Overview

Recent scholarship has uncovered much that is significant in the work of the later Emerson, especially in his lectures of the forties and fifties. This book relates Ralph Waldo Emerson's 1851-1861 lecturing in Western New York state to the reform movements and other enthusiasms rampant in this region at this time. Engstrom asserts a bond of mutual influence between Emerson and his reform-minded audiences due to the emphasis of both on change and individual potential. A particular influence is seen through portions of an eighteen-year correspondence between Emerson and one Western New York woman with whom he became acquainted in 1850.

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9780820433110

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Reviews

Sallee Fox Engstrom has written an unusually strong first book. Her study deepens our knowledge of Emerson's life as a lecturer; it greatly extends what we know of his activity in the state of New York, and it contains an original and important account of the kind of influence - indeed the kind of personal relationship - Emerson had with members of his audience. Altogether this is a valuable and welcome contribution to the fast-growing field of Emerson studies. (Robert D. Richardson, Jr., Author of 'Henry Thoreau: A Life of the Mind', and 'Emerson: The Mind on Fire') Emerson's activities as a lecturer have been frequently studied, but we have long needed a book such as this which considers his impact on specific audiences. Within the context of a well-articulated description of Emerson's lecturing activities in reform-minded upstate New York, Engstrom's account of Mrs. Emily Drury reveals with charm and insight how one particular member of his audience responded to his speech and writings. (Frank Shuffelton, Professor of English, University of Rochester) Sallee Fox Engstrom understands that Emerson moved from 'a philosophy of private conscience to a mission of public reform' over the course of his career, and she investigates his impact as a lecturer in Western New York, a region shaped by religious revival and movements of social reform. Her study adds to our understanding of Emerson's public stature and public impact as a lecturer in the 1850's and 1860's, a period that is coming under increasing investigation among Emerson scholars. (David M. Robinson, Distinguished Professor of American Literature, Oregon State University)

Author Information

The Author: Sallee Fox Engstrom retired in 1986 from Cornell University where she taught English and technical writing for several years. She accepted a teaching fellowship at the University of Denver in 1988, completing her Ph.D. degree in Literary Studies in 1994.

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