Mark Twain famously said he could live for two months on a good compliment, so maybe all the attention his spectre has been receiving lately from the paranormal community will last him an eternity – especially since he said of ghosts that, “I find them better company than a good many live people.”
Still, it’s a good many live people Twain’s ghost will host at his home in Hartford, CT, on Dec. 16 when Dustin Pari, paranormal investigator from the Syfy channel’s Ghost Hunters and Ghost Hunters International, will give a lecture on the field with religious demonologist John Zaffis, “The Godfather of the Paranormal.”
Two weeks after a Dec. 2 Ghost Hunters episode investigating the Twain House aired, attendees will be able to join Pari as he returns to the home to share behind-the-scenes stories from the show investigations and to “educate people on the paranormal realm.”
Pari says that his talk at the Twain House will give him the rewarding opportunity to relate his experiences and give a glimpse into what happens on an investigation that never makes it on-air.
For instance, he says, “I think those who come to the lecture will gain a much greater appreciation for the field as we do not really get the chance to fully discuss our beliefs and theories within the format of the program.
Additionally, Pari says he’s excited to return to Twain’s home for a reason beyond the paranormal.
“Being a writer myself, I was honored to be brought in to investigate it,” he says. “By far the most interesting piece was his writing desk set up in the corner of his billiard room. To think he sat there and wrote so many great pieces of work, it was really something special.”
Although Pari says he remains “skeptical about a lot of things,” he claims he did encounter what he believed was paranormal activity within the home.
“There seemed to be an intelligent spirit at the home the night of our investigation. If it was Mark Twain's daughter [Susie Clemens, who is reported to haunt the house] or not, I cannot say.” He adds, however, that, “whoever is there seemed interested enough to come forward and respond upon command, yet guarded enough to always be a room away and keep us at arm's length.”
As far as what he would do if the ghost of Mark Twain decided to show up during his lecture and insert some of his signature wit, Pari says he’d be thrilled.
“I welcome all hecklers, skeptics and straight-up disbelievers, dead or alive.”
Tickets for Dustin Pari’s lecture at the Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford, Dec. 16, 6 p.m. are $50 and can be purchased at www.idealeventmanage.com/twainlecture. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the museum.