Reuben Gold Thwaites and William Least Heat Moon: Afloat Together on the Ohio
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
This 15-minute individual presentation examines Reuben Gold Thwaites’ 1897 work, Afloat on the Ohio, in conjunction with the “Ohio River” sections of William Least Heat Moon’s 1999 publication, River-Horse. Both authors observe the clash between pastoral ideal and technological development as each journeys by boat down the 981 miles of the Ohio River; Leo Marx’s classic text, The Machine in the Garden, is used as a theoretical underpinning in examining both texts. Since their travels down the Ohio River are separated by over 100 years of development, changes in description of landscape are noted (both writers visited some of the same locations), as are changes in a “wilderness ethic” portrayed in the texts. I also examine the contrast within each text between the “Appalachian” sections of the Ohio (Upper and Mid-Ohio Valley) and the lower portions of the Ohio Valley. The differentiation between these sections of the Ohio helps to build a better definition of what we mean by “Appalachian.” This presentation also includes a bibliography of works by Thwaites, some of which are housed in the special collections at Marietta College’s Legacy Library.
Reuben Gold Thwaites and William Least Heat Moon: Afloat Together on the Ohio
Harris Hall 446
This 15-minute individual presentation examines Reuben Gold Thwaites’ 1897 work, Afloat on the Ohio, in conjunction with the “Ohio River” sections of William Least Heat Moon’s 1999 publication, River-Horse. Both authors observe the clash between pastoral ideal and technological development as each journeys by boat down the 981 miles of the Ohio River; Leo Marx’s classic text, The Machine in the Garden, is used as a theoretical underpinning in examining both texts. Since their travels down the Ohio River are separated by over 100 years of development, changes in description of landscape are noted (both writers visited some of the same locations), as are changes in a “wilderness ethic” portrayed in the texts. I also examine the contrast within each text between the “Appalachian” sections of the Ohio (Upper and Mid-Ohio Valley) and the lower portions of the Ohio Valley. The differentiation between these sections of the Ohio helps to build a better definition of what we mean by “Appalachian.” This presentation also includes a bibliography of works by Thwaites, some of which are housed in the special collections at Marietta College’s Legacy Library.
