Events

• Press Release: Re-Enactor to Deliver Ralph Waldo Emerson Sermon
• First Parish of Watertown, August 12, 9:30 a.m.
• Historical Re-enactor Wendell Refior will don his vintage black wool coat with tails, vest and bowtie and deliver Ralph Waldo Emerson's 1830 sermon no. 90, "Trust Thyself" with many thoughts that Emerson later published in his famous "Self-Reliance," in his first major book, Essays, First Series (1841). The sermon will be delivered during the 9:30 am, summer Sunday Service, at First Parish of Watertown, 35 Church St. Mr. Refior, of Belmont, MA and board member of the international R. W. Emerson Society, has been teaching adult education classes on Emerson since 2001, and appearing as Mr. Emerson in 1840's replica clothing and wearing mutton-chop sideburns since the bicentennial anniversary of his birth celebrated in 2003. The event is free and open to the public.
• Note also, that Mr. Refior will appear in costume again Saturday, Aug. 19th, 1:30 pm, at the Old Manse, by the Old North Bridge, Monument St, Concord, MA to deliver Mr. Emerson's fiery "Fugitive Slave Law" anti-slavery address for a Civil War Era troop recruitment re-enactment full-day event, open to the public with a small donation requested. See www.oldmanse.org for more details.
• Biographical Sketch: Wendell Refior is an independent non-academic Emerson scholar and impersonator, currently employed as a statistical analyst for a biotech firm in Cambridge. He has been a serious student of Ralph Waldo Emerson's writings since 1996, teaching Emerson classes since 2001 and appearing in costume as Mr. Emerson since 2003. He taught two Fall 2006 Emerson classes, one in Concord-Carlyle Continuing Education and one in Cambridge Center for Adult Education. The Concord Emerson class will repeat Fall 2007, but he will present a new Thoreau class in Cambridge this fall. In the past four years, Wendell has appeared in Concord as Emerson in period costume for a poetry reading at First Parish, three Civil War-era Historical Re-enactments and a Re-enactment DVD recording session at the Old Manse, and for UU services focused on Emerson in Waltham, Worcester and Medfield, MA and Brooklyn, CT. He was one of four panelists at the Emerson Society for its July 2001 session in Concord, Mass, based on his analysis of Emerson's essay, "Experience." Mr. Refior’s Emerson class is adapted the "The Living Legacy of RWE" curriculum written for the 2003 Emerson Bicentennial of his birth. Wendell is a Life Member of the international Emerson Society and is serving on its Board for 2007-2009. He has attended Emerson sessions at Thoreau Society Annual Gatherings since 1999 and at American Literature Association conferences in Boston since 2001. In 1998, Wendell moved to Belmont, Mass., where he now lives with his wife, Marla Welsford.
• The Emerson Reading Circle in Concord
• Join us for a monthly gathering to read and discuss the wonderful works of Ralph Waldo Emerson.
• No experience necessary, just the love of Emerson or the wish to get acquainted with him. All are welcome to drop in when they can.
• Place: Emerson Umbrella Center for the Arts
  40 Stow Street, Concord, MA 01742, 978-371-0820
  Room 211, [upstair from front door, turn right].
• When: second Tuesday evening of the month, 7:15 - 9:00 p.m.
• Any questions, contact Edie Murphy, 978/318-7076
• Albuquerque NM Group
• To explore the beauty and works of Ralph Waldo Emerson
• Call Ellyn at 505-892-2180 for further details.

If anyone has an Emerson event they'd like to see here, send an email to the webmaster.