Adirondack Mind
The Adirondack Park, six million acres of protected public and private wildland in northern New York State, has a distinct and influential intellectual history. In Adirondack Mind, we will trace that history from the precolonial to present day, focusing primarily on the stream of thought moving from Emerson through William James and Felix Adler to Bob Marshall and the Wilderness Society, including the philosophy of Pragmatism and the Abolitionist movement. Together we will visit Follensby Pond, site of the 1858 Philosopher's Camp, and make at least one other individual trip to hike or visit an important site. The readings will emphasize how the writers had their insights through the direct experience of Adirondack geography. By researching and writing our own stories, we will come to see how our sense of self arises from the elements and demands of the immediate environment, and perhaps begin to view all our places in the world as vehicles for conscious awakening. Readings include works by W. J. Stillman, Emerson, William James, Theodore Roosevelt, Amy Godine, Russell Banks, Chase Twichell, Jeanne Robert Foster, David Abram, George Prochnik, Bill McKibben, Maurice Kenny, and Christopher Shaw. 3 hrs. sem