The Thoreau Society Bulletin

16 Pages·1995·1.4 MB·English

The
THOREAU
SOCIETY
BULLETIN
Number 211 ISSN 0040-6406 Spring-Summer 1995
Board of Directors Reports In the past, and fulfill the Isis Fund's ambition of
assisting in the development ofan educational
Dramatic Progress toward program promotingThoreau's humanistic vision of
Implementing Goals nature and humankind.
As a physical entity, theThoreau Institute will
consist ofthe Adams House in the historic Walden
AmMtyeemlrabssetorny'sesarrp'erssepasoindnneduneatdliaelmnetaehdtudisrniegas,sst.TihcTaolhrleeyautSotSaJtooeceiloeftythe Wbuoiolddisngandde,siagdnjeadcetnothtoousthee,AprdeasmersveH,ouasned,maankeew
Thoreau Society. 1994 and Beyond" (see TSB 208, widely accessible materials relating toThoreau.
Both organizations have worked closely with the
pp. 1-3, for the complete text ofthe speech). The project architects, Gantaume and McMullen of
accolades indicated that a large majority ofthe
Society members who attended the business meeting Boston, to design an edifice conducive to research
and teaching, and complementary to the existing
supported the newly elected Board ofDirectors'
Adams structure and the beautiful surroundings.
decision to move forward with the ambitious goals
The new 5,500 square-foot building will feature a
outlined In Myerson's speech.
Board members responded throughout the secure, climate-controlled archives; an attractive,
commodious reading room; and a state-of-the-art
remainder oflast year and the first halfofthisyear
by exchanging many hundreds ofelectronic-mail media center. Groundbreaking for this building will
messages, speaking on several dozen telephone calls, take place sometime during the fall of 1995, likely in
late September. The new building at theThoreau
correspondingby mail, sending facsimile
transmissions, conducting telephonic conference Institute is projected to cost $1.8 million and is
calls, and meeting In Concord and Lincoln, scheduled for completion in the late spring of 1996.
Massachusetts, on four occasions: 10July 1994, Acquisition ofthe Harding,
10-11 December 1994, 22-23January 1995, and 14 Adams, and Robbins Collections
April 1995. These unprecedented activities ofthe In addition to advancing their missions, the Isis
Board have proven extraordinarily productive, as the Fund and theThoreau Society had another
results reported below Indicate. compelling reason for establishing the Thoreau
The Thoreau Institute, A Project of Institute: the prospect ofacquiring private
The Thoreau Society and The Isis Fund collections ofThoreauviana. The principal reason
TThhoerTehaoureSoacuieItnystaintudtethIes aIscisolFluabnodr.atiUvnedperrojDeoctnofthe TthheorSeocaiuetLyy'sceBuomarodnoBfeDlikrnecatporSstrdeeectiidnedCotnocsoelrldtwhaes
that the property did not provide a secure
Henley's and Kathi Anderson's leadership, the Isis —
Fund's most popular activity, the Walden Woods environment forvaluable collections nor could the
Project (WWP), has raised more than $12 million to
purchase and preserve endangered land around SpecialAnnouncements!
Walden Pond. In addition to saving land, WWP and
the Isis Fund are committed to an educational Look for a special Issue ofthe bulletin between
mission which will help assure that the public the Autumn 1995 issue (to be mailed In early
understands the critical Importance ofhistorically, October) and the Winter 1996 issue (to be
culturally, and environmentally significant sites in mailed in early February).
Concord and elsewere around the country.
Education, ofcourse, is also a major component A portion ofeach bulletin, beginningwith
of theThoreau Society's mission, which, as stated in the Autumn 1995 Issue, will be dedicated to
Its by-laws, is "to honor Henry David Thoreau; to responding to inquiries from the membership.
foster education about and stimulate Interest in his Please send your questions to theThoreau
life, works, and philosophy; to coordinate research in Society, Inc., 44 Baker Farm, Lincoln,
his life and writings; and to act as a repository for Massachusetts 01773.
Thoreauviana and articles ofmemorabilia relevant to We recently converted our membership
Henry David Thoreau and his times." Plans for the records to a new system and ask that you take a
Thoreau Institute combine the strengths ofboth moment to examine your address label and let
organizations, provide a vehicle for theThoreau us know Ifwe need to alteryour address.
Society to carry out Its mission more effectively than
Thoreau Society Bulletin
Belknap Slrcet properly he remodeled to presentations help orient visitors to the area and
accommodate such collections. Once plans for the enhance the Society's educational mission. Society
Thoreau Institute were placed on a vlahle footing, members who visit the Shop at Walden Pond receive
the owners of the three largest Thoreau collections in a 10% discount on their purchases.
private hands decided to donate their collections to
the Society. Those donors are our Founding Expanded Staffand Programming
Secretary and past president Walter Harding, his With plans to build and manage a new 5,500
wife Marjorie, and their four children; the family of square-foot facility, care for the world's most
our past president Roland Robbins, which includes comprehensive collection ofThoreau-related
his wife Geraldine and their three children; and the materials, increase educational programming, and
wife (Charlotte) and neice (Shirley Van Clay) ofour maintain a visitor's center and book and gift shop in
Founding President, Raymond Adams These three Concord, the Society's Board encountered new
large and extremely valuable collections,. In addition personnel needs and employed additional staff.
to the Society's current archives, will make the Ellen Kraft Spear, the Society's newActing
collection lo be housed at theThoreau Institute by Executive Director,joins theThoreau Society after
far the largest and most impressive collection of manyyears ofexperience in the not-for-profit world.
