The Thoreau Society's 75th Annual Gathering:

Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary: Henry D. Thoreau as Proto-ecologist, Reformer, and Visionary

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

FREE and OPEN to the PUBLIC**

Masonic Temple

7-9 pm “Pond Scum: Henry David Thoreau’s Moral Myopia,” The New Yorker, October 19, 2015 Issue.  The following is a program in response to the October New Yorker piece by Katherine Schulz.  We hope for lively, respectful audience participation.  Ms Schulz had prior engagements and respectfully declined our invitation to participate. 

Main Floor

  • Panel Discussion

"Is Thoreau Really ‘Pond Scum’,” Joseph L. “Joel” Andrews and Michael Lorence

  • Performance

"Skimming the Surface, A Katherine Schultz Inspired Play" Tammy Rose

Thursday, July 7, 2016

6:30 - 9 am Walk Walden Woods, Peter Alden, Concord naturalist & author
Meet at Keyes Rd town parking lot behind the banks. 

Masonic Temple 

8 am Registration Opens

Masonic Temple

9-10

Main Level

“Reading Thoreau’s Journal," Barry Andrews**

Lower Level

FREE and OPEN to the PUBLIC**

"How Walden Works: The Hydrology of the Pond," John M. Nevison

Masonic Temple 

10:15-11:45 

Main Level 

  1. "Nature, Ecology and the Spiritual Vision of Henry David Thoreau," Rev'd Dr Daniel Medina, CJ
  2. “The Right Time To See the Sun,” Edward Gillin
  3. "Thoreau’s Concord Academy and the Journal: A School of the Present," Ernesto Estrella
  4. "Thoreau as Ecologist," Geoff Wisner

 Lower Level

  1. "Thoreau's "Present Moment" and Our Own," Rebecca Kneale Gould
  2. “Practical Philosophy and Strategy of Simplification in Thoreau’s Time and Today: Life without Luxuries,” Nikita Pokrovsky
  3. “Young Man’s Guide: Thoreau’s Walden and the Self-Help Book in 19th-century America," Henrik Otterberg
  4. "Commonplace Commerce and Transcendence in 'The Pond in Winter,'" Stephen Hahn

Noon-1 Lunch 

Masonic Temple 

1-1:30

Main Level

"The Life and Legacy of Richard Leo:  A Modern Day Thoreauvian," Andrew Celentano

Lower Level

"Fruitlands and BrookFarm from the Ridiculous to the Sublime," Ted David 

Concord Free Public Library

 1:30-3

  1. "Mapping Brooks and Shorelines:  A Complete Water-Line Meander Through Thoreau’s Surveys and Maps," Dennis Noson
  2. "A First Transcription of Thoreau’s “Field Notes of Surveys," Allan Schmidt and Dennis Noson 

Masonic Temple

1:45-3:15

Main Level

  1. "Reflections on Henry David Thoreau’s sentiment about the Pine in Chesuncook," James Mathew and Robert Pavlik
  2. "Thoreau, Ecology, and Changing Perspectives on Non-Native Species," John Barthell
  3. "Affiliations, Friendships, and Unlikely Reciprocities: Thoreau as Visionary Protoecologist," Jonathan Butler
  4. "The Continuing Influence of Henry David Thoreau on American Landscape Painting," Deborah Paris* <CANCELLED>

 Lower Level

  1. Kathleen Coyne Kelly (Northeastern University), “Introduction and Overview: ‘A pencil is one of the best eyes’: Thoreau’s Journal Drawings”
  2. Nick D’Amore (Northeastern University) “Modeling Thoreau's Journals: From Data to Digital Exhibits”**
  3. Matthew Harty (Northeastern University) “How to Build a Canoe: Writing as Visualizing in Thoreau's Journals”**
  4. Greg Palermo (Northeastern University), “Never Exhausting the Landscape: Digitizing and Mapping Thoreau’s Journal Drawings” 

Masonic Temple

 3:30-5

Main Level 

  1. "Henry David Thoreau’s Elemental Encounters," Kevin Dann
  2. “The Birds and Bugs of Walden Woods: A Shaping of Consciousness in Thoreau’s Walden,” Kristen Janelle Carlson
  3. "Leaving the Gun and Fish-Pole Behind: Thoreau’s Aesthetic Vegetarianism and Moral Sentiment," Brendan Mahoney 
  4. "Henry Thoreau and New England Bioregionalism," Yeojin Kim 

Lower Level

  1. "Deep Integrity: Thoreau and Self-Cultivation," Matt Stefon
  2. "Before all the “Afters”: How Thoreau’s Practical Mysticism Informs Today’s Spiritual Dilemmas," Donald McCown
  3. "'Words, words, words:' Hamlet, Mishima, and Thoreau take on patriotism in the octagon; Ultimate Fighting never knew it had it so good," Michael Stoneham
  4. "Thoreau and George William Curtis," Joseph J. Moldenhauer

