Samuel Johnson and How the Dictionary Came to Be

**THE MARK TWAIN CONNECTION:** The difference between the almost right word & the right word is really a large matter–it’s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning. – Mark Twain (letter to George Bainton, 15 Oct 1888) **ABOUT THE TOPIC:** Samuel Johnson’s *Dictionary of the English Language* was published in 1755, just 21 years before the Declaration of Independence. In this evening event, Celine Luppo McDaid, the Hyde Director of Dr. Johnson’s House in London, joins us to talk about how the Dictionary came to be and Johnson’s literary legacy in the English-speaking world. This will include responses to his work by fellow lexicographer, Noah Webster, and other literary greats in successive generations, including Webster’s fellow Nutmegger, Mark Twain. This event is presented in partnership with the Noah Webster House and West Hartford Historical Society. **ABOUT THE SPEAKER:** Celine Luppo McDaid is The Hyde Director and Curator of Dr Johnson’s House, London—“The House of Words” where Johnson completed his Dictionary of the English Language.