Meet the Walden Manuscript
Henry David Thoreau began drafting his most famous work, Walden, in 1846, while still living at Walden Pond. Between then and 1854, when the work was published, he revised his text over and over. In the manuscript of Walden at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California, it’s possible to discern seven distinct drafts of Walden. This module introduces you to the manuscript and its history. In addition, the module invites you to think about the challenges a scholarly editor faces in modeling a manuscript containing multiple drafts of a work. To get started by reviewing the dates and assignments for the module, click “Outcomes/Activities” below or in the left navigation menu.