I to Myself

It was his friend Ralph Waldo Emerson, another inveterate journal keeper, who urged Thoreau to keep a record of his thoughts and observations. Begun in 1837, Thoreau s journal spans a period of twenty-five years and runs to more than two million words, coming to a halt only in 1861, shortly before the author s death. The handwritten journal had somewhat humble origins, but as it grew in scope and ambition it came to function as a record of Thoreau s interior life as well as the source for his books and essays. Indeed, it became the central concern of the author s literary life. Critics now recognize Thoreau s journal as an important artistic achievement in its own right.

Making selections from the entirety of the journal, Cramer presents all aspects of Thoreau: writer, thinker, naturalist, social reformer, neighbor, friend. No other single-volume edition offers such a full picture of Thoreau s life and work. Cramer s annotations add to the reader s enjoyment and understanding. He provides notes on the biographical, historical, and geographical contexts of Thoreau s life. The relation between Journal passages and the texts of works published in the author s lifetime receive special emphasis. A companion to "Walden: A Fully Annotated Edition," this gift edition of the Journal will be dipped into and treasured, and it makes a welcome addition to any book lover s library."