The Thoreau Society Bulletin

2008·1.5 MB·English

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in 1636,OstrohAcademyfellintodeclineand,whenPrinceOstrozky
Thoreau died in 1638, it ceased to exist altogether. Or so it seemed.
Evidence ofOstroh's rich history is on display not only in the
town's Museum ofthe Historyofthe Bookbutalso in theAcademy,
where a copy ofthe 628-folio "Ostroh Bible" rests on a shelfin the
Rector'soffice. Evenso,historysomehowceasestobehistorywhen
Society one realizes that today's classroom,just down the hall from a room
that houses an ancient indoor well, was once the living quarters of
Carmelitemonkswhoseremains,discoveredinthe 1994renovation,
liejust below in the old monastery's crypt.
In 2000, coinciding with the 900th anniversary of the town,
Bulletin
OstrohAcademywasdesignateda"nationaluniversity"inrecognition
ofits significant role in Ukraine's national rebirth. Since then, the
Universityhasattractednotonlyinternationalsupportbutalsowell-
ISSN 0040-6406 Number 263 Summer 2008 recognized professors from throughout Ukraine as well as the U.S.
andCanada.Thatyear.NorthernIllinoisUniversity(NIU)established
aprogramtofacilitateanexchangeofAmericanscholars,whoteach
Thoreau in Ukraine summercourses atOstroh, andOstroh scholars, who study fortheir
M.S. Ed. degrees atNIU.
Dianne Piper-Rybak
When I accepted the invitation to visit OstrohAcademy, I was
Who toldmystudentswerefourth-,fifth-,andsixth-yearstudentsmajoring
knows what beautiful and winged life, whose egg has in English; theduration ofmy stay andthe topic ofmy presentation
been buried for ages under many concentric layers of would be entirely my choice. Because my doctorate is in English
woodenness in the dead dry life of society . . . may and because I had worked on The Writings ofHenryD. Thoreau at
unexpectedly come forth from amidst society's most trivial and NIU since 2001, Thoreau seemed to me an appropriate foundation
handselled furniture, to enjoy its perfect summer life at last!" So for a three-hour discussion comprisingAmerican literature and the
ends Walden'spenultimateparagraph,asHenryD.Thoreaurecounts American Renaissance in general. Once there, I managedtowhittle
the story ofa "strong and beautiful bug" that for several weeks had the Ukrainian notion ofa "small group" from fifty to twenty-five
beenheardgnawingitswayoutofanoldtableinafarmer'skitchen studentsperday,which,intheend,swelledeachofmythreeteaching
a bug, he surmises, "from an egg deposited in the living tree many days to accommodate more and more enthusiastic learners.
years earlierstill, as appeared by countingthe annual layers beyond Tomysurprise,notoneofmyeighty-fivestudents,mostofwhom
it." I wasremindedofthisstorythatsostrengthenedThoreau's "faith aspiredtobeinterpretersorbusinessmanagers,knewofHenryDavid
in a resurrection and immortality" during my September 2005 visit Thoreau.Or Walden.OrRalphWaldoEmerson. "Transcendentalism"
to Ukraine's National University ofOstroh Academy. was not in their admirably extensive vocabulary. Whom had they
ThepurposeofmyvisitwastoprovidethestudentsoftheForeign read? Walt Whitman, Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain, and J. D.
Language department the experience of being in an American Salinger. Nonetheless, I explained, I had chosen Thoreau because
universityclassroom,whichwouldbeadistinctdeparturefromtheir he is anAmerican icon. EveryAmerican student is required to read
traditional lecture hall filled with one hundred or so students, himatleastonce,beginningatabouttheageoffifteen,thenagainin
laboriously taking notes with no thought of asking questions or college, and yet again in graduate school. Ask anAmerican student
expressing opinions. TheAcademy's Foreign Language department who Thoreau is, I said, and they will tell you, atthe very least, two
offers majors in French, German, Polish, Latin, as well as English,
which is considered the school's second language. Russian is
noticeably not part ofthe curriculum, nor is it spoken on campus, Contents
signifying the significant nationalistic role theAcademy has played
since Ukraine's declaration ofindependence in 1994, the year that Thoreau in Ukraine 1
Ostroh Ac—ademy reopened under the direction of Dr. Ihor /to Myself: A Review 3
Pasichnyk aftera 356-yearhiatus.
The town ofOstroh is ancient. The first known mention ofit is ALA 2006 Abstracts 4
in 1100,andbythe fourteenthcentury,theOstrozkyfamilyhadbuilt Henry's Houses 5
acastle andachurchthere, both ofwhichare still standingandopen
to the public. In 1576, Prince Konstantyn Ostrozky founded the Z.W. Coombs Photographs 7
originalAcademyinanattempttointellectuallystrengthenUkraine's "Shall We Forever Resign the Pleasure" 9
Orthodox clergy against Jesuit attempts to convert the country to
Roman Catholicism. Its curriculum included the trivium (grammar, Treasurer's Report 10
logic, rhetoric) and the quadrivium (mathematics, astronomy, Additions to the Thoreau Bibliography 12
geometryandmusic),aswellastheology,philosophy,medicine,and
natural science. Soon after, in 1578, Ivan Fedorov established President's Column 13
Ukraine's first printing press in the town ofOstroh and printed the Notes & Queries 14
first Ukrainian primer fortheAcademy; in 1582, the yearbefore he
died, Fedorovprinted 1200copiesofthefirstSlavic-language Bible. Notes from Concord 14
However,withtheestablishmentofarivalJesuitacademy inOstroh From the Editor 16
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Thoreau Society Bulletin, Number 263, Summer 2008
things: (1) Thoreau wenttojail forrefusingto pay his taxes and (2) compared to the fourth-year students, were noticeably reserved
he lived for a while in a small cabin in the woods that he built by whichtheirteachersattributedtotheirhavingbeen longerunderthe
himself. While Thoreau wrote about both these experiences (and Soviet system ofeducation.
much,muchmore), I said,itishisexperienceinthewoodsatWalden I wonder still why Thoreau, in 2005, was unheard of in this
Pond that is the subject ofhis major work, Walden. Undeniably an remnantoftheformerSovietSocialistRepublics. Perhapsitissimply
Americanclassic. Walden isdefinitelyabooktheyshouldbefamiliar becausethere was noaccesstoThoreau'swork;American literature
with. hasuntilrecentlybeenlowonUkraine'sprioritylist,althoughthatis
Though these students had not read Thoreau's essay on certainlynotnowthecase.TheAcademy'slibrary isgrowingdayby
"ResistancetoCivil Government,"therewas little Icouldteachthem daywithEnglish-languagebooks,muchofitliterature,donatedfrom
about the subject. Less than a year before they had boarded buses the U. S. andCanada. Or. perhaps itwasbecausetherewasnoroom
armed with no more than blankets, food, and the kind of moral in the former Soviet Union for individualism and originality. To be
fortitude that only the young seem to possess, headed for Kiev to sure.Thoreau's "Lethim stepto the music which he hears, however
takepart inthe"OrangeRevolution,"joined,butnot led,byteachers measured or far away" struck a chord with many ofthese students.
