THE CURE AT WALDEN POND
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In this new book Thomas Moore selects fifty brilliant and colorful passages from Henry David Thoreau’s journals, letters, books and essays. He engages them with his own ideas on each theme. He treats Thoreau not as a nineteenth-century environmentalist but as a theologian, philosopher and seeker scouring nature for secrets to life so that he can live consciously and creatively. Thomas finds in Thoreau’s ideas solutions to our own troubled world and views this new book as a kind of Walden Pond, where we, too, can retreat and find a cure to humanity’s moral and psychological sickness.
January 12, 2026
Three days ago I sent in the final corrected manuscript of this new book. It is not about Henry David Thoreau, and I am not an expert on him. It is not a literal dialogue with him either, but is my engagement with his ideas. I do not see him primarily as an environmentalist or a nature lover, but as a practical, existential philosopher in search of a meaningful life. I have tried to write the book with a degree of formality that echoes Thoreau’s manner but is nevertheless my own style. I am lucky to have found an excellent publisher in Pegasus Books this is my thirty-second book.
My original subtitle was “Making the World a Better Place by Restoring our Humanity.” My purpose is to help people around the world recover their values and become more sensitive to the needs of the human community. It is a matter of mental health, as we call it, and a soulful life, my steady theme.
October 3, 2026
Today, on a beautiful Autumn day, friends Gary and Patrice Pinette drove Joan and me to Walden Pond, the site of Thoreau’s life-changing retreat, just outside of Boston. There the Thoreau Alliance and the Walden Woods Project sponsored a public conversation with me and Richard Higgins, an expert on Thoreau and the author of the book Thoreau’s God. Rich has become a treasured friend and collaborator, and we had a probing discussion of Thoreau’s main ideas and his relevance to our world today.
Like many, I am disheartened by today’s loss of values and America’s failure in moral leadership in the world. It is difficult to recognize the America of my youth. But I am hopeful that the deep spirit for good that has long made the country a source of hope for people all over the world will resurrect. My book on Thoreau, a genuine moral leader, is intended to waken the spirit of the commons and a love for nature and a dedication to spiritual purpose that we have enjoyed in the past.
October 16, 2026
The Cure at Walden Pond seems to be doing well among readers, who tell me that they appreciate the strong sense of my presence in it and the fresh ideas and inspiring selections from Thoreau. Even I feel good about it. Usually the day I complete a new book I get going on another right away, but this time I’m not sure what to do next. This new one works so well in my own estimation that I have to take some time to come up with an equally rich idea. To keep my writing chops in play I am doing revisions on a detective novel I started at least ten years ago. I call it The Portobello Papyrus, after an ancient document a priest found on Portobello Road in London. I got that idea from my visit to this lively street where vendors sell many special objects that may or not be legitimate. When I visited Portobello Road I bought a small statue of the Greek god Helios that the merchant assured me came from the fourth century B. C. He had papers to support his claim. I have several objects like that, thinly guaranteed as historical items which I half accept as genuine and enjoy in spite of doubt. A local couple once gave me an easel made of bamboo and intended to display a painting. They told me that someone gave them the quaint thing, assuring them that it was once a cherished piece in the home of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thoreau’s mentor. I don’t know if that is true, but I keep it in my house assuming that it is genuine. With objects like this I need some assurance that the history I was told is true, but I don’t require proof.
Back to the Portobello book, it takes place in Cape Cod, Rome, Peoria, Ireland, Las Vegas and Boston. Its subtext is the idea that Jesus spent some serious time in Egypt studying in a Buddhist community on a lake in or near Alexandria and might have traveled to India, as well. This is another of those half verified historical ideas. I have no plans to publish the book because, as much as I enjoy writing fiction, I doubt my skills as a novelist. I haven’t yet worked up the nerve to present it to my agent.
Praise for THE Cure At Walden Pond
“Moore presents a reflective work that draws inspiration from Henry David Thoreau’s Walden. Moore’s writing is philosophical and cerebral while still being approachable. Drawing on Transcendentalist themes such as simplicity, attentiveness to nature, and trust in the inner voice, Moore blends his own insights with contemporary concerns. The result is a study of our current world and the ways humans are trying to find meaning.”
“The Cure at Walden Pond is aimed at those seeking change in an often-dehumanizing world. Thoreau’s writings about Walden Pond provide the perfect background for spiritual guidance. Moore explains that the healing found at Walden Pond is a natural one, illustrating the values we might want in an alternative way of life. Fans of Moore and his works, such as Care of the Soul, will find his new book highly worthwhile.”
