As Michael Pollan explains in the new PBS documentary Henry David Thoreau, when Thoreau said he meant to live deliberately that word "deliberate" was rooted in the idea of freedom. Challenging the norms and the changes that early 19th century America was experiencing, Thoreau went to live in a cabin on the shores of Walden Pond for two years to test the philosophy of transcendentalism and the ability of man to "live wild and free." The significance of his time at Walden and the writing he did there remains profoundly relevant in contemporary American society, and his legacy is all-too-deserving of the thoughtful and beautifully-produced mini-series from Ken Burns Productions.
As readers of this blog know, I am on a Thoreauvian kick myself these days, and for the past couple years, I've been working on a project which casts Thoreau in a new spotlight through a new lens. So, I am excited for this PBS special presentation, and I look forward to contributing to the discussion through my own unique take on "The Punk on Walden Pond."