and even the Rector. Later, when I asked Rector Pasichnyk ifthey Almost without exception, students mentioned this passage i—n the
had not put theirjobs, even the very existence ofthe university, at end-of-session shortessay I had been askedto requireofthem the
risk by joining now President Yushchenko's opposition party, he ubiquitous "coherent five-paragraph essay" addressing the question
simply smiled and said, "The students were going with or without "In your opinion, is Thoreau's Walden relevant today?"
us." Itwascleartomehewouldhaveconsideredhimselfafailureas Except for one young man, who wrote that he now thought he
aneducatorhadtheynotparticipated in Ukraine's first-evereffortat might follow that different drummer within him and retreat to live
"civil disobedience." his life in a cabin in the—woods, the essays gene—rally argued that
Arriving at the University, I was surprised to see a wooded livingaloneinthewoods evenasanexperiment wasnosolution.
campus where students mow the lawn and weed flowerbeds. Some Itwasmoreimportanttoaccept life'schallengesandadapttolife,to
werediggingatrenchthrough which waterwouldsoon flowtoward contribute to society; to live life tothe fullestwas impossible alone.
a fountain in frontoftheirnewlybuilt library, insidewhich students But, they said, it was up to the individual to decide how to live
were sanding and painting, determined to meet their goal of an each should follow the voice within him or her. My account of
October30grandopening. RectorPasichnykexplainedthatstudents Thoreau's life,thathehadindeedbeenasocialcreature,thatWalden
feel a sense ofownership when they are allowed to do these things Pondwasaneasytwenty-fiveminutewalk fromConcord,thatthen,
themselves. It was an idea he might have taken from Thoreau's as now, Walden Woodswas apublic park, had fallen on deafears in
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"Economy" (had he known ofit): "I cannot but think that ifwe had Ukraine justasitoftendoesinAmerica. However,Thoreau'swords
more true wisdom in these respects, not only less education would had not.
be needed, because, forsooth, more would already have been Themostthoughtfuloftheessaystackledthe"Simplify,simplify"
acquired, but the pecuniary expense ofgetting an education would passage.Oneyoungwomanastutelywrotethatperhaps Waldenwould
in a great measure vanish." Students at Ostroh did not build their be more meaningful to middle-aged readers than to people her age.
livingquarters, buttheydidreclaim and renovate the formerSoviet She admitted that she did not like to think about giving up the few
military barracks built soon after Russia "liberated" Ukraine. These material thingsshehasonlyjustbeguntoacquire. Self-gratification
are conveniently located across the street from the Academy. In a is importanttocollegestudentsandisthedrivingmotivationbehind
sense, they are living the evolution ofan era; that is, they do not largerambitions forone's selfand one's country. Ukraine is finally
"play life, orstudy it merely, while the community supports them at emerging into a world oftechnology and industrialization; will its
this expensive game, but earnestly live it from beginning to end. people turn away from these in the name ofsimplicity? Probably
How could youths better learn to live than by at once trying the not, but there is much to be done just to get to the point of
experiment ofliving?" consideration. In the town ofOstroh, the central hot-water system
Lackingbooksforthem,Iaskedmystudentstotaketurnsreading hasnotfunctionedforyears,althoughtheuniversityhashotwaterin
passages from Walden fromoverheadtransparencies,assuringthem the mornings. Since the Chernobyl disaster, a deep distrust lingers
that there would be words they would not know: some words were about the safety ofthe nearby nuclearpowerplant. Unemployment
common only in the nineteenth century, others represent Thoreau's is high and locals commute to largertowns to work. The university,
penchantforarchaicwords;stillothersareunderstoodtobeThoreau's all agree, is an economic boon as more and more students arrive;
attemptathumor.Nonplused,theyreadandprovidedwhatcomment today enrollment is at 2000, up from 890 only five years ago, and
they could; they seemed particularly to appreciate Thoreau's play manyofthe students preferto rent flats in private homesratherthan
on the "Cenobites," who "see no bites." The sixth-year students, liveinthedorms. Whileduplex-stylehousingisprovidedforteachers
on campus,just a few minutes' walk past clay tennis courts and an
outdoor stadium for track meets (andjogging), many ofthem, with
their families, have spilled over into the town now too.
What do folk music and Thanksgiving It may be that Ukraine's epoch ofwhat Thoreau referred to in
have in common? nineteenth-century New England as a time when "the mass ofmen
lead lives ofquiet desperation" is over. I had not needed to explain
Answer: Arlo Guthrie Thoreau's "what is called resignation is confirmed desperation" to
See p. 1 these students. They have been there, and the role Ukraine's young
people played in the "Orange Revolution" suggests that they are not
going back. For now, the Academy has resisted both Orthodox and
Ukrainian Catholic overtures to reestablish its ancient church (and
Thoreau Society Bulletin, Number 263, Summer 2008
renew the sixteenth-century rift that resulted in the Academy's morning covered with a sparkling ice armor; even the grasses in
establishment in the first place). Rather, this space, with its exposedfieldswerehungwithinnumerablediamondpendants,which
extraordinary acoustical qualities, is used for free cultural events jingledmerrilywhenbrushedbythefootofthetraveler. Itwasliterally
such asthe Rivne District Symphony'sperformance ofStravinsky's the wreck ofjewels and the crash of gems." That gorgeous last
"SymphoniesofWind Instruments"that I attendedjustminutesafter phrase has hung in my mind for years. Cramer's note chases the
my last class. The previous day, at the end ofclasses, the stadium's phrasebacktoalineinCarlyleandbeyondtoAddison'sCato(1713)
loudspeakersdisruptedthecampusserenitywiththe5thDimension's where the title character speaks of"the wrecks ofmatter and the
"Let the Sun Shine" heralding the arrival of a team of Ukrainian crushofworlds."Nowthisisnotperhapsheavyscholarship;aglance
bicyclists on theirwayto Kiev promotingworld peace. As I looked at Bartlett's will do it, but it is awelcome and helpful annotation of
around, I found it impossible to identify within the crowd the two a brilliant and striking phrase. Cramer has a good touch. He seems
dozen Canadian—students participating in a six-month exchange to have learned somethingThoreau knew and he quotes it on p. 25:
programthisyear theAcademy'sowncrusadeforpromotingworld "Nothing goes by luck in composition. It allows ofno tricks. The
peace. During my visit, the Rectordeclaredthe entire campus to be best you can write will bethe best you are."
anon-smokingarea, and soon after, students began planninga "day Cramer is alert to Thoreau's sense of humor and he has one
of awareness" about the problems Ukraine faces from drugs and himself. At one point in Walden, Thoreau gets up on his high horse
alcohol. to face down his reader. "I left the woods for as good a reason as I
Intheseandmanyotherways,theNational UniversityofOstroh wentthere. Perhaps it seemed tome that I had several more lives to
Academycan beheard slowly "gnawingout," atwenty-firstcentury live and could not spare any more time for that one." Cramer
example ofthe "egg deposited in the living tree many years earlier refreshinglyprints whathe found in Thoreau's Journal. "I must say
still, as appeared by counting the annual layers beyond it." And, as that I do not know what made me leave the pond. I left it as
Thoreau writes, "Who does not feel his faith in a resurrection and unaccountably as I went to it .... I went there because I had got
immortality strengthened by hearingofthis?" ready to go; I left forthe same reason." (p. 127)
A Cramer includes lots of good passages to emphasize that
/ to Myself: Review Thoreau's loveofnaturewasnotawithdrawal fromhumanity. Over
and overwe find Thoreau saying "Nature must be viewed humanly
Robert D. Richardson
tobeviewedatall;thatis,herscenesmustbeassociatedwithhumane
affections,suchasareassociatedwithone'snativeplaceforinstance.
