Waiting for Thoreau

This evening I'm going to pretend that I'm decades younger than I actually am and stay up to 11 PM. Or that's the plan. I want to watch the first of two PBS installments  on the life of Henry David Thoreau. The three hours are described by PBS: 

HENRY DAVID THOREAU examines the life and work of the 19th-century writer in the context of antebellum New England and the larger United States, as well as through the universal themes he focused on in his writings: an individual’s relationship to the state, how to live an authentic life, our connection to nature, and the impact of race on American life. 

Set against the political and social tensions of the mid-19th century, the film traces Thoreau’s journey from his early days in Concord, Massachusetts to his deep engagement with the moral crises of his time, including industrialization, slavery, war, and environmental degradation. Through his essays, journals, and landmark works such as Walden and Civil Disobedience, he became an inspiration for generations of writers, thinkers, and activists. 

As you can see, there is a star-studded cast for this exploration of Thoreau's life including George Clooney as the narrator while Jeff Goldblum voices Thoreau. Those who will reflect on Thoreau's legacy include Pico Iyer, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and Drew Lanham all of whom I've blogged about along the way. 

I'm curious about how the series addresses Thoreau's spirituality and sense of God in the world, including nature. He has been characterized as anti-religion and in some respects this is true. He and his sister left their congregation because the denomination refused to condemn slavery and he felt other aspects of church life were repressive and regressive. 

I wasn't really all that interested in what felt like the cult of Thoreau until I read the biography Henry David Thoreau: A Life by Laura Dassow Walls a few years ago. I hauled it out and saw that I'd put in the neighbourhood of 50 tabs in the pages to mark her insights into his life. 

I now have a couple of other books on Thoreau including the insightful Thoreau's God by Richard Higgins. 

So, I will stay awake, I will stay awake...

Oh yes, I have already learned that he pronounced his name to rhyme with "thorough" rather than Thor-oh. So my corny blog title allusion doesn't work in that way either!