Thoreauviana in the world. Spear started her nonprofit career in broadcast
A special Issue ofthe Thoreau Society Bulletin, to media and was a founding staffmember at
be published between the Autumn 1995 and Winter Connecticut Public Radio, where she served as the
b1o9t9h6tihsesuTehso,rweiallupIrnosvtiidteutmeeamnbdetrhsewtihtrheedenteaiwls of Astsastiisotna'nstfiMrastnaPgreorgroafmWDGirBeHctoRra.diWoh,ilseheemwpolnoytehdeas
collections that will be housed at the Institute. George Foster PeabodyAward for Radio Station
Excellence. Spear went on to offer her programming,
Transition Period development, and management skills to another not-
—
Although the Thoreau Lyceum on Belknap Street In for-profit arena the arts. During the two years she
Concord was sold on 19 December 1994, the spent as Cultural Centers Coordinator for the New
Society's educational programmingcontinued Jersey State Council on the Arts, Spear created and
without interruption. Mail-ordergift and book sales managed a $40 million statewide grant-making
were suspended temporarily, but those sales are program forcultural organizations' facilities
expected to resume later this fall. The Society's improvements. Most recently, the USS Constitution
education program, as well asThoreau's Walden Museum benefited from Spear's expertise. During
house replica, which had been located behind the her fouryears as the Museum's Executive Director,
Belknap Street property, found a new home at the Spear orchestrated a successful application for
Concord Museum, where Anne McGrath continues accreditation by the American Association of
to delight students and visitors ofall ages with her Museums, and developed and secured funding for a
popular presentations aboutThoreau. In the spring dynamic long-range plan that included a $6 million
of 1995, the Society carefully dismantled the cabtn facilities upgrade.
replica (one ofthree designed by Roland Robbins, Deb Caton, the Society's newAssistant
the archeologist who discovered the site ofThoreau's Executive Director, launched her not-for-profit
house on the shore ofWalden Pond) and donated it careerwhen she began working for the Society in
to the Concord Museum, which will reconstruct the March ofthisyear. Caton's varied background
replica and use It for educational purposes. encompasses planning and promotions for programs
and events in the corporate sector, the community,
Opening ofThe Thoreau Society Shop and higher education. Caton started her career in
at Walden Pond programmingwhile she studied English and
The Society's Board membersjoined the Journalism at the University ofMassachusetts in
Massachusetts Department ofEnvironmental Amherst, where she worked as the Undergraduate
Management, the Walden Conservancy, and the Assistant to the Director ofGreekAffairs. After a
Walden Woods Project in a collaborative effort to set briefperiod as a radio announcer and copywriter for
up a visitor's center and shop across the street from abroadcast company, Caton was employed by
Walden Pond at 915 Walden Street in Concord. The Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts. Caton
Thoreau Society Shop at Walden Pond is owned and coordinated the school's internship and student-
managed by the Society and serves as a model for employment program, and catalogued and
groups working together with a common mission. maintained the Career Library. While working as a
Merchandise at the Shop includes a large Program Development Specialist in the Division of
selection ofThoreau-related gifts and clothing, Continuing and Community Education for the Dallas
children's toys, and a growing Inventory ofbooks. County Community College District, Caton was
Later this year the Society plans to begin offering responsible for a weekend-long Gifted and Talented
members selected merchandise, Including new and Education (GATE) program offered to K-12 students
used books, through mail order. In addition to from local school districts, developed and managed a
merchandise, the Shop atWalden Pond will soon Kids' Art and Theater Series (KATS), and wrote copy
feature multimedia touch-screen presentations, with for and helped with the design ofthe department's
emphasis on Thoreau and Walden. These many publications. Caton managed a market
Number211. Spring-Summer 1995
research and focus group facility where she built Concord Prepares for Thoreau
and maintained a growing client base and was
Sesquicentennial
directly responsible for operations, includingbudget
administration and facility improvements. Caton Richard Fahlander
has earned graduate credits in Educational
AdmiSnitsetprhaatniioen KaonrdnfWreiltdin,gM.erchandise Program f[Erdoimtotrh'esCNoontceo:rdTJhoeurfnolallowoifn2g2arJtuicnlee i1s9r9e5p.riOntuerd
Manager, brings several years ofretail management report oftheThoreau Society's 1995 annual meeting
experience to theThoreau Society Shop atWalden will appear in the autumn issue ofthe bulletin.)
Pond. Komfeld started her career in retail
management at the Nature Company, where her This Fourth ofJuly marks the sesquicentennial of
duties as Senior Sales Associate included visual Thoreau's move to Walden Pond.
merchandising and staffdevelopment. While at Concord's homegrown contribution to the
Charette Corporation (retailer ofsupplies for the fine celebration can be foundJust a mile or so from the
arts, architecture, commercial art, and drafting) in pond in a courtyard at Concord-Carlisle High
Woburn, Massachusetts, Kornfeld held a variety of School. "Walled-ln Pond" is the brainchild ofscience
positions with increasing responsibility. As the teacherAl Robichaud. Students have built a replica
Manager ofCharette's Harvard Design School Store, ofThoreau's cabin and created their own small
Kornfeld increased sales 50% by redesigning store pond.
layout and aggressively managing inventory. "It is the only replica that is a functional
Kornfeld's experience as a Store Manager and structure actually located on a pond," said
Manager ofSpecial Projects for Robichaud.
Greenpeace USA fortified herdesire to He noted that the plastic-lined,
integrate her personal philosophies raindrop-shaped, 5-foot-deep. 60-by-
about education and the environment 15 foot pond is oriented in the same
with retail management. While with direction asThoreau' s cove at
Greenpeace, Kornfeld traveled Walden. Aquatic plants and animals
throughout the United States were placed In the water and a model
exploring and opening new outlets for ecosystem is gradually being
earth-conscious merchandise. established. A waterfall has been
Kornfeld, also an artist, invented a underconstruction to aerate the
technique for making crocheted wall water, which is circulated by a
hangings based on the Native submerged pump.
American Medicine Wheel. Robichaud said more than 100
Jhoreau
Additional staffmembers include students In the Environmental Club
Tom Harris and Mike Long, interns Society and Earth Science classes contributed
from Salisbury State University in to the creation ofthisThoreau Nature
Maryland. Harris recently earned his Bachelorof Center. The 7,500 square footcourtyard attracts a
Arts in History and plans to pursue an advanced variety birds. One mallard built her nest by the
degree in Environmental History. He Is particularly pond only three feet from a math classroom. All her
interested in studyingThoreau's influence on eggs hatched and the ducklings were successfully
contemporary environmentalists such asJohn Muir, raised in the enclosures. Turtles, fish, and frogs
Edward Abbey, and Dave Foreman. Long holds an have reproduced and plant life, both wild and
undergraduate degree in Mathematics and has cultivated, is abundant and thriving.
recently moved on to pursue an advanced degree at To complete the Walden scene, a wood shed and
the University ofWyoming. His long-term goal is to bean field have been added. One unsuccessful
pursue a career as a college professor. Both interns addition was the introduction lastyear ofa
came to the Society with a great deal ofenthusiasm woodchuck. Thoreau mentioned a woodchuck,"
and a strong passion for the works ofThoreau. said Robichaud, "so we thought It would be a good
Idea to accept a small one as a gift."