Ito Myself: AnAnnotatedSelectionfrom theJournalofHenryD. ...Aloverofnature ispreeminentlya loverofman"(p.152),andso
Thoreau. Ed. Jeffrey S. Cramer. Yale University Press, 2007. 493 on.
pp. The scholar will know where he or she has to go for the last
71o word on Thoreau's Journal. But even the scholar, along with the
MyselfJeffreyCramer'svolumeofselectionsfromThoreau's student orthe mostrecent convert, will find this arichly rewarding,
Journal, is an attractive introduction to the man of Walden. The deeply satisfying volume when taken on its own terms.
book is intended forthe general reader and perhaps particularly
forthe readerwho isjust coming to Thoreau. Cramer is well aware
ofthefundamentalappeal oftheJournal,whichwaspublishedin 14
volumes in 1906 and is currently being re-edited into what will be
the authoritative edition by a team ofeditors led by Elizabeth Hall
Witherell as part ofthe Princeton edition ofthe Writings ofHenry
D. Thoreau. (The Princetonedition, which isthemostattractiveand
usable ofthe great scholarly editions ofAmerican writers that were
launchedinthesecondhalfofthetwentiethcentury,isandwillremain
thedefinitiveeditionofThoreau fortheforeseeable future,although
the pioneering work ofBrad Dean on TheDispersion ofSeeds and
Wild Fruits as well as the late Natural History projects on which
Brad was working when he died will have to be annexed somehow
to the Princeton edition.)
Cramer notes that over twenty volumes of selections from
Thoreau'sJournalhavebeen published; Cramer'sowncontribution
will stand comparison with any ofthem. The only real drawback
(aside from the fact that Sharon Cameron's terrific book on the
Journal, called WritingNature, doesn't appear in the bibliography)
isthatthebook istoo largeto slip intoone'spocket forawalkinthe
woods.
But /to Myselfis definitely not a coffee table book. Its appeal
liesinCramer'scannyselectionsandinthefullbutunobtrusivenotes
which fill the ample margins ofthe text.
Letme be plain. I like this book because Cramer likes so many
oftheJournalpassagesthatI liketoo. HecitesThoreau'sdescription Chad O'Neil rode his bike. "The Proletariat Chariot," from Canada toattend the
ofa January morning in 1838 when "Every leafand twig was this 2008 annual gathering.
Photo eourtesy Mike Frederick.
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Thoreau Society Bulletin, Number 263, Summer 2008
Abstracts of Papers Presented at American history and culture, turning the New World very much
into the OldWorld fortoday's German students.
the American Literature
Jerome Loving, TexasA& M
Association in Boston,
Mytalkemphasizesthepracticalrealitiesofteachinginaforeign
May 24-27, 2007 country. In the Soviet Union in 1978, 1 feltcompelled toconcludea
courseontheAmerican Renaissancewitha lectureonAFarewellto
Panel 1: Transnational Transcendentalism: A Teaching Round Arms. Russians deprived ofwestern creature comforts then adored
writers who included the materialistic aspects ofAmerican culture
Table
intheirwritings;Fitzgeraldwasaparticularfavorite.Moreover,there
Gary Scharnhorst, University ofNew Mexico were inconveniences inthe livingconditions, such ashotel housing
that tried to charge for dependents and expensive restaurants. In
The teacher of transcendentalism in Germany enjoys the France in 1989, I discovered that even though U.S. authorities
approved my courses to be taught at the Sorbonne Nouvelle, the
advantage ofthe students' broad familiarity with both continental
French authorities wanted me to guest lecture only a few times and
romanticismandtheirknowledgeoftheorthodoxreligiousdoctrines
againstwhich Emerson,Thoreau,Fuller,Hedge,andothersrebelled. otherwiseenjoyParis. Instead,IvolunteeredtolecturefortheUnited
ReligionandphilosophyarestandardcomponentsoftheGymnasium StatesInformationAgencyinParisonWhitmanatuniversitiesaround
the country.
curriculum. ButGermanstudentsareunfamiliarwiththeperfectionist
orUtopianstreakintranscendentalism,whichoften strikesthemasa freeIotfshpooluiltdicbael ncootnesdidtehraattiFounlsb.rigMhyt tperaocfheisnsgorfiealllocwosuhnitpesrpaarretnoitn
brand ofAmerican naivete. Significantly,Thoreau'spolitical essays
Leningrad clearly didnot appreciate my choice ofThoreau's "Civil
were largely unknown and unavailable inthe formerEastGermany.
Today there is a cadre ofGerman scholars who publish prolifically Disobedience"asthesubjectofalectureanddidnothidehisopinion
from the Russian students. In Paris, even though the French had
onAmericantranscendentalism,areflectionofitsphilosophicalroots,
and the standard writings of the transcendentalists are readily precededtheAmericansinVietnam, I learnedfromthechairofNorth
American Studies at Paris III that acourse on "American Literature
available in both English and in translation.
andVietnam"woulddrawfewifanystudentsbecause"ourVietnam"
had been Algeria. In Vietnam, apparently, the French had used
Ed Folsom, University ofIowa
mercenaries.
my bWeshtetneaIchpirnegpasrterdatfeogrymwoyulFudlbbreitgohtbayceakraiwnaGyefrrmoamnyt,heIcdueltcuirdaeld- Shan Te-hsing, Institute of European and American Studies,
critical approach I regularly used in my American classes, where I Academia Sinica; and Providence University
guided my students through their reading of the mid-nineteenth
Henry David Thoreau has been one ofthe most popular, ifnot
century authors into examinations ofthe repressed histories ofrace
themostpopular,American authors in theChinese-speakingworld.
and gender, the critiques ofdemocracy thatmost ofthem were only
dphiimlloysoaphwearrsewhofo.sItnosotdeabde,hinIdbsoonemducuhpAmoenritchaenGterarnmsacenndeindteaalliisstt pInublTihseheIdmipnoNrteawncYeorokfiLniv1i9n3g7,, TLhionreYauutawnags'scoEnnsgildeirsehdb"etshtesemlolsetr
teaching and prepared to help my German students see how their ChineseofallAmericanauthors in hisentireviewoflife."Scholars
ownGermantraditionshadhelpedshapeAmericanthought. Butmy ofAmerican literature,suchasChu Limin,ChuYen, LinYaofu, and
Chen Chang-fang, associated him with traditional Confucian and
students not only knew the German philosophers better than I did Taoist ideas and regarded him as a living embodiment of these
(they had even read them in German!), they seemed uninterested in
trackingthewayGerman idealisticthoughtgotrefractedthroughthe Chinese ideals. On the otherhand, Thoreau's popularity among the
Chinese reading public has been established primarily through the
American transcendentalists' lens. What they were interested in,
however, somewhat to my surprise, was the Civil War, the whole translation of Walden.
issue ofslavery, and the aftermath ofemancipation. And they were The first Chinese translation of Walden was done by Xu Chi
and published in Shanghai in 1949. Due to the Chinese Civil War
interested in detail.
