Writer Kennedy Warne reflects on his admiration of Henry David Thoreau after a day spent at Walden Pond. View the image gallery at the top of the article to see the inspirational location.
Category Archives: The Individual and Society
New humanities class explores the history of the ‘self’ from B.C. to VR
A course at Yale University examines the intersections of individuality, society, and technology.
Writers Work in Mobile Studios at This Incredible Residency in Massachusetts
The Mastheads, a residency program for writers, built five small studios inspired by famous local authors, such as Henry David Thoreau and Nathaniel Hawthorne, for its recipients to work in.
Lowell Mill Women Create the First Union of Working Women
In the early 1800s, the women who worked in Massachussetts textile mills organized to fight for better working conditions.
People prefer electric shocks to time alone with thoughts
A University of Virginia study found that people prefer not to spend time alone without distractions. This article describes the measures people will take to avoid their own company.
Wheat People vs. Rice People
Anthropologist T.M. Luhrmann analyzes the independence and interdependence displayed in different cultures.
Did John Deere’s Best Invention Spark a Revolution or an Environmental Disaster?
This article examines the complexities of farming technology and its environmental impact since the invention of John Deere’s steel plow in 1833.
Course explores new field at intersection of genomics and society
As sequencing one’s genes becomes more common, the field of social genomics is growing.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
In this biography, read how the events of Emerson’s life led him to be a central member of the American Transcendalist movement.
Legacy Of Forced March Still Haunts Navajo Nation
In 1864, thousands of Navajo and Apache were forced to walk from their lands to a reservation about 400 miles away. In this recording, descendants of Native Americans on the Long Walk share their experiences and memories.
War of 1812
Learn about the various causes of and outcomes of the War of 1812.
‘In stressed times, we can take comfort in wildlife’: why nature-writing is ‘exploding’
Journalist Alison Flood investigates the increase of nature writing and reading in times of transition.
Prelude to War: Manifest Destiny
Read this introduction of the standings of the United States and Mexico before the Mexican-American War. Click the different sections in the drop-down menu for more in-depth explanations and insights.
Edgar Allan Poe–Cosmologist?
In this blog post, literary scholar René van Slooten argues that Poe was ahead of his time in scientific thought.
It’s Not the Economy: Why Unique Baby Names Are Trending Up
An increase in individualism has led to parents choosing original baby names.
In ‘All the Wild That Remains,’ David Gessner illuminates two great writers on the American West.
Read this review of nature writer David Gessner’s biography of two other authors whose work he argues remains relevant today.
Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson and the War That Changed Poetry, Forever
In this blog entry, David Ward looks at the influence of the Civil War on poetry, specifically the works of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson.
10 Things You May Not Know About Nathaniel Hawthorne
Did you know Nathaniel Hawthorne served as an American diplomat and had a daughter who has been proposed for sainthood? Learn these and more little-known facts about the famous author.
Aziz Ansari Goes to India
In this essay, actor and comedian Aziz Ansari contemplates his American and Indian identities.
Artwork of Erie Canal from its 1825 opening found
Read about a Vermont historian’s journey to inform others of the impact of the Erie Canal and to distribute the artwork of an Episcopalian minister who recorded what it looked like when first built. Be sure to click through the slideshow of images at the top.