NewThoreau Society Logo Little did the latter-dayThoreauvians know that
The Society's Board ofDirectors has adopted a logo the guest would produce six uninvited offspring.
that will soon begin appearing on all Society-related "I spent my vacation trapping them and setting
Items. The Board wanted to select an Image that the them loose in the woods," said Robichaud. "The
public would recognize as strongly connected to high school maintenance staffmay not be too happy
Thoreau and that would suggest his impact on with me now."
contemporary Issues. After careful consideration, Included in the outdoor environmental study
the Board decided to adopt as the Society's official area are a newly Installed observatory and stations
logo a rendering ofthe small house Thoreau built on for the study ofwood flowers. Plans for a complete
the shores ofWalden Pond (see inset for a weather station are In progress.
preliminary version ofthe logo that the Board has Robichaud said when completed the centerwill
adopted). satisfy the curiosity of students Interested in fresh
—
.
Thoreau Society Bulletin
water and soil ecology, nature photography, natural In the spirit ofThoreau, Walden Earthnet, a
—
history, art, astronomy, and meteorology all In the Concord based environmental group, and the
middle ofa busy high school. Human Scale Institute at Wheelock College will co-
"It Is also a quiet sanctuary for reading and sponsor a workshop entitled, "Learning in
Journal writing," said Rohlchaud, who said students Community: An Ecological Approach." The course
are planning a "movlng-ln party" on July 4. The will be held July 6 9 and will use Concord as a
high school parents association contributed funds classroom without walls for participants to examine
toward construction ofthe center. their interactions with their environment. For
registration Information call |508J 369-9259.
One hundred fifty y1e5a0rtshaagcotiHveintriyesDavid Thoreau serieTshethiOsrcshuamrmderH.ouAstetihsesfpiornstsolrecitnugreaolnecJtuurley 10
could scarcely have dreamt his move to a modest at 8 p.m. Thoreau scholarThomas Blanding will
cabin in ihe woods at Walden Pond would have speak on "Novel Ideas: HenryThoreau and the
created such a stir. Writings of Louisa May Alcott." For tickets call |508|
Over the coming weeksThoreauvlans ofall 369-5617.
stripes will be treated to (al plethora ofactivities. The new Shop at Walden Pond will wish Henry
At 6 a.m., July 4, a commemorative gathering is happy birthday on July 12. The shop Is located
planned at Walden Pond. Breakfast at the parking across Route 126 from the pond and offers
lot, a walk to Ihe hut site, and readings are included. Thoreauviana and a surprisingly wide variety of
Sign up by calling the Thoreau Society at 617-259- books and products celebrating the natural world.
941 1. For store hours call |508| 287-5477.
The Thoreau Society will hold its annual meeting
In Concord from July 6 through July 9. Highlights
include a Friday evening concert withjazz musician
Paul Winter; a Saturday morning keynote address by Thoreau on the World Wide Web
sociobiologist E. O. Wilson; and a Saturday evening
talk by scientist and nature writer Ann We are pleased and excited to announce that users
"Woodswoman" LaBasttlle. Except for the concert, ofthe World Wide Web (WWW) who are interested in
sessions are open to members only. For more Thoreau now have aThoreau site they can access.
information call 617 259-941 1. The address ofthe site, which is called Thoreau
The Concord Museum on Lexington Road World Wide" and Is administered by Society
houses the world's largest collection ofThoreau members Sean Mahoney and Joe Smith, is http://
artifacts. On July 4 the museum will be open for umsa.umd.edu/thoreau.
visllors. BeginningJuly 7 the museum will offer a Because ofits capability ofincorporating on-
series oftalks with aThoreau theme. Reservations screen images and text tn very attractive formats,
WWW
are required, and a fee Is charged. For information the is by far the fastest growing part ofthe
call the museum at |508| 369-9763. Internet. Actually, the WWW Is not an entity in itself
—
Surveying Concord July 7 at 10:00 a.m. but is Instead a worldwide network ofindependently
Coffee and conversation focusing on the many ways maintained "servers." In fact, anyone who has a
Thoreau made known his town. computer with access to the Internet can set up his
WWW
Thoreau, Concord, and the John Brown or her own site. The server forThoreau World
— —
Connection July 10 at 9:30 a.m. A lecture, book- Wide is located at the University ofMaryland in
signing, and walking tour with Ed Renehan, author College Park, although Mahoney and Smith maintain
of The Secret Six: The True Taleofthe Men Who the site from Salisbury State University in Salisbury,
Conspired withJolin Brown Maryland.
—
Ixing-Ago Lunchlime: Meet Mr. Thoreau July When accessingThoreau World Wide, the first
—
12 at noon A special children's program (ages 5 to thing users see on their computer screen is the site's
8) in celebration ofhis birthday. home page. At the top ofthe home page is the word
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Digging Up the Past July 13 at 9 a.m.—Young "CyberSaunter," andjust under that word is a
archeologlsts (ages 8 to 11) can get their hands dirty remarkably detailed electronically scanned image of
exploring the 19th century artifacts from the time of the Maxham daguerreotype ofThoreau, the original
Henry David. ofwhich is in theThoreau Society archives at the
Henry David Thoreau, in the person ofBrad Concord Free Public Library. Below the
Parker, will be speaking at 6 p.m., on July 8 at the daguerreotype are the words "Henry David Thoreau,"
Masonic Temple In Monument Square. Admission is then a line extending across the screen followed by
$8, with doors opening al 5:15 p.m. Parker was the greeting "Welcome toThoreau World Wide!" and
formerly with the Thoreau Lyceum. a few words to let users know that the site is "still
Another portrayal ofThoreau, this one by David under construction" and that users can make
Barto, will take place at 7 p.m., on July 10 at the suggestions by sending e-mail messages to Mahoney
Concord Free Public Library. Through stories and and Smith at [email protected].