I quickly began to discern that the connection my German aannddtdhiedcnhotanrgeeapopfetahreupnotliilti1c9a8l2c.lTimhaeteo,nethiwshviecrhsieonnjofeyleldinttroeombelnidvoiuosn
students would forge with American literature would not be one of
popularity was the second translation published by World Today
athneailrogheyr—itoafgteeninwfalrupeencdiangndoruerfrlaictteerda,tubruet,abnutanraaltohgeyrnwoonuelthdelbeessthe Press in Hong Kong in 1952, a USIS-supported cultural institution
during the Cold Warera. However, the translator's real identity has
oftheAmericannationalexperiencewiththeirown. Inthesehistorical
remainedanenigma. DozensoftheChineseversionsofWaldenhave
analogies. America became the ancient model, and Germany the
recent example. To my initial surprise, these German students were appeared over half a century and have successfully established
Thoreau's reputation among the Chinese audience. Yet, a new
far more interested in America's precedence to Germany than
Germany's precedence to America. All the German memory-work scholarly translation with a critical introduction, a chronology, and
gEoasitngaonnd wWheislte,Itwheasprtoheproeseidn 1B9er9l6i—n thhoelorceauunsittinmgemoofraiallo,ngf-idniavnicdieald aprmopfluendiatnynootfatthiiosnAsmeirsinceaendceldasstioc,fiutlslayutchoonr,veasywtehlelarsicithsnceuslsturaanld,
literary, and historical significances. With this transnational and
reparations lor families ofthose killed in the holocaust, the renewed
pride in the(ierman Hag echoed with the idiosyncraticspecificsof translationalperspective inmind,my PowerPointpresentationoffers
a general introduction to the Chinese readers' long-time interest in
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Thoreau Society Bulletin, Number 263, Summer 2008
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Walden, an archaeology ofthe reception ofWalden, andtheguiding record some species offlora or fauna observed, etc. on the side.
principles ofmy annotated translation project. But there is much to interest the critic in the property surveys
themselves. Each statement in the field notebook Thoreau kept as
surveyor contributes rich material about the Concord community:
Panel 2: The Lay ofthe Land: Thoreau's Manuscript Surveys its habits ofland use, its relationship to property and to nature, its
history of the community, etc. The property surveys provide a
LeslieWilson,ConcordFreePublicLibrary: "Thoreau'sManuscript relatively new and important angle for putting the transcendental
—
Surveys: Getting Beyond the Surface" community in its larger context the economics and physical
arrangementoftheneighborhood in which ittriedt—oestablish itself.
The approximately two hundred manuscript Thoreau land and The most visually arresting ofThoreau's surveys his seven foot
—
property surveys in the Concord Free Public Library remain largely wide surveyoftheConcord River appearstobeasurveyofnature
untapped by literary scholars. But this collection constitutes an but is in fact a property survey as well because it was done to help
important expression of methodology and thought parallel to settleadisputeoverlandandriveruse betweenthe farmersandmill
Thoreau's writings. Although Thoreau undoubtedly felt conflicted owners along the river. The river survey suggests that property
aboutsurveying, hereconciledhimselfto itsufficientlytoworkatit surveying not only influenced but was inseparable from Thoreau's
from the 1840s until close to his death, and put more than mere naturalist work and writings that we so admire.
technical competence and pride in workmanship into it. Like his
writings, his capturing ofdetail through surveying represents that
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"cultivation ofa local, specific way ofknowing" the merging of
objective —data-gathering and subjective personal engagement with Henry's Houses: The Houses in
landscape about which Peter Blakemore has written.
This paper explores Thoreau surveys of two representative Concord That Henry Called Home
Concord properties (a downtown business and a farm) to suggest
thewaysinwhichThoreaumaintainsapersonalpresenceinhissurvey Wayne T. Dilts
work, offers a variety ofdata similar to that recorded in hisjournal
inthe 1850s(information he valued both in andofitselfand alsofor "Ina truehistoryorbiography.... howdifficultforamantorememberin what
whateverbroaderinsightitmightcumulativelyprovide),andconveys towns orhouses hehas livedor when! Yetoneofthefirststeps ofhis biographer
a sense ofintimacy with and a conscious, informed appreciation of willbetoestablishthesefacts, andhewillthusgiveanundueimportancetomany
ofthem. "
the observed and depicted landscape.
Thoreau Journal,
December 27, 1855
PatrickChura, UniversityofAkron: "Economic and Environmental
Perspectives in Thoreau's Surveying Field Notes" DespiteThoreau'sprotest,manyvisitorstoConcordaredrawn
to the houses ofthe writers: the Old Manse (Emerson and
Working as a land surveyorwas as close asThoreau evercame Hawthorne), the Wayside (Alcotts, Hawthorne, Sidney),
to a regular source of income and "legitimate" profession. Some Orchard House (Bronson and Louisa May Alcott), and Emerson's
aspectsofsurveying,however,contradictedthepreservationistethos house on Cambridge Turnpike.
at the core of Thoreau's life philosophy. A useful measure of But there are few places to see where Thoreau lived: many of
Thoreau's attempts to maintain the dictates ofplain living and high the homes he lived in and wrote from are no longerthere, and most
thinking while operating a business of dubious environmental ofthose that still exist are private residences.
consequence is contained in his surveying notebook, "Field-Notes The dayafterChristmas, 1855, whenThoreau was 38 years old
of Surveys Made by Henry D. Thoreau Since November 1849." andlivingintheYellowHouseonMainStreet,hewroteinhisjournal,
Several FieldNotesentriesrevealtheelevatedpurposesofThoreau's "Recalled this evening, with the aid ofMother, the various houses
surveying and his faith that the "better part" of his nature could (andtowns) inwhich 1 have lived...(Journal, December26, 1855)."
permeate all areas ofhis life. The range ofmaterial left by Thoreau He listedthehouses in chronological order, andthe list includedthe
in the nonliterary venue ofthe field notes is an eloquent expression 11 places he called "home" in Concord. Unbeknownstto him at the
ofThoreau's aspiration toward a form of surveying ennobled by time, itwouldbeacompletelisting,forhediedinthatYellow House
spiritual perception. This research isthebasisofabook inprogress, on May 6, 1862.
The Measure ofthe Man: Henry Thoreau, Land Surveyor, under
contract with University Press ofFlorida and scheduled forrelease TheBirth House-VirginiaRoad(July 12, 1817-March, 1818)
in 2009.
Thoreauwroteofthehouseinwhichhewasborn:"MinottHouse
Sarah Luria, College ofthe HolyCross: "The Literary Propertiesof onthe Virginia Road, where Fatheroccupied Grandmother's thirds,
Thoreau's Land Surveys" carryingonthefarm.... Livedthereabouteightmonths..."(Journal,
December 26, 1855).
