This lecture-discussion course introduces Ralph Waldo Emerson through attention to the central ideas in his first major book, Nature, and a comparison with the later essays in Society and Solitude. The class will explore Emerson’s vision of nature, self-reliance, solitude, society, and the life of the mind, using biographical material to illuminate the development of his thought and writing. It is designed for adult learners who want a lively, accessible, and thoughtful encounter with one of America’s most influential writers.
Ron McAdow is an independent scholar. A graduate of the University of Chicago, he has worked in various forms of education for forty years, including outdoor and classroom teaching, writing, and educational films and software. He has lived in eastern Massachusetts, and enjoyed learning about its cultural and natural history, since 1971. His published writing includes numerous books of nonfiction (for example, Imagining the Past at Mount Misery) and two novels. Concord and Lincoln are his adopted hometowns.
Ron McAdow