WWW
flute music, children ages 7 and up (adults, too) will Like most home pages, the one for
get a glimpse into the life of the man who went to the Thoreau World Wide has a menu ofitems that users
woods. Call [5081 369-6258 for details. can select for delving Into one or another of the site's
Number211. Spring-Summer 1995
parts or "pages." each ofwhich contains the effectually, was supported. She saw the religious
equivalent ofbetween two and ten computer screens denominations with which she had been connected
ofimages and text. Although Mahoney and Smith vehemently crying out against the Catholics for
plan to expand the number ofpages offered on denying the Bible to the people, and yet one-sixth
Thoreau World Wide, the site currently has the part ofthe people ofthe Protestant United States
following six pages: were legally deprived ofthe right to read God's word,
nay, worse than the Catholics, the right oflearning
• Introduction to Thoreau: Overview ofthe to read. She ascertained that the actual number of
life and works ofThoreau slaveholders In the land was not more than two
• Background behind Walden: Facts hundred and fifty or three hundred thousand. How,
surrounding his famous tenure at Walden she said, can these keep three millions ofpeople In
Pond and subsequent book bondage? Why do not the slaves rise, as did our
• Family: A survey ofthe relatives ofHenry fathers In the revolution, and demand their rights at
and their involvement in his life the point ofthe bayonet? She ascertained that the
• Friends and Love Interests: Descriptions bayonets ofthe North were pledged to unite with
ofthe people who played a major role in those ofthe Southern tyrants, in case ofany attempt
Thoreau's life at Insurrection, and put down the poor crushed
• Formal Education: Henry's education in bondman, if, in his agony, he would strike down the
the classroom oppressor. She saw that the nation had written In
• Employment: Besides spending twoyears, the Constitution the grlevousness it had prescribed
two months and two days at Walden Pond, to turn aside the needy fromjudgment, and to take
Henry also had numerous "realJobs" away the right from the poor ofthe people, that
The site also features an already impressive library widows might be its prey, and that it might rob the
ofover forty electronically scanned images, such as fatherless. This Constitution, every man, eitherby
views ofWalden Pond, theThoreau family'sTexas himselfor his deputy, held up his hand to heaven,
House and its Yellow House, the headstone at and swore. So help me God, I will sustain. She saw
Thoreau's gravesite on Author's Ridge, Blister's that in the same Constitution, they agreed, by the
Spring, the Old Manse, the Emerson House, same solemn oath, ifthe poorvictim ofoppression
Thoreau's survey ofWalden Pond, several of should flee to any ofthe so-called free States,
Thoreau's friends, and all ofThoreau's relatives. braving incredible danger, facing death in Its most
Mahoney and Smith say that they plan to add a terrible forms, to obtain deliverance from his
great deal more information to the site in coming oppressors, and appeal to Northern men for
weeks and months, including an interactive tour of protection, being pursued by his enslaver, they must
Concord and the area around Walden Pond. perjure themselves, or allow his being delivered up
to his pursuers, and sent back again to the most
cruel bondage, without liftinga finger in his
—
defence thus stifling the noblest feelings oftheir
An Obituary of Helen Thoreau natures.
Henry Mayer In despair, she turned to the church. Surely,
she said, the church ofChrist is free from these
(Editor's Note: Mr. Mayer located the following abominations. But she found the church made up
obituary in The Liberator of22June 1849.| ofmen from all the political parties, alike pledged to
the support ofthe accursed Institution. In keeping
Another Friend Of The Slave Gone with this, she saw the church, almost universally,
Died, in Concord, on Thursday, June 14th, Miss giving to the slaveholder or his abettor, the right
—
Helen Thoreau, aged 36years. hand ofChristian fellowship calling him dear
Our friend, MissThoreau, was an abolitionist. brother in Christ. She saw the pulpits ofthe North
Endowed by nature with tender sensibilities, quick open to Southern divines, while the advocates ofthe
to feel for the woes ofothers, the cause ofthe slave slave knocked in vain for admission at the door of
met with a ready response In her heart. She had a almost every church in the land. She said to herself.
mind offine native powers, enlarged and matured by Is this the church ofChrist, and has It come down
cultivation. She had the patience to investigate so low? She repudiated such a church. Immediately
truth, the candor to acknowledge It when sufficient did she turn herback upon Us communion, and If
evidence was presented to her mind, and the moral she went to the house ofprayer, as she occasionally
courage to act in conformity with her convictions, did, she went to see Ifthe spirit ofChrist and
however unpopular these convictions might be to the humanity might not be rising among them. Again
community around her. The cause ofthe slave did and again has she called upon the writer ofthis
not come before her In its earliest beginnings; but as notice, when returning from church, and said, with
soon as it was presented, she set herselfto inquire strong emotion. It is all darkness and gloom. It was
how It was, that a system which lmbrutes man so not eloquent declamation which led her from the
cruelly, which tears asunder all the tenderest ties so church: but It was the array ofslrong,
ruthlessly, which puts out the life ofthe soul, by Incontrovertible facts, which impelled her to the
denying it the means ofgrowth and progress so course she felt called upon to pursue and she knew
Thoreau Society Bulletin
lli.it ihe eloquence ofanil slavery owed Its source lo American thought usingThoreau as a
lliese same facts, and endowed with eloquence Ihe touchstone. It is a thought-filled book, having
most unsifted tongues. To her, as to many others, it much to say about American nature writers from
was pleasant lo go lo Ihe church on Ihe Sahbalh, Crevecour to Edward Abbey, but always using
and worship with her friends; and nothing but an Tlioreau as a standard ofcomparison. As
entire conviction oflis wrongfulness, in her case, always with Buell's books, the breadth ofhis
would have prevented her constant attendance upon coverage is outstanding. He has much to say
Ihe institutions of religion. But the call to her was and all ofit pertinent. The subject has been
Imperative—Come out ofher, that ye be not approached piecemeal until now. He at last is
partaker ofher plagues,' and she obeyed. This looking at it whole. A major book in American
obedience brought peace in health, and peace In literature.
sic kness. Not an hour ofgloom did she experience Butterworth, Eric. 'Talks with My Gurus: 5.
during her protracted illness. Though Thoreau." New York: Unity Center, 199?. An
constitutionally timid, the gloom ofdeath was all unusual discussion ofThoreau's ideas with little
taken away, and the king ofterrors became to her an on his interest in nature but much on his social
angel ofhope andJoy, opening before her bright Ideas.