Critics have been interested in Thoreau's naturalist writings Thoreau's mother, Cynthia Dunbar, had lived on the Virginia
—
his essays andjournals but have paid little attention to Thoreau's Roadfarmfor 14yearsbeforehermarriagein 1812.Cynthia'smother,
property surveys. Indeed, critics have tended to value the property MaryDunbarMinott,waswidowedagainwhenhersecondhusband,
surveys only as a source of income and for the fact that they let CaptainJohn Minott, diedin 1813. Marywasunabletomaintainthe
Thoreaubeoutdoors,whichmeantthatwhilehewasperformingthe farm by herself, sothe followingyearshe invitedherdaughter, son-
monotonousworkofsurveying, hecould get in a little botanizing in-law, and granddaughter Helen to move into her "thirds" ofthe
Thoreau Society Bulletin, Number 263, Summer 2008
Virginia Road house and run the farm. Mary then moved into the TheBrickHousehassincebeentorndown,andTheToyShoppe
Red House on Lexington Road in Concord (see below). now stands on the property.
John Thoreau Jr. was born in the Virginia Road house on July Davis House- 166 Main Street (Spring, 1826-May 7, 1827)
5. 1814. His younger brother, David Henry, was also bom in this
house three years later, on July 12, 1817. But the farm was not that In the spring of 1826, the Thoreau family moved about two
successfulandtheirfathersplithistimerunningastoreindowntown blocksweston MainStreetintowhatisknownastheDavisHouseat
Concord to help make ends meet. 64 Main Street (now #166). It is a large white frame house that
The familyonlystayed inthetwo-story farmhouse until March, provided the family with much moreroom. With his pencil-making
1818, when John Sr. realized he would not be able to continue both business more successful, John Sr. could now afford more luxury,
farming and working at the store. Hard economic times and John althoughtheywerenotapparentlyreadytotakethebigleaptohome
Sr.'s poor health helped him make that decision. He gave up the ownership.
farmandmovedhisfamilyintotheotherhalfofthehousehismother- The Thoreaus only lived here for a year, however, moving out
in-law occupied on Lexington Road to be closerto the store. on May 7. 1827.
The birth housewasmoved in 1878 from itsoriginal siteat215 Today this house is part ofthe ConcordAcademy complex.
Virginia Road about 300 yards east to 341 Virginia Road to make
way foranewhouse, and it stands inthe sameplace todayawaiting The Shattuck House-185 Main Street (May 7, 1827-Spring,
renovation. 1835)
The Red House-201 Lexington Road (March-November. The Thoreau family then moved literally across the street into
1818) the house at 63 Main Street (now #185) that was owned by Daniel
Shattuck. Thereason forthemove isnotknown, buttheymusthave
MaryDunbarMinottmovedintotheeasthalfof"theredhouse" liked it. because they stayed there until spring. 1835, a remarkably
at 47 Lexington Road (now # 201) in 1814 with her son. Charles long time for a family that had moved six times in the previous 13
Dunbar, when her daughter and husband took overthe family farm years. The Thoreau family was living in this house when Thoreau
out on Virginia Road. She lived there until herdeath in 1830. began to attend Harvard in 1833, but moved out in 1835 while he
The Thoreau family (John Sr., Cynthia, Helen, John Jr., and was still at Harvard.
Henry) moved into the other halfofthis house when they left the In 1844, Shattuck sold the house to William Munroe Sr., who
VirginiaRoadfarmbutonlylivedtherefromMarchuntilNovember. coincidentallyhad been instrumental in creatingthe firstAmerican-
1818. Inthoseeightmonths.JohnSr.regainedhishealthandstrength made pencil business in 1812. Munroe's son, William Munroe, Jr.
and,stilldeterminedtobeasuccessfulbusinessman,movedhisfamily was the benefactor ofthe current Concord Free Public Library.
to Chelmsford, about 10 miles from Concord, where he opened This house is now a private residence.
another store.
The Red House, now painted white, is situated across the road Colonial Inn House-48 Monument Square (Spring, 1835-
from the Concord Museum and is a private residence. Spring, 1837)
Brick House-Main and Walden Streets (November, 1818- In 1800,Thoreau'spaternalgrandfathermovedtoConcordfrom
Spring, 1826) Boston intoahouseonMonument Squarethat hassincebecomethe
eastern part of the Colonial Inn. This was the Thoreau family
Following a few years in Chelmsford and Boston, the Thoreau introduction to the town ofConcord.
familyreturnedtoConcord inMarch, 1823. (Thereweresixofthem WhileThoreauwasastudentatHarvard,hisfamilymovedfrom
now. with the birth of Sophia on June 24, 1819, while they were the Shattuck House into what was then Thoreau's aunt's house on
living in Chelmsford.) The family rented the Brick House on the Monument Square. They lived here until 1837, the year Thoreau
southwesterncomerofMainandWaldenStreetsforaboutthreeyears. graduated from Harvard. Even though the pencil-making business
until spring. 1826. wasdoingwell, itwas,perhaps,the $185 ayearHarvardtuitionthat
They returned to Concord because ofan upturn in the family may have prompted the move out ofthe Shattuck House into the
financial fortunes. In 1821.Cynthia'sbrother,Charles Dunbar, went Monument Square home, which may have been rent-free forthem.
into the pencil-manufacturing business in Concord. He was quite
successful, and encouraged his brother-in-law to come back to The Parkman House-Main Street(Spring, 1837-Fall, 1844)
Concord and help in the business.
Thepencil-manufacturingbusinesswaslocatedtwoblocksfrom In 1837,theThoreau familymovedfromtheColonial Innhouse
Main Street on Walden Street. Charles Dunbar had formed a toahome locatedon Main Street,atthebackofthepresentConcord
partnership with Cyrus Stow of Concord and called the business Free Public Library lot, and lived there until the fall of 1844. John
Dunbar& Stow,butStowleftthebusinessshortlyafterJohnThoreau Jr. died here on January 1 1, 1842.
joined them. Inexplicably, Dunbaralsosoon leftthe businesswhich While the family lived here. Thoreau reversed the order ofhis
wasthen renamedJohnThoreau&Co. Bythe followingyear(1824), first and middle names, graduated from Harvard, started keeping a
John Sr. had improved the quality ofhis pencils, and his business journal,taughtschool atthe Masonic Hall fortwoweeks, started his
wasaboutto flourish, finallyproviding the familywith asteady and own school, began a relationship with Emerson, took the trip up the
substantial income for many more years. Merrimack River with his brother, wrote his first lecture and essay,
and then moved into the Emerson household.
Thoreau Society Bulletin, Number 263, Summer 2008
It is believedthat the Parkman house was torn down in 1872 to
make room forthe library building.
two months, and two days that Thoreau lived at Walden Pond were
TheEmerson House-28CambridgeTurnpike(Spring, 1841— some ofhis most prolific.
