Robert D. Richardson

This comprehensive portrait of Emerson draws from newly available material, including correspondence between the Emerson brothers.

The Mind on Fire

Emerson

Emerson on the creative process

First we read, then we write

In the Maelstrom of American Modernism

William James

This biography of Henry Thoreau offers insight into his social activism, his interest in fine arts, William Gilpin and John Ruskin's influence on his nature writing, and his involvement in, and influence by, the Agassiz-Darwin debate over "The Origin of Species."

A Life of the Mind

Henry Thoreau

The definitive biography of the fascinating William James, whose life and writing put an indelible stamp on psychology, philosophy, teaching, and religion—on modernism itself. Often cited as the “father of American psychology,” William James was an intellectual luminary who made significant contributions to at least five fields: psychology, philosophy, religious studies, teaching, and literature. A member of one of the most unusual and notable of American families, James struggled to achieve greatness amid the brilliance of his theologian father; his brother, the novelist Henry James; and his sister, Alice James. After studying medicine, he ultimately realized that his true interests lay in philosophy and psychology, a choice that guided his storied career at Harvard, where he taught some of America’s greatest minds. But it is James’s contributions to intellectual study that reveal the true complexity of man. In this biography that seeks to understand James’s life through his work—including Principles of Psychology, The Varieties of Religious Experience, and Pragmatism—Robert D. Richardson has crafted an exceptionally insightful work that explores the mind of a genius, resulting in “a gripping and often inspiring story of intellectual and spiritual adventure” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). “A magnificent biography.” —The Washington Post

Megan Marshall

How Emerson, Thoreau, and William James Responded to the Greatest Losses of Their Lives

Three Roads Back

Writing was the central passion of Emerson’s life. While his thoughts on the craft are well developed in “The Poet,” “The American Scholar,” Nature, “Goethe,” and “Persian Poetry,” less well known are the many pages in his private journals devoted to the relationship between writing and reading. Here, for the first time, is the Concord Sage’s energetic, exuberant, and unconventional advice on the idea of writing, focused and distilled by the preeminent Emerson biographer at work today. Emerson advised that “the way to write is to throw your body at the mark when your arrows are spent.” First We Read, Then We Write contains numerous such surprises—from “every word we speak is million-faced” to “talent alone cannot make a writer”—but it is no mere collection of aphorisms and exhortations. Instead, in Robert Richardson’s hands, the biographical and historical context in which Emerson worked becomes clear. Emerson’s advice grew from his personal experience; in practically every moment of his adult life he was either preparing to write, trying to write, or writing. Richardson shows us an Emerson who is no granite bust but instead is a fully fleshed, creative person disarmingly willing to confront his own failures. Emerson urges his readers to try anything—strategies, tricks, makeshifts—speaking not only of the nuts and bolts of writing but also of the grain and sinew of his determination. Whether a writer by trade or a novice, every reader will find something to treasure in this volume. Fearlessly wrestling with “the birthing stage of art,” Emerson’s counsel on being a reader and writer will be read and reread for years to come.

Emerson on the Creative Process

First We Read, Then We Write

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson: Selected Essays, Lectures and Poems, written by legendary author Ralph Waldo Emerson, is widely considered to be one of the greatest classic texts of all time. This great classic will surely attract a whole new generation of readers. For many, Ralph Waldo Emerson: Selected Essays, Lectures and Poems is required reading for various courses and curriculums. And for others who simply enjoy reading timeless pieces of classic literature, this gem by Ralph Waldo Emerson is highly recommended. Published by Classic Books International and beautifully produced, Ralph Waldo Emerson: Selected Essays, Lectures and Poems would make an ideal gift and it should be a part of everyone's personal library.

Ralph Waldo Emerson: Selected Essays, Lectures and Poems

Henry D. Thoreau

Lincoln Perry

Presents Thoreau's classic Autumnal Tints, a meditation on the change of seasons and maturity, accompanied by watercolors of fall leaves and landscapes and a discussion of the events in author's life that influenced his philosophy.

October, Or Autumnal Tints

Burton Feldman

"... peerless... " --The Key Reporter "... this book is a first. It will be a standard... Comprehensiveness as well as the clarity of the headnotes should make it endure." --Choice "... so good as it stands... one should simply be happy to have it." --The Journal of the History of Ideas "... an original, compendious, and highly useful contribution to historical and mythographical scholarship." --The American Scholar "The Rise of Modern Mythology is a voice of reason in the contemporary maelstrom of international religious violence and American pluralism; more than any book I know, it exposes the roots of the Western appropriation of non-Western mythologies, from Lawrence of Arabia and Omar Khayyam to Tibetan Buddhism in Hollywood and Krishna Consciousness in airports. This is a book that we need now." --Wendy Doniger, Mircea Eliade Distinguished Service Professor of the History of Religions, The University of Chicago

The Rise of Modern Mythology, 1680-1860

S. Paige Baty

Exlores Marilyn Monroe's place in American popular culture and examines the ways Americans remember Marilyn Monroe--from playing cards, books, and fan clubs, to female impersonators, political conspiracies, and high art.

The Making of a Body Politic

American Monroe

Presents literary excerpts and readings which analyze and debate the origin, interpretation and validity of mythological theories

Robert D. Richardson

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