The Thoreau Society

The Thoreau Society Since 1941, the Society has stimulated interest in and fostered education about Thoreau’s life, works, and philosophy and his place in his world and ours.

Part of the Thoreau Alliance since 2026. The Thoreau Society's offices are located at the birth house of Henry D. Thoreau (341 Virginia Road, Concord, Massachusetts), near Minute Man National Historical Park. The Society leases its office space from the Thoreau Farm Trust. The Society has long contributed to the dissemination of knowledge about Thoreau by collecting books, manuscripts, and artifac

ts relating to Thoreau and his contemporaries, by encouraging the use of its collections, and by publishing two periodicals, The Thoreau Society Bulletin and the Concord Saunterer: A Journal of Thoreau Studies. Through an annual gathering in Concord, and through sessions devoted to Thoreau at the Modern Language Association's annual convention and the American Literature Association's annual conference, the Thoreau Society provides opportunities for all those interested in Thoreau – dedicated readers and followers, as well as the leading scholars in the field – to gather and share their knowledge of Thoreau and his times. The Thoreau Society archives are housed at the Thoreau Institute's Henley Library in Lincoln, Massachusetts. This repository includes the collections of Walter Harding and Raymond Adams, two of the foremost authorities on Thoreau and founders of the Thoreau Society; and those of Roland Robbins, who uncovered Thoreau's Walden house site. Thoreau Society members represent a wide range of professions, interests, and hometowns across the United States and around the world. They are connected by the conviction that Henry Thoreau had important things to say and crucial questions to ask that are just as significant in our time as in his. Our list of past Society presidents is a sampling of the kinds of people who have been attracted to Thoreau's writings and philosophies. Through its programs, publications and projects, the Thoreau Society is committed to exploring Thoreau's observations on living with self, society and nature, and encouraging people to think about how they live their own lives.

06/13/2026

Henry David Thoreau’s simple grave in Concord’s Sleepy Hollow Cemetery has become an unlikely pilgrimage site. Best known for writing Walden and his essay Civil Disobedience, Thoreau spent much of his life observing the natural world around Concord, recording its plants, animals, seasons, and landscapes in remarkable detail. Before becoming one of America’s most influential nature writers, he also worked in his family’s pencil-making business, helping improve the quality of the graphite pencils produced by the Thoreau Company. Visitors often leave pencils, pinecones, feathers, and small natural objects at his grave—a fitting tribute to a man who encouraged people to slow down, pay attention, and find meaning in the world around them.

Through his writing, Ross Gay reminds us to notice the small wonders of life, to approach the world with curiosity, and ...
06/04/2026

Through his writing, Ross Gay reminds us to notice the small wonders of life, to approach the world with curiosity, and to find delight in the ordinary—expanding what we think of as nature writing in ways that are both tender, insightful, and exuberant. Join us as he receives the 2026 Henry David Thoreau Prize for Literary Excellence in Nature Writing.

Ross Gay receives the Thoreau Prize at TriCon Church, Concord (and streaming online.)
SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 7:00 pm
$20/person; Teachers and students attend FREE. Registration recommended for in-person attendance.

Learn More: https://www.thoreaualliance.org/event/thoreau-prize-honoring-ross-gay/

Lots to look forward to in the coming weeks!Ross Gay receives the Thoreau Prize on June 14. Teachers and students attend...
06/02/2026

Lots to look forward to in the coming weeks!

Ross Gay receives the Thoreau Prize on June 14. Teachers and students attend for free. Register: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/f2xgtzEjSztj0rwO3fNilw

More talks with experts from the Thoreau documentary happen on June 11 and June 14. Register for the in-person event on June 11: https://concordlibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/henry-david-thoreau-a-film-by-erik-ewers-and-christopher-ewers-4/

An Open House celebrating an exhibition that includes items from our collections at the Walden Woods Project Library takes place on June 12. Register for free: https://walden.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/exhibition-open-house

Our Wetlands Talk & Walk with OARS and the CLCT has been rescheduled for June 13. A few spots remain! Register: https://oars3rivers.org/events/event/wetlands-talk-walk/

And more!