Spring, 1843) Thoreau lived there until September 6, 1847, when he moved
back into Emerson's house on CambridgeTurnpike while Emerson
In spring, 1841, Thoreau went to live with the Emerson family was on his first European lecture tour.
ontheCambridgeTurnpikewhiletherestoftheThoreaufamilywas Emerson bought the pond house after Thoreau moved out and
still living in the Parkman House. Thoreau served as a handy man thensoldittohisgardener,HughWhelan,whomovedittothenearby
for Emerson, a friend to Lidian, and a big brother to the Emerson bean field. Whelan wanted to expand the size ofthe house, so he
children forthe two years he livedthere. dug a large cellarhole next to the house and was going to build the
Emersonboughtthishouse,thenknownas"theCoolidgehouse," expansion over the new cellar. But before he got around to doing
and twoacres ofland in 1835justbefore he married LydiaJackson. that, the house slid into the cellar hole, and Whelan abandoned it.
He later purchased an additional seven acres of land that took his The pond house was moved to the Clark farm on the Carlisle Road
property line overto Walden Street. He lived here until his death in in 1849, and was dismantled in 1868 when the roof was used to
1882. cover a pig pen.
In the spring of 1843, Thoreau secured a tutoring job with
Emerson's brother William on Staten Island, and he moved there in The Yellow House—255 Main Street (August 29, 1850-May
May. ButThoreau did not care forWilliam Emerson and he missed 6, 1862)
Concord,sohegaveupthejobandmovedbackhomewithhisparents
(in the Parkman House) in December, 1843. The Thoreau family moved into the Yellow House at 73 Main
Street (now # 255) from theTexas House onAugust29, 1850, after
Texas House-Belknap Street (Fall, 1844-August 29, 1850) a year ofrenovations. John Sr. died here on February 3, 1859.
Thoreau's motherranthisasa boardinghouse. Thoreau'sroom
On September 10, 1844, John Thoreau Sr. bought V* ofan acre wasthe attic, and the pencil factorywas in the south wing.
on Texas (now Belknap) Street that had the Fitchburg Railroad as ItwastothishousethatThoreau'spublishersentthe706unsold
the rearboundary. Thoreau and his fatherbuilt the two-story house, copies ofA Weekon the ConcordandMerrimackRiveron October
includingashedinthebackthathousedthepencil-makingbusiness. 27, 1853. Thoreau took them to his attic room and then wrote in his
Thisconstructionservedashands-onexperience forThoreauthathe journal, "I now have a library ofnearly 900 volumes, over 700 of
would put to good use the very next year. which wrote myself."
I
That fall, the family moved into the Texas House while Henry Henry DavidThoreau diedhereon May6, 1862; hismotheron
was still living with the Emersons. Helen died here June 14, 1849, March 12, 1872; and Sophia in 1876.
and the rest oftheThoreau family lived here until August 29, 1850. In 1877, Louisa MayAlcott paid most ofthe purchase price of
Thoreaubegan to build hisWalden Pond house in March, 1845, $4,500fortheYellowHouseforherwidowedsisterAnnaandAnna's
anditwastotheTexas Housethathewalkedalongtherailroadtracks two children to live in, and her parents, Bronson and Abby, also
from his Walden Pond house. moved in shortlyafterthepurchase. Itremained intheAlcott family
The family purchased the Yellow House at 259 Main Street on until the 20th century. The home is now a private residence.
September 29, 1849, but renovations to that house took a year and
the family remained in the Texas House until renovations were Acknowledgments: ThankstoCorinneSmith, Richard Smith,Joseph Wheeler,and
complete inAugust, 1850. Leslie Perrin Wilson fortheircontributions to this article.
The Thoreaus then became landlords, renting out the Texas Sources
House from 1850 until the property was sold on Nov. 12, 1863, by Harding, Walter. TheDays ofHenry Thoreau. NewYork: Knopf, 1965.
Cynthia and Sophia Thoreau for $950.00. "Historic Resources Masterplan ofConcord, Mass. 2001." Special Collections.
TheTexasHousewaspartiallydestroyedbyfireinJanuary, 1938 ThoreaCuo,ncHoerndryFreDeavPiudb.liTchLeibJroaurryn.al ofHemy D. Thoreau. Ed. Bradford Torrey
andwastorn down in the spring of1954. The door leading from the and Francis H. Allen. 2 vols.NewYork: Dover, 1962.
kitchen to the shed where the lead pencils were manufactured was Wheeler, Ruth(Mrs.Caleb)."TheThoreau Houses." The ThoreauSocietyBulletin
rescued by Russell H. Kettell and that door was donated to the 31. (April 1950): 1-2.
ConcordAntiquarian Society, now housed in the Concord Museum.
Walden Pond house (July 4, 1845-September 6, 1847) Z. W. Coombs and Four Early
Thoreau began construction ofhis 10' x 15' house at Walden Photographs of Walden Pond
Pond in March, 1845, and moved in on July 4. While living at the James Dawson
Pond, he wrote the first draft ofA Week on the Concord and
Merrimack Rivers as well as the first draft ofwhat would become
Walden, orLife in the Woods. In July, 1846, Thoreau was arrested Several years ago I purchased a matted album page holding
fornon-paymentofhispoll taxesand spentthenight in theConcord fourturn ofthe lastcentury photographs ofWalden Pond. On
Jail on Monument Square. As a result, he wrote his most famous the mat is written in ink "Photographs taken by Prof. Z. W.
essay,"ResistancetoCivilGovernment."Asawriter, thetwoyears. CoombsofWorcester, Mass.,"and each photograph is captionedon
its back in pencil. The mat page is attached down its center so that
8 Thoreau Society Bulletin, Number 263, Summer 2008
the photographs areremovable. The photosareofthe house siteand primeareuncommon, and by 1900. only onehadbeenpublishedby
caim. Thoreau's cove, the lily pond, and the pine trees planted by Hosmerin 1897. Thepinetreeswere a livingreminderofThoreau's
Thoreau. presence at Walden although few people then recognized them for
Information supplied with the page stated that the photos were what they were, asthe 1872 cairn proved a better focus forvisitors.
taken about 900 and were from an album from the estate ofEdwin Forphoto#4. the Lily Pond was inWyman'smeadow andacentury
1
Z. Smith from Sewickley, Pa. Smithtraveledextensively from 1898 later became a favorite ofphotographerJohn Wawrzonek. who has
to 1901 and after his return from Europe, visited Walden Pond publishedseveral exquisitephotographic studiesofit.butnophotos
accompanied by Prof. Coombs. ofit were published before the Coombs picture was taken.
