Henry David Thoreau: A Life

Join Laura Dassow Walls, author of the forthcoming Henry David Thoreau: A Life, for an illustrated presentation on the profound, inspiring complexity of Henry David Thoreau. Drawing on Thoreau’s copious writings, published and unpublished, Walls presents a Thoreau with all his quirks and contradictions: the young man shattered by the sudden death of his brother; the ambitious Harvard College student; and the ecstatic visionary who closed Walden with an account of the regenerative power of the Cosmos.
Held on July 26, 2017.

[@acefrehley28]

Im 44.... The age Thoreau passed away. I thought that reading Walden this year would be special... I didn't realize it would change my life. Thank you for this extension of his life. I live near Walden Pond and visit it now as often as possible. I am so moved when standing by the site and I love swimming in the pond... It's like swimming in magical waters.

[@btms9197]

Thank you for this I’m 24 but my 8th great grandfather had a son named Henry David Thoreau, never heard of him didn’t think anything of him, until I saw a quote by him one day and realized I recognized the name to go on ancestry and find out it’s true. Not to imagine I shared all his views. Very small world.. happy I was just able to hear his work not the part of being related to him, his work enlightens my soul and makes me a better person. His work has changed me.

[@hughmanatee7657]

Laura Dassow Walls' biography of Thoreau is magnificent. I'm about to read it again--rare for a biography--as I undertake the reading of all of Thoreau's works again, in the order of their composition. What a sage was Thoreau! And what a writer, offering so many sublime moments! And what a poet!

[@Backwoodsandblades]

Wow. Such a loving lecture. Well done. Best way I can think of to spend this 4th of July 2020. Thank you .

[@Raeleen]

agreed!

[@gregfuller2387]

Beautiful lecture. Thank you beautiful soul. Sending pure love to the human race.❤❤❤

[@williamdelong1936]

My hero a true genius. God bless you Henry. We love you forever Henry. A most beautiful soul was Henry Thoreau, ordained by God to lift up those below. His Wisdom, temperance and courage abound throughout the ages we answer the sound of Truth of Light and immortality. God bless Henry David so mote it be.

[@petersiegfriedkrug]

I´m also very impressed of Thoreau! He was a great one

[@sthenrymary]

A principled activist of his time. A naturalist who went to live with nature to better understand its beauty & awesomeness. Refused to pay taxes to prosecute the U.S.-Mexican War. Civil disobedience was his brainchild.

[@stephencarmichael5156]

Thoreua was a minimalist long before it was a revolutionary idea, yet even then the towns people questioned his logic.

[@DavidGarcia-hr6zw]

Excellent presentation! Thank you.

[@dorotheagalantay8973]

Walking through the woods on snowy evenin

[@Cubapercchi]

Great lecture. By the way, Prof. Walls brings the same knowledge, humor, and insight to her book of the same title. It's well worth reading.

[@ncslimited1008]

begins at 6:44

[@glenngoldfarb6774]

I appreciate HD's writings. I loved Walden in high school. Now I've got a Medicare card and I'm a daily canoer. Well guess who wrote some great canoeing books? Our buddy HD. A week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers and Maine Wilderness. And his most famous quote, " Everyone must believe in something, I believe I'll go canoeing". There ya go. Can beat that.

[@jenniferlamberjack]

Alas, while a good quote, tis not Thoreau’s. I’m sure wherever his soul resides, he would support daily canoeing ☺️

[@glenngoldfarb6774]

Thanx for the comment

[@sanderhoefsloot6852]

Incredible presentation. Just started reading Walden and I'm connecting strongly because of lockdown. Thank you for this.

[@GoodbyePanama]

This is a fantastic book - the definitive Thoeau biography.

[@hughmanatee7657]

Thoreau's project, to write a new scripture for our age, corresponds to Walt Whitman's project, to write a new Bible for America. These two writers, who are also sages and prophets, were wary of each other, yet I'm sure they understood that they were working to bring about the Ideal America, and their influence has been immeasurable.

[@humanfirst11]

The unabridged journals have become nearly impossible to get hold of, so I don't know how to read more of _H D Thoreau_ .

[@markjohnson9455]

I bought the book Walden as a challenge reading for the summer. Any suggestions on what to look for or consider will be helpful?

[@martinmaude7124]

Explore Walden as Thoreau explored forests: with an aptitude to learn from all that he sees.

[@paulheffron4836]

It's like a very fine wine that you would sip and savor. There will be so many times that you will want to pause and mull over a paragraph or sentence before moving on.

[@65aliver69]

deep voice

[@johnhelm6231]

📚🧐✌️🌟🥳.

[@matthewplehn4271]

Its ironic that she was having problems with her pointer while speaking of a man that could reject his days "technology" and live simply.

[@deaththekid9208]

He's my 7th cousin twice remove

[@damo780]

Beautiful. I suspect his personality type was akin to INFJ

[@sunablast]

god kristine cute

[@Niall-ce6su]

I wanted to hear about Thoreau not the speaker's political bias which clouded her vision of him.

[@dmm3124]

She says "um" so much that it could be made into a drinking game.

[@user-du3vo5ld2j]

Celebrating white authors is racist....just kidding. I recently discovered all the great works on YT being read my individuals. Decided to learn a bit about the man before I listen to some of his works.

[@Eatmyyshorts]

Was she always a woman?

[@Sportliveonline]

his philosophy don`t work in the real world just too many people on this planet

[@skimaxmusic1847]

This Thoreau guy sounds like his life was pretty boring.

[@vincentconti3633]

Intellectuals are funny people...this seems like a great adventure....he walked home on weekends..... fifteen minute walk!! He was a writer.

[@kevinmorgan8534]

@@vincentconti3633 His mother did his laundry for him.

[@petersiegfriedkrug]

Thoreau was a very courageous person who lived according to his conscience and convictions and rejected violence. He is a role model for all times because, unlike most people, he was not a blind swimmer or a stupid follower. In our Corona scandal time we absolutely need people like Thoreau was.

[@67NewEngland]

It not a story about a guy who "courageously" lived alone in the woods (only a couple of miles from the town sq and his parents house). It's a brain drain on how one might consider looking at life, how to consider what is truly important, from being owned by your possessions and real estate, to the true connection of body and consciousness with nature and existence.

[@margalitvanbergen6620]

Read the book 🔰👓 🍸

[@unclesamowitz9922]

The book was a steaming piece of SJW crap. Hopefully we get something more befitting of Thoreau's greatness somewhere down the line.

[@Daniel-xu6kd]

Lame