An associate professor of English at the University of Akron is promoting the interesting idea that Thoreau's ideology was significantly influenced by his (Thoreau's) work as a land surveyor.
The author, Patrick Chura, is described in an editorial review as having "practical experience as a surveyor" himself. (Does this mean just a summer job in college?)
Another early reviewer mentions Chura's claim that Thoreau's plats and field notes "are themselves worthy of literary analysis." Could be interesting. The book has not been published yet, but is scheduled for release on September 12, 2010.
Amazon: Thoreau the Land Surveyor
B&N: Thoreau the Land Surveyor
Nice find
Cart Pulls Horse, I Think
> An associate professor of English at the University of Akron is promoting the interesting idea that Thoreau's ideology was significantly influenced by his (Thoreau's) work as a land surveyor.
I think that the commentary that makes more sense to me is that Thoreau was probably the same (rare) personality type that many land surveyors still are. It was Thoreau's bent that attracted him to land surveying, not so much that land surveying shaped his personality that strongly. I mean, he made pencils also, didn't he? What did the English professor think of that, I wonder?
Thoreau's Plats
> Another early reviewer mentions Chura's claim that Thoreau's plats and field notes "are themselves worthy of literary analysis."
There are quite a few Thoreau plats available for inspection online from the Massachusetts library where they reside, as I recall. I don't recall anything that unusual about them, but then I wasn't an English major. :>
Link to Concord Library collection of Thoreau survey maps
Thoreau's Plats
Thanks for the link to the Thoreau plat collection. I pulled up seven or eight of them, but have found nothing "worthy of literary analysis" so far. In fact, some are positively spare. If Hemmingway had taken up drafting instead of writing, his plats would look like these.
Maybe Thoreau's field notes are more remarkable. I know I've seen early GLO survey accounts that weren't simply dry recitals of chainage and bearing trees.
Perhaps if you'd studied English, Doug
>I pulled up seven or eight of them, but have found nothing "worthy of literary analysis" so far.
You clearly are no English major, sir! That would be several Master's theses right there! :>
Other interests
My passion for pencil-making took up too much time.
LOL!
> My passion for pencil-making took up too much time.
There will bee a 1500 word excerpt published in the September issue of a beloved surveying magazine.
Literary Survey Maps
Doug Bruce mentioned a genuinely comic concept above, which was what would the survey maps drawn by various famous figures and reflecting their personalities look like?
We know, I think, how Hunter Thompson's would be. Would he have let Ralph Steadman sign them, do you suppose?