 6-7:30 Dinner on your own

 7:30-9 Emerson Society

  1. "Emersonian Infinitudes: the Case of 'Terminus',” Peter Balaam
  2. “Building a Representative Frenchman: Emerson’s Francophone Turn in Poetry and Prose in the 1840s,” Michael S. Martin
  3. “Extraordinary Individualism: Emerson, Self-Reliance, and the Dictation of Democracy,” Austin Bailey 

 9-10 Emerson Society Wine and Cheese Reception

 

Friday, July 8, 2016

 6:30 - 9 am Walk Eastabrook Woods, Peter Alden, Concord naturalist & author

Meet at Keyes Rd town parking lot behind the banks.

 Masonic Temple

 9-10

 Main Level

 Thoreau's God, Richard Higgins

 Lower Level

 "Thoreau and Manifest Destiny," Richard Schneider**

 Masonic Temple

 10:15-11:45

 Main Level

  1. "Actions from Principle–The Transcendentalism in Henry David Thoreau’s 'Civil Disobedience,'" Lai Yin-Yin
  2. "The Red Flannel Shirt: The Dynamic Clothing Metaphor in The Maine Woods," Ann Beebe
  3. "A Study of Haiku Moments in Thoreau's Writings," Shinji Iwamasa
  4. "Getting Inked: Henry David Thoreau in American tattoo art," Mark Sullivan

 Lower Level

  1. "Thoreau’s “Sympathy with Intelligence," Albena Bakratcheva
  2. "Thoreau's 'Sympathy' for 'The Gentle Boy'", Mark Gallagher*
  3. "Swamp Things: Henry David Thoreau and Alan Moore," Anton Borst <CANCELLED>
  4. "Eastward I go only by force; but (Kayne West)ward I go free: Henry Thoreau and his Rhetoric of Transcendentalism in Hip-Hop," Brandon Hernsberger  <CANCELLED>
  5. "His Grave Indian Stride”: How Did Thoreau Walk?, Brent Ranalli

 Noon-1 pm Lunch

 Masonic Temple

 1-1:30

 Main Level

 “Book Discussion,” Edward Fiske Mooney <CANCELLED>

 Lower Level 

"Thoreau’s Visionary (Proto-) Ecological Economics: Preserving the Extraordinary in the Ordinary," Sheila Post*

Concord Free Public Library

 1:30-3

 "Curator's Gallery Tour of "From Thoreau's Seasons to Men of Concord: N. C. Wyeth Inspired," CFPL Art Gallery," Leslie Perrin Wilson

 Masonic Temple

 1:45-3:15

 Main Level

  1. "The Thoreau Society: Past, Present, Future," Ron Hoag, Michael Berger, Rochelle Johnson

 Lower Level

  1. "From Walden to the Manse: the Pastoral Re-envisioned," Catherine Staples
  2. "Ancient Dreamers, Today's Visionaries:  Lao Tsu, Chuang  Tsu, Confucius, and Thoreau," Douglas B. Rosentrater <CANCELLED>
  3. "Reading Sophia Thoreau as Artist," Mary Jo Downey
  4. "Visionaries, Founders & Madness: Charles King Newcomb hosts Thoreau in Providence," Nancy Austin 

 3:30-5

 Concord Museum Talk and Tour

 "Report on Thoreau Pencil Remnants from the Thoreau Society’s and Museum’s Collections,” Henrik Otterberg

 3:30-5

 Masonic Temple

 Main Level

  1. "Henry at the Woods," Nancy Manning
  2. "John Brown and “The Succession of Forest Trees,” Audrey Raden
  3. "Aesthetic Extracts: Thoreau’s Maple Sugar Experiment," Mark Sturges
  4. "Thoreau’s Legacy for Climate Change," Scott D. Hess

 Lower Level 

  1. "Thoreau’s Thoughts on Nature & Family Emotional Process," Robert Williamson
  2. "Thoreau and the English Walking Tradition: Enlivening the Old Ways," Christina Root
  3. "Wild Inside and Outside: Thoreau on Walking," Richard Marranca 
  4. "'Time is but the Stream I go a-fishing in': Thoreau’s Historical Skepticism and the Origins of American Historical Memory," Robert Olwell

First Parish**

 6-7:30 Dinner

 7:30-8:30 Classical Piano Performance, Andrew Celentano

Saturday, July 9, 2016

 7-8:30 Memorial Walk at Walden Pond, Corinne Smith

First Parish**

9-10:45 Business Meeting

11-Noon Keynote Elizabeth Witherell

Noon-1 Lunch

Concord Walk

1-3 pm 

Visiting Thoreau's Viewpoints with Jayne Gordon

This two hour circular walk will focus on 5 intriguing and often overlooked geographical viewpoints, each of which provide evidence for a group discussion on Thoreau's intellectual viewpoints or points of view. If we can come closer to understanding Thoreau by being in places that stimulated his thinking about his place in the natural and social worlds of Concord, the experience might just work for us as well! Each of the viewpoints will allow us to examine an issue or idea from a historical and contemporary perspective, and none are more than a half mile from the conference's Masonic Lodge home base.

