Meet the Team Behind the New ‘Walden’
The Tao of Thoreau, Part Four
The following is a Q&A discussion with Matt Steel, Billy Merrell, and Brooks Salzwedel. We’re the team behind the newly adapted Walden, which is now live on Kickstarter. To find out more about the project read this post, or dive into our adaptation of the first several chapters.
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Matt Steel
– Publisher, Editor, & Designer
Why are you making this adaptation? Why now?
When I first read the book in 2014, it had a profound impact on me. Having gone through a period of career burnout followed by radical lifestyle change, I could see that Thoreau’s ideas around simplicity, consumerism, and busyness had an uncanny relevance to the challenges we face today. I shared my enthusiasm for the book with anyone willing to listen. But I kept having to couch my recommendations: “This is an incredible book, but the 19th century language is hard to digest at times. But stick with it, and you’ll be glad you did!” This situation bothered me. I didn’t want to keep telling people they should read Walden — ‘BUT’ … I realized that what this story needs is to be updated for modern readers.
I’m making this adaptation now because Walden is more relevant than ever. Though widely quoted, the book’s readership is dwindling and fewer people actually bother to read it anymore. I’m not okay with that.
While Walden has always been a dense, layered text — and that’s part of what makes it a feast for the mind — the evolution of language over the past two centuries has made it harder for modern readers to get into the book. My adaptation will only change the parts that benefit from an update to current English syntax and vocabulary. On very rare occasions, I’m making subtle stylistic changes in the pursuit of optimum flow. For example, there’s a place in chapter one where Thoreau says “mere ignorance and mistake,” and I changed it to “mere ignorance and error,” which seemed slightly more euphonious to Billy and me. But the preservation of Thoreau’s voice remains critical at all times.
I see people living lives of quiet desperation every day, and it makes me sad. Walden was a powerful antidote for me, and I believe it could have such an impact on others.
People create new versions of literary classics all the time, from Homer to Shakespeare to whoever wrote Beowulf. But typically, by the time someone comes along with an update the text has been out of the public consciousness for a long time, and very few people outside of academia read it anymore. I want to close that loop and shorten the revision cycle.
Tell us a little about your background and how it brought you to this project. How long have you been planning it?
While I am a writer and a lifelong bookworm, my native perspective is design. That’s what I’ve done for a living since 2003. I approach problem solving from a different angle than most writers.
I see graphic design as a kind of relational glue. It’s not unlike the process of building and maintaining bridges. If content and reader are two islands in the sea, then the function of design is to build a bridge between these islands so that information can flow. The writer Penny Benda once said that “design selects an audience.” Design also seeks out bridges that are decaying or have yet to be built, and then builds or repairs them in ways that are tailored for the recipient. As a designer who loves great books, I tend to notice literary bridges that are breaking down due to the evolution of language. I’m fascinated by every aspect of the written word, from meaning, origin, and sound, to appearance, context, and impact.
I’ve been working on the new Walden since June 2015, although the idea started to germinate around March or April. I left my job as a creative director at the end of October, and began working on Walden and the Kickstarter campaign full-time.
Life today is so different from the time Thoreau’s work was published. How do you think readers will relate to his work now, or how do you hope they will understand it?
The space, the slowness, the deliberate nature of Thoreau’s experiment, and his lifestyle in general will be very appealing.
I hope people will see this book as an alternative to the cults of consumerism and constant connectivity. It will be a breath of fresh air to those who are good-natured, dissatisfied with contemporary values and ethics, and anyone who loves nature. I think all of us crave simplicity, even if we can’t articulate the longing.
I hope this book will incite a rebellion. A rebellion against the self-imposed tyranny of consumerism and the “mean and sneaking lives” that so many of us live, thinking we have no other choice when we really do. A rebellion against listlessness, fear, the cult of busyness, and the addiction to comfort.
Finally, I believe that our collective indoorsiness is unhealthy. I hope this book pushes people out into nature.
Billy Merrell
– Co-Editor
Can you describe your connection to Thoreau and Walden? Why does this book resonate with you?
When I first learned about Transcendentalism in high school, I related deeply to it. I consider myself a kind of unwitting naturalist, having always found inspiration in nature, solitude, and the kind of internal investigations associated with Thoreau. I’m interested in ecological conservation, and so admire anyone with the personal constitution required to live “off the grid.” To live as simply as possible. I’m a fan of the DIY mentality, and so green living inspires me. Complete with local food, natural light, and all the other neologisms of contemporary life that Thoreau would have been amused or baffled by.
What was your initial impression when Matt contacted you about this project?
I was skeptical, at first. I was certain that a book like the one he described should already have been attempted. And if it hadn’t been, I worried why, and if it might be for a reason he hadn’t be unable to foresee. I was nervous we might be biting off more than we could chew. I wondered, would there really be a market for a new version? And if so, why? I was having a hard to imagining what it would be like.
How did your impression change after reading Matt’s work on Economy, Walden’s first chapter?
