Ralph Waldo Emerson in Context

Wesley T. Mott is Professor of English at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He organized the Ralph Waldo Emerson Society in 1989 and served as president for two terms. Author of 'The Strains of Eloquence': Emerson and His Sermons (1989), he edited the fourth volume of The Complete Sermons of Ralph Waldo Emerson as well as several reference works, including the Biographical Dictionary of Transcendentalism (1996) and the Encyclopedia of Transcendentalism (1996), and the three-volume American Renaissance in New England (2000–1). He is the recipient of the Ralph Waldo Emerson Society Distinguished Achievement Award.

List of illustrations; Notes on contributors; Preface; List of abbreviations; Chronology Sterling F. Delano; Part I. Emerson and a Sense of Place(s): 1. Boston and Concord Jacob Risinger; 2. America Roger Thompson; 3. Britain Wesley T. Mott; 4. Europe Jan Stievermann; 5. Asia Alan Hodder; 6. Travel Jason Berger; Part II. Emerson and Ideas: 'The Wide World': 7. Reading Jennifer Gurley; 8. Literature Albert J. von Frank; 9. Poetry and poetics Saundra Morris; 10. Nature David Greenham; 11. Divinity David M. Robinson; 12. Human mind Kristin Boudreau; 13. History Neal Dolan; 14. Democracy Daniel S. Malachuk; 15. Revolution Daniel Koch; 16. Science and technology Jennifer J. Baker; Part III. Emerson and Society: 'Hodiernal Circles': 17. Life against death Ronald A. Bosco; 18. Family Noelle Baker; 19. Friendship John Lysaker; 20. Ethics Susan L. Dunston; 21. Clubs Alfred G. Litton; 22. Gender Leslie Elizabeth Eckel; 23. Race Len Gougeon; 24. Reform Todd H. Richardson; 25. Money Joel Myerson; 26. Publishers David O. Dowling; Part IV. Emerson and his Legacies: From Infidel to Icon: 27. Portraits Leslie Perrin Wilson; 28. Fame Bonnie Carr O'Neill; 29. Biography Robert D. Habich; 30. Critics: 1836–1948 Glen M. Johnson; 31. Critics: 1948–2013 Randall Fuller; 32. A national icon Jillmarie Murphy; Further reading; Index.