Masonic Temple

1-2 pm

Main Level "Thoreau’s Habits and Insights as an Introvert," Corinne Smith

Lower Level "Transcending Transcendentalism," Michael Lorence

2:15-3:15

Main Level "How Thoreau Would Have Lived Today: can we live a Thoreauvian life  in the modern world?," Joanna Greenfield

Lower Level "Seeking the Ordinary in the Extraordinary: Walden in Our Time," Diana Lorence

3:30-4:30

Main Level “Walter Harding and Edwin Way Teale as Integral Components," Tom Potter and Allen Harding

Lower Level “Walden Pond People,” Natasha Shabat

5:30 Reception for the Keynote Speaker

6-7:30 75th Anniversary Dinner Banquet

7:30-9 Book signing

9-10:30 Bring your singing voices and instruments for our song circle, led by Jeff Hinich and Corinne Smith

Sunday, July 10, 2016

6:30-9 Walk Henry's Grave & Great Blue Heron Colony plus Great Meadows, Peter Alden, Concord naturalist & author.  Meet at Keyes Rd town parking lot behind the banks.

7:30-10am Canoe/Kayak: 7:30-10am, with Deborah Medenbach.*

 Thoreau Farm

 10-Noon Inspirational Morning Saunter at Thoreau Farm Birthplace, Thoreau Farm, Corinne Smith

 First Parish

 10:00am Church service with AG Presenter, Reverend Barry Andrews. His sermon is on “The Whole Tenor of Our Lives,” from Thoreau’s journal. There will be a flutist, harpist, and a singing group. All are invited to the service and coffee hour afterwards.*

 Masonic Temple

 9:30-10:30

 Main Level "Thoreau and Schizoid Personality Disorder: His Life-Long Struggle between Shunning and Craving Meaningful Social Connection/Relationship," Joseph Cusumano

 Lower Level “Thoreau, the Pope, and the Indian:  A Shared Vision,” Connie Baxter Marlow 

 Masonic Temple

 10:45-Noon

 Main Level Photographic Presentation: "Transcendental Vision: Photographing Concord as a Transcendentalist in the 21st Century," Lisa McCarty

 Lower Level Video: "Life and Legacy of Henry David Thoreau-A Live Dramatic Reading Performance," James Mathew

 Thoreau Farm Picnic

 Noon-2 Thoreau Farm

 2:30-5 School of Philosophy: Louisa May Alcott and Thoreau Society Sponsored Panel

Sunday Evening Special Event

FREE and OPEN to the PUBLIC*

7:30-9 pm at the Masonic Temple

"Thoreau’s Vision: New National Parks “For Inspiration and Our Own True Recreation”

In his classic work, The Maine Woods, Henry David Thoreau called for Americans to create “national preserves” to safeguard our country’s special places. He was the first person to articulate in writing the idea of creating national parks in the eastern United States. Less than a decade later, Yellowstone became the world’s first national park. Since then, we have assembled a system of national parks that reflects Thoreau’s vision of wilderness preservation, his appeal for balance between humans and the natural world, and his belief in the power of nature to renew human health and spirit. Our parks also embody cultural concerns of great importance to Thoreau, such as the horrors of war, the struggle for social justice, and the value of art, science and literature to human progress. As we celebrate the 2016 centennial of the National Park Service, a growing coalition of grassroots groups across America is seeking to create new national parks to protect natural landscapes and historic sites threatened by the kind of shortsighted industrial exploitation decried by Thoreau. This illustrated presentation will describe the emerging new national parks movement that draws inspiration from Thoreau’s vision.

Michael Kellett, executive director of the nonprofit RESTORE: The North Woods, has more than 30 years of experience advocating for national parks, wilderness, and endangered wildlife. During that time, he has been active in efforts to safeguard the Thoreau Country, including development of the first proposal for a 3.2 million-acre Maine Woods National Park & Preserve, and initiatives to protect Walden Woods, the Thoreau birthplace, Estabrook Woods, Mount Wachusett, and the White Mountains. He has visited 250 National Park System units across America.

Jym St. Pierre, Maine director of RESTORE: The North Woods, has worked for four decades to preserve wild nature. Since 1995, he has been at the forefront of efforts to protect Thoreau’s Maine Woods from destructive resource extraction and misplaced development. This includes leadership in campaigning for a Maine Woods National Park & Preserve and battling misplaced development around Moosehead Lake and other places along Thoreau’s travels in Maine. He has visited dozens of National Parks across four continents.