visions ofbeauty, to use her own expression. One Carlin, Margaret. "As the Worm Turns." Rocky
day, in conversation, she expressed hergratitude for MountainNews 15January 1995. On author
.
what anil slavery had done for her, in opening new fan clubs, including section on Thoreau.
andJuster—views ofGod, and truth, and duty, and Clinton, Patrick, "flow Did Henry David Thoreaauaa
exclaimed 'O how much has anti-slavery done for Pronounce His Name?" Outside. 19 (November
me, and how little have I done for It! I wanted 1994): 164. (Thor-o.)
heallh, that I might keep school, and in this way do Condry, William. Wildlife, My Life. Dyfed, Wales:
something for the cause I so much love. But It is Corner,1995. 216pp. Autobiographical
ordered otherwise.' reminiscences ofsearching for nature in Wales,
She experienced in its fullest extent the with a section on speaking at the 1981 Thoreau
fulfilment of Ihe promise—'Blessed Is he that Society meeting in Concord. It brings back fond
considerelh the poor; the Lord shall be with him memories ofhis visit here.
upon his bed oflanguishing, and make all his bed in Fenn, Mary. Old ConcordAnecdotes. Concord:
his sickness.' Her long continued illness made the Women's Club, 1995. A collection ofa number
suffering virtues, patience and resignation, to shine oftales about Concord, including some involving
brightly, and smoothed away the sharp edges ofher Thoreau.
character, fitting her, we doubt not, for a polished Forest Walker. "Future Site ofThoreau Institute
sione In the great temple above. Purchased by Walden Woods Project." Fall
The abolitionists ofConcord will mourn deeply 1994. P. 1.
her loss; for, few and feeble as they are, they can ill Fry, Ingrid Elizabeth. "Elective Affinities: Johann
afford to lose one so intelligent and so true. But Wolfgangvon Goethe's Concept of Bildung and
they feel, that though no longer present with them in Its Influence on Ihe American Transcendentalist
Ihe flesh, she will still be a co laborer with them in Writers Emerson. Fuller, and Thoreau."
the great and good cause in which Ihey have so long DissertatiojiAbstracts Inten\ational 55 (May
,
been associated. 1995): 3501.
Gould, John. "A Moose of Measure in Katahdin."
Christian Science Monitor 4 March 1994. On
.
Additions to the Thoreau climbers ofthe mountain, includingThoreau.
Greenfield, Bruce. Narrating Discovery: Tlxe
Bibliography
RomanticExplorerinAmerican Literature New
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Walter Harding York: Columbia, 1992. Includes a discussion of
Thoreau as a discovery narrator and "Klaadn" as
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Bartram, Thoreau, and Muir." Appalachia, 15 Gustafson, Thomas. Representative Words: Politics,
(June 1994): 97-105. Literatureand theAmerican Language New
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Balthazor, Ron. "To Play Life: Thoreau's Fabulous York: Cambridge UP, 1992. Thoreau is
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Barlow, Dudley & Kelly Maltese. 'TheTeacher's Kleinfeld, Leonard. "In the Shadow ofThoreau."
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36-39. Thoreau, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Krishnappa, K. V., and A. S. Rowat. "Civil
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Buell, Lawrence. The Environmental Imagination: Bangalore, India), 33 (March 1995): 1. Report of
Tlioreau, Nature Writing, and the Formation of a lecture by Sri Neelalhahally Kasturi.
American Culture. Cambridge: Belknap, 1995. Larrabee, John. "Commercialism Creeps into
586pp. A study ofthe place ofnature in Thoreau's Retreat." USAToday. 3 July 1995.
. .
Number21 1, Spring-Summer 1995
Chiefly about Don Henley's efforts to save and Henry David Thoreau. NewYork: Cambridge UP,
protect Walden. 1995. 224pp. This is a handbook toThoreau
Lewltt, PhilipJay. Thoreau as the FirstAmerican written primarily for the advanced student by
Dharma Bum." Studies m EnglishLiterature well-known Thoreau scholars, such as Ronald
(The English Literary Society ofJapan). (1990): Wesley Hoag. Robert Sattelmeyer, and Elizabeth
109-21. An exceptionally good discussion ofthe Witherell, with articles on his major works, his
interrelationship ofThoreau's ideas, Zen relation to Emerson, to Concord, to reform, and
philosophy, and the thoughts ofthe Beat to the environment. Each article is agood solid
Generation. piece ofworkgiving a clearbackground for the
Lowell Daily Citizen and News "Death ofHenry D. newcomer to the field. Among the livelier pieces
.
Thoreau." 8 May 1662. areJoseph Moldenhauer on T\\e Maine Woods
The Funeral ofHenry D. Thoreau." 12 May and Len Gougeon on the various reform papers.
.
1862. Lawrence Buell, as usual, provides a particularly
McKee, Kathryn B. "'A Fearful Price I Have Had to thoughtful piece onThoreau's interest in the
Pay for Loving Him': Ellery Channing'sTroubled environment. For a broad survey ofThoreau
Relationship with Ralph Waldo Emerson." In scholarship to date, this is an excellent reference
Studies in theAmerican Renaissance, 1994 . Ed. —work.
Joel Myerson. Charlottesville: U ofVirginia P, ed. Emersonand Thoreau: T\ie Contemporary
,
1994), pp. 251-69. An important study of Reviews. Review: NineteenthCentury Prose
,
Channing's relationship with Emerson, which in Spring 1995.
turn explains much in Channing's relationship Nickels, Thorn. "Henry DavidThoreau: Author of
with Thoreau. Walden." Philadelphia GayNews 14 October
.
Milder, Robert. Reimagining Thoreau. NewYork: 1994. A gay viewofThoreau
Cambridge UP. 1995. 237pp. $54.95. Nichols, John. "Walden E-mail: We Do Not Surfthe
ApproachingThoreau through Kenneth Burke, Internet; It Surfs Upon Us." CapitalTimes
Milder, who is directorofgraduate studies at (Madison, Wise), 6 March 1995. Thoughts on
Washington University in St. Louis, surveys all Thoreau and the Internet.
ofThoreau's writings, including theirvarious Perrin, Noel. 'Thoreau's Literary Family."
drafts, in chronological order, from 'The Natural Civilization, 2 (July 1995): 76-79. Thoreau as a
History ofMassachusetts" up to the end. He has nature writer and four modern nature writers.
also read widely inThoreau criticism, having Perry, Lewis. Boats against theCurrent NewYork:
.
much to say not only about most ofthe Oxford UP, 1993. Thoreau is discussed as "a
signficantbooks that have been written about critic ofcivilization's march."
