The William Munroe Special Collections at the Concord Free Public Library has recently expanded one of the nation’s most significant archives devoted to Louisa May Alcott and her remarkable family. With the acquisition of several newly discovered letters by Alcott and two important collections assembled over decades, the Library has added new layers of insight into the life, work, and legacy of the author of Little Women.

This year marks the 85th Annual Gathering of the Thoreau Society—the oldest and largest community devoted to an American author. Founded in 1941 by Walter Harding, the Society began with a simple invitation to a “Thoreau Birthday Mecca”:  meet at Walden Pond, share lunch at Concord’s Colonial Inn, and talk about forming a group devoted to Henry David Thoreau. 

HENRY DAVID THOREAU, a new, three-part, three-hour film examines the life and work of Concord’s 19th-century writer in the context of antebellum New England and the larger United States, as well as through the universal themes he focused on in his writings: an individual’s relationship to the state, how to live an authentic life, our connection to nature, and the impact of race on American life. Ultimately, HENRY DAVID THOREAU presents a portrait of a man both rooted in his time and speaking far beyond it. By placing his life and writings within the great moral struggles of the 19th century, the film underscores why Thoreau endures as a guide to the tensions and possibilities of American democracy—offering wisdom and provocation as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary.