Henry David Thoreau threw down the gauntlet in 1854, and Walden is more relevant than ever. To Live Deliberately is our visual re-imagining of Thoreau's most well-known essay, Where I Lived and What I Lived For. Accompanied by 30 illustrations, the essay challenges the trappings of modern living and embraces an ascetic rejection of material excess and social distractions in exchange for a reconnection with nature as a path to self-discovery.
This artful pocket edition is illustrated by Obvious State Founder, Evan Robertson and is printed in the United States on beautiful premium paper. It makes a great gift for literature and art lovers alike.
FUN FACT
Thoreau was minimalist before minimalism was cool. Take that, Marie Kondo!
WHAT MAKES IT AWESOME?
Thoreau expertly wrestles with the big questions through the lens of small, quotidian moments.
WHY READ IT?
This is an essay about radical unplugging. In the face of our modern technological existence, his experiment in essentialism feels more timely than ever.
DETAILS
Obvious State is a creative studio and publisher founded by Nichole and Evan Robertson in 2011.
We make bold, illustrated editions and fine art drawn from the classics.
Our books and prints are available in our shop and in bookstores and boutiques nationwide.
Our work has been featured at The Folger Shakespeare Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The American Writers Museum, The Emily Dickinson Museum, The Library of Congress, The Getty Museum, The Museum of Contemporary Art and more.
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Provocative visuals paired with punctuated language, full of surprising visual metaphors, subtext, and insider nudges that reveal themselves slowly.
Our pocket editions are portable art objects made to collect, share, and inspire moments of quiet reflection in an overstimulated digital world.
We’re drawn to language that has stood the test of time, insights that strike a chord, poetry that stretches the imagination, and philosophy that prompts critical thinking.
