford, CT. Twain and Kipling were similar in many ways, drawn from poverty by their genius, and they got along well when they met. I was struck by the different ways they lived, though.
Kipling’s house in Brattleboro was a writer’s work area with lovely views, very secluded. Twain built a mansion in the center of the literary district of Hartford (beside Harriet Beecher Stowe), and entertained lavishly to build his image with opinion makers.
They both succeeded brilliantly, and both were (and remain) world-class writers. But my taste is with Kipling’s methods.