Prof. Coombs was Zelotes Wood Coombs (1865-1946). who. NootherCoombsphotographshavebeen located, butit isquite
among his other interests, was an early Thoreauvian. A native of possible that there are more out there waiting to be discovered in
Wrentham.Massachusetts.CoombsgraduatedfromAmherstCollege someatticorcollectionsomewhere,andhopefullytherearemoreof
in 1888. received his M.A. there in 1895: and from 1890 until he Walden Pond.
retired in 1937. served at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in various Coombs maintained a lifelong interest in Thoreau. He was
capacities as instructor of English, professor of French, dean and especially enthusiastic about the formation ofthe Thoreau Society
secretaryofthe faculty. Hebecameaprofessorin 1901. and in 1943 and wrote that it would "perpetuate the memory of a unique but
thehonorarydegreeofDoctorofSciencewasconferredonhim. His outstanding character in American Literature"2 and pledged all
studentsaffectionatelynicknamedhim"Coombsie"andthoughtthat support in his powertothecompletionoftheorganization andto its
the versatile professor could fill any position from office boy to later success. Unfortunately. Coombs died onApril 23. 1946. when
halfback, mathematician or geologist. He was never at a loss for the Society was still in its infancy. To date, only these four
words, whetherhe shouldsaythem ornot. and wasjust as skilledat photographs and a short article survive to document the interest of
boxing as oration. He authored over halfa dozen books and many this pioneerThoreauvian.
monographs on Worcester history, a few ofwhich are available on Many thanks to Robyn Christensen ofthe WorcesterHistorical
theinternet. Hewasactiveinmanycivicorganizations:healsoloved Museum forherhelp.
the outdoors and was a great walker. Notes
Coombs was one ofthe first members ofthe Thoreau Society. 'Coombs. "Thoreau in Worcester" inAdams. Booklet Sumber One. p. 17.
Hegaveatalk."ThoreauandWorcester."atthefirstannual meeting :Coombs. p. 18.
Sources
on July 12. 1941. which was printed in Thoreau Society Booklet
Number One, published in 1942. In it. he wrote about his attraction
to Walden: "Interested in Thoreau from my earliest years, largely Adams. Raymond.,ed..BookletSumberOne.Chapel Hill:TheThoreauSocietyof
America. 1942
becauseofmy familiaritywith Walden. I early became interested in Harding. Walter. TheDaysofHenry Thoreau. N.Y.: Knopf, 1965
Concord, and have visited it countless times. I have even swum in Thoreau. Henry D. TheJournalofHenryD. Thoreau.N.Y.: Dover. 1962
Walden Pond, the supreme test and justification of a Thoreau Thoreau. Henry D. Walden. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin. 1897
enthusiast. My interest in Thoreau was emphasized because ofhis T\mesoonn.theMiwledbrepdagMecColfaWryP.1TWworoceTsotweerrsPoTlyhteecShtnoiicyoInfstWiotrutcee.sAtlesroTiencchlu1d8e6s5s-e1v9e6r5a,l
intimacy withWorcester,myhometown,andwithcertainWorcester photos ofCoombs.
men." Stobbs. George R. "Zelotes W. Coombs." The WorcesterHistorical Publications.
Coombs wasoneofthe \ery first photographers known tohave Worcester: The Worcester Historical Society. Oct. 1946. pp. 9-11
takenaseriesofWaldenphotos. Eachofthesephotographsmeasures Worcester. Massachusetts. Web Page ofthe City Clerk.
3 3/4" x 4 1 2". istitled(by Smith?)onthematandcaptionedonthe
back, probably by Coombs. Titles are shown in italics. The photos
are labeled as follows: [=1J "Thoreaus Walden. Site oftheHut and
Cairn. Siteofhut and cairn. The hut stoodto [?] left ofcairn, where
the dark line can be seen on the ground. That is all that remains of
the cellar": [#2] "Thoreau's Walden. The Lake. View ofThoreau's
cove. The hut stood in the woods to the left, back in the opening.";
[=3] "Walden. The Pines. Thoreau's "orchard." The pines were set
outin straightlines,comparatively fewnowremain.": [=4] "Walden.
TheLily-Pond. Lily pond at end ofThoreau's co\e."
The captions provide an interesting look into the level of
knowledge in those early days. For the first photo, we now know
from the archaeological work done by Roland Robbins in 1946. that
thecairn wascenteredalmostexactlyonthe siteofThoreau's house
and notofftothe sideas thecaption stated. It isnot known what the
dark line on the ground was. For photo #3, Thoreau wrote in his
Journal forApril 19th to the 21st. 1851). about sotting out 400 white
pines fifteen feetapart inadiamondpatternco\ering approximately
two acres in what was his formerbean field. That partoftheJournal
was not published until 1906. According to Walter Harding, many
ofthese pines burned in an IS72 fire.Thoseremainingsur\i\ed into
the twentieth century as a Concord attraction until they were Thoreau's Walden SiteofHutand Cairn
decimated by the hurricane of 1938. Photos of the pines in their
Thoreau Society Bulletin, Number 263, Summer 2008
We
"Shall Forever Resign the
Pleasure of Construction
to the Carpenter?"
F. John-V. Kitterman
In Mayof2007, 1 taughtanewcourse inathree-weektermatmy
college at the foot ofthe Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. It
wascalledAmericanNatureWritersandincludedreading Walden,
Annie Dillard'sPilgrimat TinkerCreek,andThomasCrow'sZoros
Field, and, most importantly, building a replica ofThoreau's cabin.
We finished a rough exterior in three weeks, and in May of2009
when the course runs again, we will addthe fireplace and a garden.
I wrote about the course in an article for The Chronicle ofHigher
Education, but I didn't get a chance to discuss in some detail the
effect ofThoreau on the cabin-building and the effect ofthe cabin-
building on the students and me. I will attempt to do so here, using
some passages from "Economy" as a foundation.
Thoreau's Walden. The Lake "Near the end of March, 1845, I borrowed an axe. ... It is
difficult to begin without borrowing, but perhaps it is the most
generous course thus to permit your fellow-men to have an interest
in yourenterprise."This was a key passage forme in settingout on
my own course, because Thoreau reminded me, in his borrowing-
becomes-generous ironicway,thatitisnotalwaysonlytheborrower
who benefits in his project, but the borrowee as well. I needed the
community to take an interest in our cabin because the school was
notgoingtopay formost ofthematerials, which meantthat I had to
go door-to-door to ask for handouts. Thoreau made the sales pitch
easy: the lumberyard foreman, the manager at Lowe's, the wood
—
productsowner,thewindowcompanysalesman allbecamepartners
in ourdesireto bringThoreau tothe Blue Ridge. I showedthem my
copy of Walden, the Jeffrey Cramer edition, with the photo ofthe
cabin on the cover, while I watched each man's face. For many of
them, it was their first encounter with Thoreau, and I could see the
wide world ofthe book slowly open up in theireyes as I explained
Thoreau's experiment. Others, it was clear, had heard of Walden
Pond,probablyinhighschool,butherewasthecabinitself,stepping
offthe page, as it were, and into their lives. I think that teachers of
Thoreau forget that even the most desultory students forced to read
WaldeninanAmericanliteratureclassyearslaterrememberthestory
ofthe"crazy"guywhowentoffto live inthewoodsalone.Andhere
was his emissary, asking for some free lumber. Engaging the
—
community students,administrators,andfriends,aswellasbuilding
—
supply people turned a description in a book into a real building,
andThoreau'svisionfromanacademicassignmentintoaneducation.
