I to Myself: An Annotated Selection from The Journal of Henry D. Thoreau

It was his friend Ralph Waldo Emerson, another inveterate journal keeper, who urged Thoreau to keep a record of his thoughts and observations. Begun in 1837, Thoreau's journal spans a period of twenty-five years and runs to more than two million words, coming to a halt only in 1861, shortly before the author's death. The handwritten journal had somewhat humble origins, but as it grew in scope and ambition it came to function as a record of Thoreau's interior life as well as the source for his books and essays. Indeed, it became the central concern of the author's literary life. Critics now recognize Thoreau's journal as an important artistic achievement in its own right.
Making selections from the entirety of the journal, editor Jeffrey Cramer presents all aspects of Thoreau: writer, thinker, naturalist, social reformer, neighbor, friend. The relation of journal passages to Thoreau's other writings receives special emphasis. Cramer's annotations add to the reader's enjoyment and understanding, as he provides notes on the biographical, historical, and geographical contexts of the author's life. No other single-volume edition offers such a full picture of Henry Thoreau's life and work.

Jeffrey S. Cramer is curator of collections at The Thoreau Institute at Walden Woods.