Black Forest Walden

David Farrell Krell is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at DePaul University and Brauer Distinguished Visiting Professor at Brown University. His many books include The Cudgel and the Caress: Reflections on Cruelty and Tenderness, also published by SUNY Press.

• Preface1. Silent snowfall2. The colors of snow; or, where beauty is3. In the still of the night4. The snowplow5. Ice wings6. The Storm Beech7. The Moon and Venus8. The cabin; or, plucking the raisins9. The past has not passed10. Neighbors11. But where's the pond?12. River of fog13. My "office"14. Conversations with Marlon Brando?15. Ice wings, Part Two16. Douglas the Fir17. Aurora18. Freaks of nature; or, lighting fires and mourning the woods19. H.D. in bed20. Maudlin and bathetic21. Add your dreams, and not just the sexy ones!22. Tell Marlonbrando your dreams, honey, and everything will be all right23. Neighbors, Part Two: Herr S.W.24. The darkness of the woods25. Monarchs in December26. The limits of description27. The limits of knowledge28. Black and white29. Fool's spring30. A reflection on consumer society; or, a Romantic has his uses31. The deserving poor32. A succession of beautiful days33. Neighbors, Part Three: Wolfgang34. La pensée du jour35. The smartphone in high mountains36. The new adventures of Pinocchio37. News of the world38. On the difference between European and American "values"39. Tell Marlonbrando your dreams, honey, and everything will be all right, Part Two40. On the degeneration of poetry to chemistry41. Platonism and Puritanism keep us on our spiritual toes42. Neighbors, Part Four: Frau S.M.43. Let's (not!) do lunch44. The perfect universe45. Autarchy; or, fatties beware!46. Woodchuck Heaven47. Mudslide Man48. Knowing beans49. Tell Marlonbrando your dreams, honey, and everything will be all right, Part Three50. Moving mountains51. Obscene spring52. On jealousy and brutalization53. The bowlegged larch54. Speculative gardening55. Former inhabitants56. The two corners of Melville's smile57. Thaw and Thor58. Former inhabitants, Part Two59. Taking the arm of an elm tree60. Thoreau's serviceable body61. On loneliness; or, snap out of it!62. The work of mourning63. A cautionary note64. Hurry up, please, it's time65. Return to sender66. Former inhabitants, Part Three67. A snippet on schnapps68. Tell Marlonbrando your dreams, honey, and everything will be all right, Part Four69. Doubling up70. My little chickadee!71. Home Entertainment Center72. Neighbors, Part Five: Rüdiger73. The forlorn pair of shoes74. The forlorn BMW75. Kids76. Henry's mom and dad77. More work of mourning78. Tell Marlonbrando your dreams, honey, and everything will be all right, Part Five79. Old people80. About that blackbird81. Former inhabitants, Part Four: The lover suspended in the rafters82. On doing good83. Organized religion84. Tell Marlonbrando your dreams, honey, and everything will be all right, Part Six85. Living in the present86. Out of doors87. Bronchitis? Pneumonia?88. Day, season, and year89. The bloody truth about trees90. The head monkey at Paris91. On the gift-giving vice92. Losing the whole world93. Knowing when to break up94. Accentuate the negative95. Prejudice96. How to become just friends97. Faithless fidelity98. Advice to the lovelorn99. Books100. Former inhabitants... of color... at Walden Pond101. Crooked genius, crooked rules102. Art is not yet weaned103. Life is not yet weaned104. Problematic praxis105. The Copernican Revolution?106. New beech leaves107. God bless the American Igel; or, true patriotism108. One more angel story, the last one, I promise109. Creationism110. Capital punishment111. May fog112. Thoreau's model farm113. The water works114. There is nothing inorganic115. The ashes of once living things116. The katzenjammer of birds117. The wolf spider118. A morning hike119. Music of the rain120. Tell Marlonbrando your dreams, honey, and everything will be all right, Part Seven121. Save your hay122. A day's journey123. Dream and catastrophe; or, the politics of archaeology124. And then the sky fell125. Still more work126. Life stammers on127. Pinions128. The logic of error; or, a modest disquisition on the synthesis of being, time, and truth129. Tell Marlonbrando your dreams, honey, and everything will be all right, Part Eight and Last130. Cabin smells131. Desperately sad132. Self-confidence133. Polonius134. Sea of fog135. Sunworshiper fog136. Weather can be extraordinarily precise137. The man in the moon138. Breaking News: Marlonbrando confesses all!139. Extra-vagance140. September mood141. Periwinkle and ivy142. To see and say it all143. Marlonbrando sees the light144. The power of the past tense145. From the mountains of Saint Ulrich to the prairies of Chicagoland?146. Life is at bottom indestructibly powerful and pleasurableNotesList of Illustrations

"…an eminently readable book … Black Forest Walden is full of lively writing." — H-Net Reviews (H-Environment)"The work is a literary masterpiece of sorts. Perhaps the greatest strength lies in the powerful descriptions of what Krell experiences and encounters during his life of solitude, a solitude that seems to intensify rather than dilute the attunement to life. I found it to be a compelling, at times spellbinding, read." — Walter A. Brogan, author of Heidegger and Aristotle: The Twofoldness of Being