During our first phone conversation, Matt shared a story with me about trying to read Walden on a tablet, and how as a parent his reading time was already limited. The technology allowed for text messages, updates and whatnot to push through and interrupt the reading experience. He told me that it wasn’t the ideal way to read Walden. And that struck me. Then Matt explained that as a designer, he’d never found the edition that seemed to fit his understanding of the text. All of that helped me understand why there would be a purpose for the new Walden, and a little of what it might look like, if design was emphasized. And when I read Matt’s adaptation of the first chapter, I was delighted to see how careful and deliberate the edits were. I found myself agreeing with the implicit reasoning behind everything. And (importantly) it seemed more readable than it had been the first time I encountered the same passages. Then we got to the question of how “man” would be used — with “people” taking the place of “men” when referring to humanity as a whole. I understand why dated rhetoric like that bothers people. Gendered language in general is being dismantled all around us in contemporary life. At some point I realized that modernizing the text and therefore making it more welcoming to a broader readership would be worth whatever it took, no matter the size of the bite.
This project may be controversial in certain circles. What would you say to people who are doubtful about the value of this new adaptation, or are concerned that we might butcher Thoreau’s masterpiece or water it down?
I’m in a curious position, because my role in this project is essentially to play defense on behalf of Thoreau. I’ll read Matt’s edits side by side with the original text, and will resist changes that don’t positively add to a contemporary reading experience.
As for the value of adaptation, I’m not convinced this project will be all that controversial. In the poetry world today, generative “distranslation” and appropriation are celebrated. There is inherent value in looking at an existing text through a fresh lens, and doing so does little to diminish a classic’s lasting power. I would remind any skeptics of this edition that the text in its original form will always exist. They needn’t worry that our new Walden will change that.
What should your literary colleagues know about this project?
Unlike other editions of Walden, this one is essentially an art object. It’s a smaller run, not attempting to position itself as an alternative to the Dover Thrift edition (or whichever might be taught in schools, if it still is). Instead, this is a labor of love by a talented designer who wants to give a text he had connected with the full attention and studied treatment it deserves. Doing so involves brushing up the text itself, so that it is as fresh and compelling as possible.
What impact do you hope to achieve as a result of this project?
I think that through this adaptation, a contemporary reader without a background in 19th century literature is more likely to connect with and become meaningfully interested in Thoreau’s message. Ultimately, I hope the book cultivates a fresh crop of converts to a philosophy that I believe makes for better humans and better communities.
Brooks Salzwedel
– Illustrator
Can you describe your connection to Thoreau and Walden? Why does this book resonate with you?
One of the major themes in Walden is mankind’s connection to nature. The great outdoors have been a major source of influence and inspiration my whole life. Thoreau talks a lot about personal growth and how one can find it. (I often think about my own development and wonder if it will plateau, which is a little frightening.) I resonate with Thoreau’s interest in personal experiments and self criticism. I think the book has valuable lessons for virtually everyone.
I also find a great kinship to Thoreau’s experiment in living on Walden Pond. Last summer, I stayed in a secluded cabin with no running water or electricity during an artist-in-residence program I was awarded in Denali National Park, Alaska. Though my stay was only 10 days, it was one of the best experiences of my life.
What was your initial impression when Matt contacted you about this project?
Well, when he first contacted me about the project I was very ill with the flu. So frankly I was bothered and thought to myself, “Leave me alone, whoever you are!” but once I got better and was able to fully read his email and understand the project I was ecstatic. I truly couldn’t think of a more exciting and more fitting project to work on.
Given that the book will only be completed if we meet our fundraising goal, what made you decide to take the risk?
I am confident that the goal will be met. I think it’s time for this book to be revisited with the small yet helpful changes in its language. And we have a great team working together to bring the new Walden to life!
What has been the most enjoyable part of this project thus far?
I’ve enjoyed Matt’s willingness to keep an open mind and have creative dialogue about the project, whether it be about the book illustrations in particular or just art and life in general. And then there’s the marbling that we’re doing for endpapers and pull-quote pages. That’s been a fascinating experiment for me.
What has been the biggest challenge, or what challenges do you see ahead of us as we complete the remaining illustrations?
The main challenge for me is to make sure my work conveys the ideas Matt has for the book, and that the illustrations will resonate with readers. I’m used to starting a piece and changing it as I go along. For illustrations such as these, I have to have a plan of action and follow through and solve any problems I come upon as we bring concepts from rough sketches to final artwork.
What impact do you hope to achieve as a result of this work?
I suppose I’m more interested in the impact it will have with young readers. I hope that this edition’s qualities as a beautifully designed, illustrated, and sturdy book will get people excited to own a copy and hold it in their hands, as opposed to reading the story on a screen. I’m sure that’s how Thoreau would have wanted it.
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Our Kickstarter campaign will begin on February 16. We really cannot wait to bring this project to life, and hope that you will help us do that!
In the meantime, follow The New Walden on Twitter or Facebook for regular updates.
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