Henry david thoreau biography video waltz

“There have been periods when it was hard to convince people that (Henry David Thoreau) was interesting or worth paying attention to because he seemed out of sync with the mood of America, but he's very much in sync now.” 

— Laura Dassow Walls

Laura Dassow Walls is William P.

and Hazel B. White Professor of English. Her research focuses on literature and science, with a special concentration on Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and on American transcendentalism more generally. More information can be found at her faculty page.

Video Transcript

I study 19th century literature, mostly American.

I've got some interest in German and British as well and I also have an interest in the history and philosophy of science.

I grew up spending a lot of time outdoors and I always wanted to be a scientist, and in the mean time I also loved writing and I imagined being a writer, so I was dra