Thoreau from Across the Pond

In honor of Henry David Thoreau’s 200th birthday in 2017, this conference would like to interrogate the multiplicity of viewpoints from which he is read today. In recent years, Thoreau’s writings have been approached from a variety of perspectives : he has been envisioned as a poet and a philosopher, but also as a political thinker, a scientist of sorts, a surveyor, a lover of nature and an environmentalist. While these different perspectives complement each other to a certain extent, they also reveal how multifaceted his writings are, and how elusive his figure remains. Something resists in his texts, which is probably the surest sign of his ongoing relevance today.

Organized by :

• Julien Nègre (ENS de Lyon),
• François Specq (ENS de Lyon),
• Laura Dassow Walls (University of Notre Dame)

Guest speakers (confirmed) :

• Professor Branka Arsić (Columbia University)
• Professor William Rossi (University of Oregon)
• Professor Laura Dassow Walls (University of Notre Dame)

Contact :
thoreau.lyon2017 ens-lyon.fr