See all upcoming events: https://www.thoreaualliance.org/events/

Spend five days in Concord exploring Thoreau's ideas and impact, as well as the landscape that inspired him.This year we...
05/15/2026

Spend five days in Concord exploring Thoreau's ideas and impact, as well as the landscape that inspired him.

This year we examine the theme "Living Well: Thoreau, Health, and Flourishing" and ask ourselves: What does it mean to be well in a troubled world?

The Annual Gathering Early Bird Deadline is TODAY - Learn more at from our latest email: https://mailchi.mp/c71a8b04e0e4/upcoming-events-10143534

Join us for a free public webinar of leading Thoreau scholars discussing the new PBS Thoreau documentary. Register on Zo...
05/11/2026

Join us for a free public webinar of leading Thoreau scholars discussing the new PBS Thoreau documentary.

Register on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gcc90rzzSAajQTfOTGVD5A #/registration



🌏📖🎬

Panelists will reflect on the themes of the film, the historical context surrounding Henry David Thoreau, and additional insights from the making of the documentary. This is an opportunity to hear directly from scholars who appear in the film as they unpack the ideas and questions that frame the series.

Now on view at the Walden Pond Visitor Center: Art by Alissa O’Brien celebrating nature that is often overlooked and ign...
05/08/2026

Now on view at the Walden Pond Visitor Center: Art by Alissa O’Brien celebrating nature that is often overlooked and ignored using wood from areas around Concord and Walden.

The visitor center is open late tonight for viewing and the exhibit “As Deliberate as Nature” runs through July.

Alissa’s art is also featured in the Spring issue of the Thoreau Society Bulletin.

05/03/2026

TODAY at Thoreau Farm (and streaming online) the Write Connection welcomes Donald Davis to discuss THE AMERICAN CHESTNUT.

Leading Thoreau scholars discuss the new documentary. Join us for free in person at the Concord Free Public Library or o...
04/30/2026

Leading Thoreau scholars discuss the new documentary. Join us for free in person at the Concord Free Public Library or online.

Register to attend in person: https://concordlibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/henry-david-thoreau-a-film-by-erik-ewers-and-christopher-ewers/

The expert panel on May 7, includes:

KRISTEN CASE, poet, scholar, and author of the recent , and member of the Thoreau Alliance Board of Directors.

ROBERT GROSS, Draper Professor of American History, Emeritus, at the University of Connecticut, author of , and former member of the Thoreau Society Board of Directors.

JOHN KUCICH, professor of English at Bridgewater State University, author of , and co-president of the Thoreau Alliance Board of Directors.

This group will also be joined by JEFFREY S. CRAMER, Curator Emeritus for The Walden Woods Project Library and editor of several Thoreau volumes.

Register to attend ONLINE:
https://concordlibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/henry-david-thoreau-a-film-by-erik-ewers-and-christopher-ewers-2/

Arriving in members' mailboxes soon: The Concord Saunterer, Volume 33This special issue includes scholarship, poetry, an...
04/28/2026

Arriving in members' mailboxes soon: The Concord Saunterer, Volume 33

This special issue includes scholarship, poetry, and artwork drawn from the 2025 Annual Gathering around the theme "Thoreau’s Revolutions," in honor of the 250th anniversary of the Concord Fight at the North Bridge on April 19, 1775.

Learn More: https://mailchi.mp/7aa250f78517/upcoming-events-10143225

Unjust laws exist: shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have suc...
04/23/2026

Unjust laws exist: shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once? Men generally, under such a government as this, think that they ought to wait until they have persuaded the majority to alter them. They think that, if they should resist, the remedy would be worse than the evil. But it is the fault of the government itself that the remedy is worse than the evil. It makes it worse. Why is it not more apt to anticipate and provide for reform? Why does it not cherish its wise minority? Why does it cry and resist before it is hurt? Why does it not encourage its citizens to be on the alert to point out its faults, and do better than it would have them? Why does it always crucify Christ, and excommunicate Copernicus and Luther, and pronounce Washington and Franklin rebels?

—Henry David Thoreau, "Civil Disobedience"

Address

915 Walden Street
Concord, MA
01742

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