"They were pleasant spring days, in which the winter ofman's
discontentwasthawingaswell astheearth,andthe lifethathad lain
torpid began to stretch itself." Especially Richard III, he who could
notstretchhimselfphysically,neededtoclimboutsideinthewarming
airand feel the sun's energy. In ourshirt sleeves andjeans we were
all one happy carpentry crew, well suitedtothis niche ofopen land,
crisscrossedwithblackberrybushesanddeertrails, inthehardwoods
behindthecollege.Theairwassothickwithbutterflies,birds,insects,
and youth that it seemed able to support our rough-cut walls as we
lifted and braced them, many driving home their first nails in a
lifetime. Inthedistance,too,wecouldoftenheartheNorfolkSouthern
train, and occasionally Navy F-18 fighterjets from Virginia Beach
Walden. 1he Lily-Hond
10 Thoreau Society Bulletin, Number 263, Summer 2008
wouldstartleuswitha500footfly-by,nodoubtusingourmountains help each other. When myarticlecame out in the Chronicle, I heard
to substitute for Middle Eastern terrain. I kept having the feeling from colleagues near and far who were struck by the prospect of
throughout the month, that ifThoreau were alive today he would havingacabinontheircampus,andwonderedwhytheycouldn'tdo
appreciate the mix ofold growth forest and modern technology. it. —
"What ofarchitectural beauty I now see, I know has gradually The fact is they can. Anyone can. That's the message of
grown from within outward, out ofthe necessities and characterof Walden.
the indweller, who is the only builder. . . ." This arresting passage
concerning "unconscious beauty" I found particularly meaningful
as our cabin took shape. Living in a rural landscape where rusting Treasurer's Report
doublewides and new McMansions often occupy the same crooked
road, my students and I couldn't help but be struck at the way the Michael Schleifer
cabinseemedtogrowoutofthegroundnaturally,likethesurrounding
oaksand locusts, underourguiding, hammer-innocenthands. Itwas Florthe fiscal yearended March 31, 2008, the operating deficit
as ifwe unconsciously knew whatweweredoing, and I have tosay was $44,000. In 2005 the deficit was over $80,000; $68,000
I had a naive faith in the power ofthe word, ofThoreau's book, to in 2006; and$52,000 in 2007, whenwe factorout a $100,000
conjure that building fromtheearth, as ifbeautywasreallythepath bequest.Twoyearsago,thefinancecommitteechargedmanagement
ofleastresistance. Or, metaphysically,as Heideggerwrites, as ifwe with thetask ofreducing the annual deficit to $25,000 by the fiscal
had cleareda space for Beingto manifest itself, and that Being was yearending March 31, 2009. Though we are notyetwherewewant
beautiful.Thiswasaprofound lesson,andone I am notsureanyone to be, the substantial progress toward that goal cannot be ignored.
canrealizewhohasnotbuiltahousehimself,oratleastwhohasnot Income from memberships increased 20% following a nearly
watchedhisown housereveal itselftohim duringhis life, including 14% increase inthe previousyear. Transition toanew membership
the house ofhis body. During that month, we were really all bodies managementsystem is nowcomplete, andmuch ofthe increase can
climbingthe cabin's skeleton, andthe sexual double entendres flew be attributed to the resulting efficiency gains, along with the
fast and furious, as screws and nails and hammers took on another outstanding efforts ofmanagement and staff.
life. I wondered: Thoreau, with his carpentry and word skills, must This fall, the Society is sponsoring a concert featuring Arlo
have known these same jokes, and another window onto the man Guthrie. Following discussion with the executive director, I am
was opened. The connection between the physicality ofthe body confidentthattheSocietywill raise$15,000ormoreiftheshowisa
and the growth ofthe spiritual identity, as in the passage above, is modestsuccess.Aboardmemberhasassuredmanagementthatunder
natural and normal when left to the "unconscious truthfulness" of no circumstances will the society lose money in what is a new and
the setting, in this case ourown little Walden in Virginia. bold fundraising effort.
Finally, "'But,' says one, 'you do not mean that the students I have oft repeated that the Society needs consistent renewable
should go to work with theirhands instead oftheirheads?' I do not sources of income in order to provide our programming and
mean that exactly, but I mean something which he might think a publications. In an organization such as ours, the primary financial
good deal like that; I mean that they should notplay life, orstudy it support must come from our membership. Though we serve the
merely, whilethecommunitysupportsthem atthisexpensivegame, general publicaswell,theprimarybeneficiariesofouractivitiesare
butearnestly live itfrom beginningtoend. Howcouldyouths better ourmembers.
learntolivethanbyatoncetryingtheexperimentofliving?"Looking Itisnoteasytoaskformoney, but it isataskmade easierwhen
back, I find itincreasinglyclearthatthecabinbuildingandthebook yourboard shows its beliefin managementwith its own generosity.
Walden are linked so obviously that perhaps we forget about the I bring to yourattention a recent challenge tothe board in which an
importance ofcarpentry in understanding Thoreau's quest. Walden anonymous board memberagreed to contribute $5,000 iftherest of
isthemostpractical book,beginningwitheconomy, alwaysthefirst the board would donate an equal amount. We achieved that plateau
thing on most people's mind, as in this political se—ason. But it is withroomtospare,andthatappeal raisednearly$12,000.This from
practical inanothersense,inthatitiswiththephysical withbuilding the board alone, which has fewerthan 20 members.
acabin, buildingaclassof—students, and buildinga community, as I The increased revenues we spoke ofearlier, and dramatic cost
hope I have demonstrated that the material world grows into the cuttingimplementedinthepastcoupleofyearshasmovedtheSociety
mentalandspiritual. Havingsaidthat,itoccurstomethattherecould towardgreater fiscal stability.Aswe gradually build an endowment
be no morepractical waytodisseminateThoreau's experiment than fund (see the balance sheet facing), income from which will help
toencourage schoolsacross the countryto build a Walden cabin. (If cover operating expenses in the future, we will continue to follow
you build it they will come.) The seed is right there in the book, the path offiscal responsibility. We thank you for your continued
already germinating at thousands ofcolleges; the only problem is support.
that classrooms make poor soil. However, ifsomeone like me with
no priorbuildingexperiencecan do it, anyone can. I know there are Special Tax Planning Opportunity For V'ear-end Charitable Gifts
awlerehaadvyeclaebairnnseoduhtotwherien;flIuehnatviaelsseoecniatlhenepthwootroksionngtchaenibnetetronestp,raenadd TwtohieTdehlfeyolTelxhopowericentgaeudspSetohccaiitaeltityt,waixlpllperbaoesveirseninooteneweeaxdppifrroorevdi2s0oi0no8n.DeoWfchetemhnebectroaxn3s1li.adwe2r0ia0nl7gl;oawhsyoewiaenrvd-ieevrni,dduigatillists
ideas. Who hasn't read Walden and not had a secret desire to build over 70'/2 to make contributions directly from their IRA accounts to qualified
his own cabin? But a campaign and support system, perhaps charities.Theadvantagetothecontributoristhatthedistributionwillnotbeincluded
undertaken by the Thoreau Society itself, would push people from in income.Thiscan beofgreat benefitto(1) individualswhowill losetaxbenefits
iftheir income (AGI) increases, and (2) individuals who do not itemize their
private fantasy to public fact. The initiative could start with single deductions and therefore receive no tax savings from a contribution to charity.
schools, th—en branch out into associations, like the one my college Since each taxpayer'scircumstances are different, pleaseconsultyourtax advisor.
belongs to the Appalachian College Association. Schools could