I’m living in a 235 square foot abode post Hurricane Helene and working on a three part piece “Thoreau, McKibben, the Storm and me”. You have answered many of my questions. Merci.🌱🌿💚
This is fascinating account of Thoreau’s journals. I like to dig into my older journals and pull ideas to rewrite and expand upon. So much of writing is thinking and for how else can you fully explore one’s soul. Thank you for sharing!
That's so great that you're able to go back and pull out parts of your journals! I do that with my reading and research notebooks, but never with my journal. Writing about Thoreau has made me think that maybe I should...
Interesting the separation of "facts" and "poetry." This has been on my mind as I am working on a post about how I throw my journals away (with much regret all these years later, I must admit).
Interesting! I sort of wish I had thrown my teenage journals away when I was a teenager. Now, they feel too precious to dispose of, but also too embarrassing to read.
Thank you for this Thoreau, 'spoke' to me the instant I first read his words. I recently rediscovered my copy of Walden, and noted the passages I'd underlined or the pages id kept a bookmark in. And yet I know very little about the man and his methods. Now I see many similarities with myself. I have to say I have notebooks that have been transcribed from hand written to computer, printed, revised by hand and re-transribed to digital. I had gotten to the point to think perhaps the final version was written by different people, younger me & progressively older me.
Wonderful post as always…3 things…1) I put quotes from myself in my commonplace book alongside all the literary luminaries. 2) I need to dig up a copy of “Walden.” “Civil Disobedience” loomed larger in my Vietnam War protesting college days. 3) Why the apostrophe in “Say's I…?”
Thanks Justine. I love that you put your own quotes in your commonplace book. Such a brilliant idea! As for the apostrophe...it's there in the edition I was using, but not in others. And you're right to point it out...it doesn't really make sense. Thanks for noticing it!
Interesting read Jillian! I really liked your thought, "By transcribing our notes into new notebooks we put our former selves into conversation with our present selves." Really great food for thought... especially after some time has passed and new life experiences have transpired.
As someone who gains a sense of freedom while in nature, I'm looking forward to your P. S. notes on Thoreau's nature notes. Thanks for sharing Jillian! I hope you enjoyed a happy and peaceful weekend. xx 💐🐇
Thank You! Fascinating! I made my pilgrimage to Thoreau's Walden and to Concord when I was younger. You made me want to dive into Thoreau once more. His 'Cape Cod' is a favorite of mine.
much to contemplate in this post, particularly how a pencil factory could fail in an era when handwritten documents were commonplace! Was the pen mightier?
Such an interesting question, Amie. I don't know enough about the sales of pens and pencils to answer your question, but from my research it seems that people in the 19th century only reached for pencils when they were writing outside and couldn't bring their ink pot. Also, artists used pencils for sketches. Writers, though, tended to use pens.
I have copies of Walden & Civil Disobedience. This inspired me to read them again. I wonder if Lao - Dzu or Chuang - Dzu left notebooks or something similar ? 🛕
The author Lin Yutang did a rather extensive anthology on Buddhism, Daoism, even HINDUISM, but that was 70 years or more ago & I'M REALLY SURE THAT IT'S OUT OF PRINT.
Jillian! Thank you.
I’m living in a 235 square foot abode post Hurricane Helene and working on a three part piece “Thoreau, McKibben, the Storm and me”. You have answered many of my questions. Merci.🌱🌿💚
Katherine, your piece sounds fascinating!
Katharine, sounds like you are living large in your tiny space. I sense you are in creating magic!
Thank you for opening my eyes to the many angles of journaling, writing, and the sewing of words.
Oh, I love your phrase "the sewing of words"! It's so evocative!
This is fascinating account of Thoreau’s journals. I like to dig into my older journals and pull ideas to rewrite and expand upon. So much of writing is thinking and for how else can you fully explore one’s soul. Thank you for sharing!
That's so great that you're able to go back and pull out parts of your journals! I do that with my reading and research notebooks, but never with my journal. Writing about Thoreau has made me think that maybe I should...