Thoreau but also many ofthe articles. We are Pinder, Eric. "GoTell It to Katahdin." Bostonia
somewhat bothered, however, that so much of (Boston U.), (Summer 1995). TracesThoreau's
—
his commentary is negative not aboutThoreau metaphor in "Ktaadn" ofponds as fragments ofa
but rather about the critics, as though his were mirror to an article in the BangorCourier by
the only possible interpretations. He has some John Laski in 1847.
—
good things to say but so have lots ofother Pokrovsky, Nikita. "Henry DavidThoreau: 'Civil
people. Disobedience.'" In Historical ImageofAmerica:
Montague, Bill. Concord Guidebook: Tourist Papers Delivered at the InternationalConference
InformationforConcord, Massachusetts Ed. Dedicated to the 20thAnniversary ofthe
.
Christopher Roof. Concord, Mass.: Concord Fulbright Fund Programat MoscowState
Mousetrap, 1995. 48pp. Exactly the kind of University. Moscow, 1994. Pp. 76-96.
guidebook one wants: good clear maps, Raban, Jonathan. "Walden-on-Sea." New York
photographs, and historical descriptions ofevery Review ofBooks. 42 (20 April 1995): 21-23.
important site; impeccable historical data; and Compares Walden and Joshua Slocum's Sailing
hours open, entry fees, even toilet locations Alone around the World
clearly stated. Hard to imagine a clearer, Robinson, David. "'Unchronicled Nations: Agrarian
handierbook. Purpose and Thoreau's Ecological Knowing."
Mori, Yugi. "An Outdoorsman's Play and Ethics: Nineteenth Century Literature, 48 (December
Thoreau in the MaineWoods." Studies in 1993): 326-40.
Languageand Cultu-e (Osaka University), 21 Rose, Suzanne. "Following theTrail ofFootsteps:
(1995): 297-317. Text inJapanese, abstract in From the Indian Notebooks to Walden." New
English. Thoreau learned how to enjoy the England Quarterly. 67 (March 1994), 77-91.
wilderness without destroying it. Ryan, B. "Emerson's Domestic and Social
Murphy, Jim. Into theDeep Forest withHenry Experiments: Service, Slavery, and the Unhired
Thoreau. Illustrated by Kate Klesler. NewYork: Man." American Literature, 66 (September 1994):
Clarion Books. 1995. 39pp. A strange re- 485-508.
telling, in large part inThoreau's own words, of Saito, Hlkaru. "JapaneseTranslations of Walden,"
portions of The Maire Woods, with lovely Rising Generation, 141 (July 1995): 16. Text in
illustrations. AJuvenile volume. Japanese.
Myerson, Joel, ed. The CambridgeCompanion to Salt, Henry. Life ofHenry Thoreau Review:
.
8 Thoreau Society Bulletin
Nineteenth Century Prose, Spring 1995. $8.00.
Suyre, Robert. New Essays on Walden Review: A Writer'sJournal. Review. EnglishJournal,
.
EtudesAnglaises, January 1995. 80 (January 1995): 115-16.
Strathroy, Rexford. "A Day ofSolitude Thinking Van Anglen, Kevin. TheNew EnglandMilton.
. . .
about Thoreau." Diarist'sJournal, 49 (Spring University Park: Pennsylvania State UP, 1993.
1995). On Thoreau's thoughts. With a chapter aboutThoreau on Milton,
Tan, Hongbo. "Confucius at Walden Pond: van Schalck, John Jr. Characters in Tales ofa
Thoreau's Unpublished ConfucianTranslations." WaysideInn. Boston: Unlversalist, n.d. Notes
In Studies in theAmerican Renaissance, 1993 on a visit to Wayside Inn byThoreau and
.
Ed. Joel Myerson. Charlottesville: U ofVirginia Channing.
P. 1993), pp. 275 303. Wentzell, Gregg Webster. "Wildness and the
Teichgraeber, Richard F. III. SublimeThoughts / American Mind: The Social Construction of
Penny Wisdom: Situating Emersonand Thoreau Nature In Environmental Romanticism from
in theAmerican Market. Baltimore: Johns Thoreau to Dillard." DissertationAbstracts
Hopkins UP, 1995. 283pp. This Is an extremely International, 54 (January 1994): 2582-83.
difficult book to review. It has much to Miami U.
commend it. The author has obviously done a Yu, Ning. Thoreau and the New Geography: The
great deal ofresearch and has many interesting Hydrologlcal Circle in Ktaadn." ESQ, 40 (1994):
and important things to say. And yet at times 113 38.
—
he seems astonishingly Innocent ofwell-known Zager, Raymond Lee. 'Thoreau A Great Naturalist
facts. On the surface the book seems well and a World Class Walker." Diarist'sJournal,
organized, but In actuality it Is often difficult to 49.
follow and Includes much material that seems
outside Its scope. (Although he has much to say We are Indebted to the following for information
ofInterest on the subject ofslavery and sent In for this bulletin: J. Armstrong, J. Austin, D.
Thoreau, It seems out ofplace with the Barto, J. Dawson, B. Dean. J. Dennis, P. Dooley, M.
aanmnobeuinncgedunfpauirrpoIsnesaoyfitnhgembaoonky.)ofAtnhdesyeetthIifnegesl I FHiusbcehre,ttEe., JRo.hGnaslovinn.,KD..KHaasredgianwga,,L.B.HaKrrdiitznbgu,rgP.. W.
aaI bbsoohuuottulatdhbesoaroyekctethphatatitoIfnhyaoosfuTshwooamrneutacuth'osltoe(aaornfnfdear.goIogduedsesal WMSapolenrktbeaergr,u,eR.M..WGi.SneaRslyltaosnw,.,RM.B..TWhSlaotgmhopefrfse,olnlR,.,aSKcn.hdTnueSr.ikdZieunrlg,atuMof.n., E.
