Thoreau at Walden

Henry David Thoreau's inspiring words are set against minimalist drawings in this poetic graphic biography from the Center for Cartoon Studies, reissued for a new audience. Now in paperback!

"I am convinced, both by faith and experience, that to maintain one's self on this earth is not a hardship, but a pastime, if we will live simply and wisely."

So said Henry David Thoreau in 1845 when he began his famous experiment of living by Walden Pond. In this graphic masterpiece, John Porcellino uses only the words of Thoreau himself to tell the story of those two years off the beaten track. The pared-down text focuses on Thoreau's most profound ideas, and Porcellino's fresh, simple pictures bring the philosopher's sojourn at Walden to cinematic life. For readers who know Walden intimately, this graphic treatment will provide a vivid new interpretation of Thoreau's story.

For those who have never read (or never completed!) the original, it presents a contemporary look at a few brave words to live by.


About the Author
John Porcellino has been writing, drawing, and publishing minicomics, comics, and graphic novels for the last thirty-five years. His celebrated series King-Cat Comics, begun in 1989, has inspired a generation of cartoonists. Diary of a Mosquito Abatement Man, a collection of King-Cat stories about Porcellino's experiences as a pest control worker, won an Ignatz Award in 2005. Perfect Example, first published in 2000, chronicles his struggles with depression as a teenager. Other publications include King-Cat Classix, Map of My Heart, and The Hospital Suite. According to cartoonist Chris Ware, "John Porcellino's comics distill, in just a few lines and words, the feeling of simply being alive." Porcellino's work has been translated into French, German, Spanish, Swedish, Italian, and Korean. He currently lives in Beloit, Wisconsin. Find out more at king-kat.net.