Interesting the separation of "facts" and "poetry." This has been on my mind as I am working on a post about how I throw my journals away (with much regret all these years later, I must admit).
Interesting! I sort of wish I had thrown my teenage journals away when I was a teenager. Now, they feel too precious to dispose of, but also too embarrassing to read.
I get that. I do wish I had my teenage journals, for sure. But the more recent, not really. They are for my eyes only :)
I loved this! You emphasized stuff that I hadn't thought about with him; thank you!
I'm so happy to hear that, Sherry!
Thank you for this Thoreau, 'spoke' to me the instant I first read his words. I recently rediscovered my copy of Walden, and noted the passages I'd underlined or the pages id kept a bookmark in. And yet I know very little about the man and his methods. Now I see many similarities with myself. I have to say I have notebooks that have been transcribed from hand written to computer, printed, revised by hand and re-transribed to digital. I had gotten to the point to think perhaps the final version was written by different people, younger me & progressively older me.
I wish I still had my first copy of Walden--I also wrote all over it. But, alas, it has been lost to time.
Wonderful post as always…3 things…1) I put quotes from myself in my commonplace book alongside all the literary luminaries. 2) I need to dig up a copy of “Walden.” “Civil Disobedience” loomed larger in my Vietnam War protesting college days. 3) Why the apostrophe in “Say's I…?”
Thanks Justine. I love that you put your own quotes in your commonplace book. Such a brilliant idea! As for the apostrophe...it's there in the edition I was using, but not in others. And you're right to point it out...it doesn't really make sense. Thanks for noticing it!
I had wondered why i had always felt drawn to Thoreau's work! Now I know you have made him make sense to me. Thank you!
You’re so welcome. I love how many of us have been drawn to his work!
Now I’m curious…was Thoreau the first to think and write Thoreau things or have societies always had their David Thoreaus?
Hi Anne! I don’t know for sure, but I want to believe every society has its Thoreau!
Interesting read Jillian! I really liked your thought, "By transcribing our notes into new notebooks we put our former selves into conversation with our present selves." Really great food for thought... especially after some time has passed and new life experiences have transpired.
As someone who gains a sense of freedom while in nature, I'm looking forward to your P. S. notes on Thoreau's nature notes. Thanks for sharing Jillian! I hope you enjoyed a happy and peaceful weekend. xx 💐🐇
Thank you, Debbie! I hope you had a lovely weekend too!
Thanks Jillian---yes a nice peaceful weekend :)
I love how you've made Thoreau feel so timeless. Thank you!
Thanks, Sarah! He feels evergreen to me.
What a wonderful, informative and inspiring post. Thank you! Walden has always been one of my top five favorite books of all time.
What a wonderful book to have in your top five!
Thank You! Fascinating! I made my pilgrimage to Thoreau's Walden and to Concord when I was younger. You made me want to dive into Thoreau once more. His 'Cape Cod' is a favorite of mine.
I also did my Thoreau pilgrimage when I was a teenager--and was shocked to see how crowded Walden pond has become!
Excellent!
Thanks, Matthew!
much to contemplate in this post, particularly how a pencil factory could fail in an era when handwritten documents were commonplace! Was the pen mightier?
Such an interesting question, Amie. I don't know enough about the sales of pens and pencils to answer your question, but from my research it seems that people in the 19th century only reached for pencils when they were writing outside and couldn't bring their ink pot. Also, artists used pencils for sketches. Writers, though, tended to use pens.
I have copies of Walden & Civil Disobedience. This inspired me to read them again. I wonder if Lao - Dzu or Chuang - Dzu left notebooks or something similar ? 🛕
Great suggestion, Daniel! I'll have to do some research.
The author Lin Yutang did a rather extensive anthology on Buddhism, Daoism, even HINDUISM, but that was 70 years or more ago & I'M REALLY SURE THAT IT'S OUT OF PRINT.