Emphatically Emerson [Paperback]

Frank Crocitto (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 30, 2003

Frank Crocitto, editor of the Thoreau tribute: New Suns Will Arise (Hyperion 2000) presents an unconventional introduction to the mind and heart of the Transcendentalist philosopher. Selections from Emerson’s journals have been carefully chosen and sensitively formatted for maximum impact and accessibility. Inspired by the bicentennial celebration of Emerson’s birthday, this compilation aims to introduce "America’s Founding Thinker" to a whole new generation. Emphatically Emerson reveals the mind of an American sage, whose revolutionary heart longs for Truth, Freedom and "the spirit of America."

Editorial Reviews

Review

A book of truth to inspire new generations. -- Alex Moore, Managing Editor, ForeWord Magazine, Author of Concord Authors: Biographical Notes

No lover of words, no one alive to poetry can do without this book; stunning addition to any intelligent library. -- Bob Williams, The Compulsive Reader, April 2003

To be tasted and enjoyed at leisure... and absorbed for intellectual and spiritual nourishment. -- Richard Geldard, PhD, Author of The Spiritual Teachings of Ralph Waldo Emerson and God in Concord, Emerson’s Awakening to the Infinite

About the Author

Described as a zealous scholar of the great American Transcendentalists—Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman—Frank Crocitto has devoted his life to the pursuit of practical wisdom—through systems of self-development and service to others. Mr. Crocitto has been an actor, a milkman, an attendant in a mental hospital, a teacher of subjects as diverse as English composition, Algebra and flute making, and a barber. Through it all he has been an inspiring educator. He has taught in the public school system, in a Waldorf school, at Pace College, the State University of New York in New Paltz, and in the school he founded, Discovery Institute, which has branches in New Paltz, NY, San Diego and Santa Fe.

In addition to being the editor of Emphatically Emerson and the Thoreau tribute New Suns Will Arise (Hyperion 2000), Mr. Crocitto is the author of A Child’s Christmas in Brooklyn, Hooray For Love and Insight is Better Than Ice Cream, as well as numerous stage plays, including an adaptation of Stephen Crane’s The Bride Comes To Yellow Sky. In 1999, he recorded the spoken word album Rumi Is Alive with classical pianist Melanie Monsour. Mr. Crocitto is a regular columnist in Chronogram, a monthly arts magazine serving the Mid-Hudson Valley. He has also been a featured speaker at the Chopra Center for Well Being.

He is currently working on a new series of books focused on the Transcendentalists, the first of which is Emphatically Emerson. The next book in the series will be entitled Thoroughly Thoreau. In addition to writing, Mr. Crocitto travels around the country, speaking on a variety of topics ranging from ecstatic poetry and practical philosophy to the beauty of being an Italian-American from Brooklyn.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Candlepower (April 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932037047
• ISBN-13: 978-1932037043
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,220,555 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yes, Emphatically Emerson, February 10, 2004

By 

H. Rose (Middlefield, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Emphatically Emerson (Paperback)

I met the editor at a book fair and he told me this was his way of trying to get Emerson's writings to a new generation.

This is a book of gems culled from the voluminous journals of Ralph Waldo Emerson - whose work I might never have actually been able to wade through (although that might be different now). It is passages from his journal, in cronological order, placed on the page like poetry. With these high minded thoughts, typeset as if this were poetry, I find the thoughts contained therein to be highly accessible and though I generally do not much enjoy reading poetry I liked this much more than I expected to. It has a certain calming effect and is filled with acceptance and wonder with life. That doesn't quite describe it well, nor does it convey how deeply some of these passage resonated with me. I have a great number of post-it notes sticking out of the book's pages and will refer back to them when I feel the need for some calm. The editor has apparently done the same treatment with Thoreau's journals and I look forward to getting my hands on that.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An insightful and recommended collection, May 22, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Emphatically Emerson (Paperback)

Compiled by Frank Crocitto, Emphatically Emerson is a welcome collection of Ralph Waldo Emerson's "piercing and poetic insights", enhanced with brief notes and thoughts which Emerson originally jotted down with no particular purpose in mind, yet which contain moving reflections of humans and our place in the greater scheme of things. especially recommended for students of Emerson's life and work, Emphatically Emerson is an insightful and recommended collection. "Little things are often filled / with great beauty. / The cigar / makes visible the respiration of the body, / an universal fact, / of which the ebb and flow of the sea tide / is only one example."