Emerson's) works In their own day, read this Please keep Walter Harding (19 Oak Street, Geneseo,
book, but don't be surprised Ifyou find yourself NY 14454) informed ofitems he has missed and new
items as they appear.
often bothered by Its presentation.
Thoreau, Henry D. AnAmerican Landscape Edited
.
and Illustrated by Robert Rothwell. NewYork: Donors to the Society:
Marlowe & Co., 1995. 225pp. New paperback
edition.
DissobedienzaCivile Milan: SE Studio The Society is grateful to the following members for
Edl.lorlale, 1994. New tr.anslations into Italian of theirgenerosity In donating to our general fund:
"A Plea for Captain John Brown" and "Civil • Nick Bulzacchelli, Pound Ridge, NewYork
Disobedience," with an essay by Franco Mell on • MaryJane Row, Clifton Park, NewYork
Thoreau's thoughts on the use ofviolence. • Harry LeFever, Springfield, Pennsylvania
. Faith in aSeed. Trans, intoJapanese by • AlexanderArmstrong, Ruxon, Maryland
Shoko Itoh. Tokyo: Takarajima-sha, American • Theodore Haddln, Birmingham, Alabama
Nature Library, 1995. 264pp. • AlexW. Moore, Jr., Traverse City, Michigan
. Faith in aSeed. Reviews: Bioscience, 44
(March 1994): 184-85; Societyforthe
Advancement ofAmerican Philosophy Newsletter Thoreau Says No To Beeper
,
71 (June 1995).
Bondage
Journal 3. Review: ResourcesforAmerican
.
Literary Study 21 (1995). Brent Staples
.
Neighborofthe Foxes Sacramento: Trees
. .
Press, 1995. Limited Edition. [Editor's Note The following article Is reprinted
. Walden. Trans, intoJapanese by Hoitsu from VieNew Y:orkTimes.]
Mlyanishi. Tokyo, 1950. 240pp. With a
postscript by Mlyanishi. Weak on public transit, sprawlingwildly over Its
Walden. Review: New Orleans Daily landscape for 465 square miles, LosAngeles is and
.
Picayune, 24 August 1854. will always be the city ofthe car. Vast chunks of
Walking. San Francisco: Harper San every Los Angeles day are spent driving, mainly by
.
Francisco, 1994. 92pp. A charmingly printed oneself, down endless freeways and boulevards.
little pamphlet with an abridged version of This Is not quite the solitude thatThoreau
"Walking" and the whole text of"AWinter Walk." prescribed In Walden. To properly renew the soul.
Number211, Spring-Summer 1995
Thoreau said, what you need is a cabin on a pond, reminds us that periods ofsolitude, fleeting though
at least a mile from the nearest neighbor. theybe, are essential to nourishingwhat isvaluable
These days, the only solitude most people get in us. We gain insight into howwe live, avantage
comes with commuting. In this, Angelenos are point on ourattitudes and habits. Without time to
beyond compare. The time they spend alone, daydream, we grow tiresome and stale. AsThoreau
cruising in their cars, would seem ample space for put it: "We meet ... and give each othera new taste
introspection, ifnot forall ofTolstoy, via books on ofthe old, musty cheese thatwe are."
tape. Ample, but for their pocket telephones, pocket As wouldThoreau, I say no tobeeperbondage.
pagers, glove compartment fax machines, and all the Write me this summer at the cabin by the pond. It
rest. may take awhile, but I'll getback toyou. Honest.
On the Santa Monica Freeway, bronzed men in
Porsches hurtle by at 90 m.p.h, yappingon the fly.
On the Harbor Freeway not longago, watched as a Japanese TV Host Takes
I
wthoemnabnolrtiefdledthfroerealapangeesrr,igchhtecfokredthietefxoirt,thperensuummbaebrl,y Modern View of Walden
to get to a phone. An emergency? Somehow I doubt Richard Fahlander
it.
When science-fiction writers look to LosAngeles
for clues about the future, mainly they focus on the (Editor's Note: The following article is reprinted
pollution, the sprawl, or the "armed response" signs from the ConcordJournal]
bristlingon the city's lawns. But what LosAngeles
—
also presents is a glimpse at the end ofsolitude of A man in blueJeans and a red plaid shirt casts his
the time in the not-so-distant future when portable fishing line into the calm water and sends concentric
phones, pagers, and data transmission devices of circles acrossWalden Pond. The afternoon autumn
every sort keep us terminally in touch, permanently sun glistens through red and yellow leaves and
patched into the grid. refracts in the aqua-green glowofthe water. To a
A decade ago wireless communication devices passerby this Idyllic scene along the shore ofthe
were relatively rare, largely limited to business use. cove made famous by Henry DavidThoreau sums up
The Personal Communications IndustryAssociation the simple beauty ofWalden, but beneath the
now claims that 14.000 newwireless telephones and surface it is a more complicated picture. The man
1 1,000 new pocket pagers are beingissued every with the ruddy face, strong hands, and quick smile
day. Within a decade, 65 millionAmericanswill is not an ordinary New Englanderenjoying an
own wireless phones; 52 million will be tethered to afternoon outing. He is a Welsh naturalist and
job, home, or family by pocket pagers. adventurerwho hasjourneyed though theArctic and
LosAngeles is well up on the game. Sixty Africa, and today is the narrator foraJapanese
percent ofits cellular phones are the pocket kind, television film about the life ofThoreau.
twice the percentage ofNewYork. In restaurants, Clyde William Nicol first encountered Walden at
pocket phones blossom from heads, like strange new the age offourteen. "A teacher said, 'Read this,' and
appendages. "Sorry, I must have been out whenyou I did," recalled Nicol, and the experience led him
called." Remember that little white lie, after letting around the globe in search ofnatural adventure.
the phone ringbecause you felt like not talking? Along the way, in 1962. he moved toJapan to study
The erosion ofsolitude picked up considerably karate and fell in love with a woman and the
with the answering machine (and its obsequious Japanese landscape. For most ofthe past thirty-
—
successor, voice mail) and with the presumption fouryears Nicol has made his home inJapan,
that every call was worth preservingand answering. although each summer he takes a solo kayak trek in
That's reasonable in business. But in private life, it the Canadian Arctic, where he survives on fish,
has proved both false and time-consuming. True, tundravegetables, kelp, and Arctic char. "I lose all
we never miss a call from mom. Nor do we miss the this," he laughs, as he grabs a fold offlesh that
wrong numbers, sales calls, heavybreathers, and hangs comfortably over his belt.
