Listen to the radio piece to learn what inspired Thoreau to live at Walden Pond and what he experienced while he was there.
Category Archives: The Individual and Society
How Technology Makes Us Better Social Beings
Contradicting other studies, sociologist Keith Hampton has found that social networks like Facebook have connected people more than separated them.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Funny Civil War
In the second year of the Civil War, Nathaniel Hawthorne published an article in Atlantic Monthly outlining his unconventional views on the war. American Studies professor Cynthia Wachtell offers her opinion about the piece.
Studies in Scale: Excerpts from The Gorgeous Nothings
Jen Bervin talks about how she was inspired by the physical nature of Emily Dickinson’s poems when putting together The Gorgeous Nothings, her recent collection of work by the poet. Scroll to the bottom of the article to see examples of the poems, which were written on envelopes.
The Hudson River School
The Hudson River School was a group of distinctly American artists who painted landscapes in the mid-1800s. View the slideshow and consider how their depictions of nature reflected the ideas of the Transcendentalist writers of the same time period.
Revising Himself: Walt Whitman and Leaves of Grass
This companion website to a 2005 Library of Congress exhibit provides glimpses of the items that were displayed as well as background information on Whitman’s life, career, and legacy. Take a look at the “Leaves of Grass” section to learn more about the history surrounding one of America’s most influential books of poetry.
The Lesson of the Power Loom
In this article, technology and innovation researcher James Bessen discusses how the inventions of the Industrial Revolution may influence the innovations of today.
In The Adventures of Henry Thoreau, Michael Sims follows along the path of self-discovery that led to Walden Pond
In his new book The Adventures of Henry Thoreau, author Michael Sims enlightens the reader on the man behind the famous work of literature.
The issues behind Jefferson and Hamilton’s rivalry are still alive two centuries later
In his new book Jefferson and Hamilton: The Rivalry That Forged a Nation, author John Ferling tells about two men who helped build our country. Check out this article that details some of the similarities among Jefferson, Hamilton, and modern-day politicians.
Creativity in the Wild
Is it time to drop that controller, switch off that television, and head outdoors? This article reports the results of a scientific study of whether exposure to natural settings improves cognition. Perhaps the American Romantics were right about the effects of nature on imagination and thought. Read to find out.
Walden Pond State Reservation
Embark on a virtual visit of Walden Pond, the famous site that inspired Henry David Thoreau’s Walden.