PRESENTATIONS & DISCUSSIONS
Henry David Thoreau & His Relevance for Today
American author and naturalist Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) is best known for spending one night in jail for nonpayment of the state poll tax, and for living for two years along the shores of Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. More than a century and a half later, his essays and books are still being read, and his words are still printed on inspirational posters and greeting cards. What were his basic philosophies, and how do they resound with us today? We'll learn a bit more about this "Transcendentalist" and will discuss what threads may connect us to him.
Talk and discussion, with computer slides if desired. 60-90 minutes or more.
*Hosts of past talks include Mount Wachusett Community College; the public libraries in Fitchburg MA, Leland MI, Mackinac Island MI, New Ulm MN, Red Wing MN, Rhinelander WI, Stoughton WI, Merrimack NH, and Dover,VT; and the nature centers of Tekakwitha Woods Forest Preserve in St. Charles IL, the Hitchcock Center for the Environment in Amherst MA, and the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster MA. My speaking fee is negotiable and may also depend upon travel expenses.
"Dessert Social honors Thoreau's 200th birthday." By Chris Mays. Brattleboro Reformer, August 11, 2017.
Henry David Thoreau: A Transcendental Travelogue
Henry David Thoreau's last and longest journey is one that is often overlooked by biographers and historians. Over the course of two months, Thoreau and Horace Mann, Jr., traveled from Massachusetts to Minnesota and back. Their trip took place during the opening months of the Civil War, in the Spring of 1861. They passed through ten U.S. states and one Canadian province. They saw all kinds of plants and wildlife. During this presentation, you will learn about their routes, the sights they saw and wrote about, and what you can see in those same places today.
Talk with computer slides. Can be tailored to location, if it lies along the route. 60-90+ minutes.
*Hosts of past talks include the public libraries in Fitchburg MA, Leland MI, Mackinac Island MI, New Ulm MN, Red Wing MN, Rhinelander WI, Stoughton WI, Merrimack NH; and the nature centers of Tekakwitha Woods Forest Preserve in St. Charles IL, and the Hitchcock Center for the Environment in Amherst MA. My speaking fee is negotiable and may also depend upon travel expenses.
The Fitchburg Railroad
Learn the history of this railroad line built in the 1840s from Boston to Fitchburg, Massachusetts, and under the guidance of businessman Alvah Crocker. Because the Fitchburg Railroad led right past Walden Pond, its trains and the name of its city are often linked with that of Henry David Thoreau. The naturalist wrote of both in Walden. Thoreau used the Fitchburg Railroad on at least 20 occasions, and almost always “botanized” from its car windows during his travels. This presentation will focus on the background history of Fitchburg, the development of its railroad line, and the crucial relationship Thoreau had with both.
This is a talk with computer slides. It can be tailored to location, especially any lying along the route. It can also be done without the focus on Thoreau's relationship with the line. 60-90 minutes or more.
*Hosts of past talks include the Fitchburg (MA) Public Library and the Boxborough (MA) Historical Society. My speaking fee is negotiable and may also depend upon travel expenses.