people we simply wish not to hear from. Thanks to As a child in Britain, Nicol imagined Walden as
voice mail, then, we will never miss any call, ever being much smaller than it is, but as a result ofhis
again. Pocket phones and pagers rely for part of Arctic travels he estimated the size "just about
their appeal on the presumption that good right." His first impression when he arrived on
citizenship means being forever in touch. That's a Saturday was mixed. "I was horrified by the noise,
reasonable standard for doctors, plumbers, the traffic, the planes; but I was impressed by the
expectant fathers, or movie moguls forwhom phone purity ofthe water and the lack ofany garbage," he
calls can mean millions ofbucks. But fewcalls are said.
so momentous. Across the cove a three-member crew from NHK
Why the rush to put every man, woman, and (Japan Broadcasting Company) records Nlcol's
child on an electronic leash? Technology is angling forone scene ofa 45-mlnute production
seductive; when a device exists, we feel compelled to aboutThoreau. . . . DirectorAkihito Saklhara
own it. Solitude becomes "down time," to be filled in previously directed a twelve-part series on
with gadgets. Time to read Walden again. It environmental ethics for NHK and one episode
—
10 Thoreau Society Bulletin
Ionised on Thoreau as u pioneer In the field. He was Selections ofScripture were read, and a briefode,
so Intrigued by the life ofThoreau lhal he decided to prepared for the occasion by W. E. Channing, was
devote an entire program to the life ofthe Concord sung, when Mr. Emerson read an address, marked,
native. says the Transcript, by all his felicity ofconception
—
Nlcol was a natural choice for narrator. He and diction an exquisite appreciation ofthe salient
speaks perfect Japanese and is well known as an and subtle traits ofhis friend's genius.
environmentalist and novelist. But his greatest
claim to fame may be as a television pitchman for
products such as hoots, whiskey, and ham. Nlcol Discover Thoreau
I
has used the earnings from his commercial ventures
to purchase 45 acres ofwoodland adjacent to a Nikita Pokrovsky
national forest. "I'm doing a bit ofan Emerson," he
said, as he described the development pressure on I am frequently asked why I, a Russian citizen, have
the land that Is adjacent to the site ofthe 1998 become so interested in Thoreau's ideas and have
Winter Olympics. He feels very much a part ofthe devoted so much time to them. I think this question
conservation efforts of the Walden Woods Project. Is not so Important, as I do not evaluate highly my
In addition to Walden, the crew Is visitingother personal contribution to "Thoreauviana." But from a
local historic sites and InterviewingThoreau experts, strictly sociological point ofview, perhaps. It may be
such as Tom Blanding and Marcla Moss. Nlcol has Interesting to discuss the topic here.
mixed feelings about the centerofConcord as well. After having some success as an undergraduate
"There are far too many cars, and although It Is well student in the Philosophy Department ofMoscow
preserved and the shops are great, there are no State University in the early 70's with my research
green grocers or butcher shops. The lack ofevidence on ThomasJefferson, and wanting to continue
oflocal people living here made me feel kind of studying the traditions ofAmerican social thought, I
lonely." came across a dog-eared Russian translation,
Filming in Concord Is expected to be completed published In 1962, ofThoreau's Walden: or, Life in
by the following Sunday, and the broadcast was the Woods. The copy belonged to the library at the
expected to reach between 300,000 and 400,000 university and was ragged because it had been read
households In Japan. As Nlcol casts his lure, he so much Walden being one ofthe classics
reminds his Japanese viewers thatThoreau never designated for compulsory reading for the history of
used a reel and rod to catch his fish. Offcamera he Western literature course in the Philology
Jokes, "Ifthere is a fish stupid enough to be caught Department.
by me, l*d like to see its face." In the margins ofthe copy were innumerable
notes and "resolutions" made by students. The
majority were messages ofan irritated nature, in
Lowell Notices of Thoreau's fierce criticism ofThoreau. That was not surprising,
for the night before the exam students frequently
Death and Funeral
tried to cram into their heads the entire wealth of
Richard Winslow III 19th-century Western literature. And because
Thoreau, with all his complications and paradoxes,
[Editor's Note: By discovering the following two was essentially forced into their hands on the way to
Items—not to mention other, similar items he has the exams, he probably seemed almost a curse to
turned up—Mr. Winslow again shows how much them.
material on Thoreau remains to be recovered from Now I feel sorry that 1 did not exchange that
local libraries and historical societies.] copy of"misunderstanding" for a clean one. What a
marvelous exhibit itwould be for a museum or even
Lowell Daily Citizen &News 8 May 1862. for my private book collection!
.
Be that as it may. Walden not only fascinated
DliacsatiieivoefniHnegnraynnDo.uTnhcoekseatuh.e dTehaethBoosfttohnisTrcahnasrcmriinpgt of mtrey—ingitttoosoekpoavreartemtyheso"unle.ceIsrseaardy"itfarnomd trhee-read it,
wMrri.teTrh,oyreesatuerwdaaysmaonrnoriinggi,naaltthhiisnkheormaendinhCaodncord.... "reuanlniezceedstshaeryy"wepraeraalglrnaepchesssianrtyh.e bSoionkc,e btuhtenITfhinoarlleyau
become widely known and esteemed in literary has become a permanent companion in my life.
circles. He has for many years shown unfaltering Although my first paper on Thoreau was titled
devotion to the anti-slavery cause. His departure, In The Social and Political Philosophy ofThoreau,"
the prime ofmanhood, will be greatly lamented. Mr. today I am not sure IfThoreau had such a
Thoreau was 44 years ofage. philosophy. Nonetheless, the paperexpresses what
I
Lowell Daily Citizen &News. 12 May 1862. tshhoouulgdhtmaatktehaTtholirmeea.uItthseeseumbejdecttoomfemythgernadtuhaattiIon
The funeral of Henry D. Thoreau, which took place paper. But fate willed otherwise.
in Concord on Friday, was attended by a large The leaders ofthe department dec—ided that
company ofcitizens of that and neighboring towns, Thoreau was "not a promising figure" not really a
and services are described as unusually impressive. philosopher, an advocate of"doubtful" civil