A National Voice on Thoreau

Associate Professor James Finley was featured recently in a PBS documentary about the influential 19th-century author Henry David Thoreau. Produced by acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns, the three-part documentary explores Thoreau’s life, literary legacy, and enduring influence on environmentalism, social justice and nonviolent resistance.   

Finley, who has spent much of his academic career studying Thoreau, was invited to appear in the film after producers recognized his expertise. In addition to being interviewed on camera, he served as a consultant and reviewed portions of the documentary’s script.   

A faculty member at A&M–San Antonio for 10 years, Finley teaches courses in American and environmental literature and has authored and edited numerous scholarly works on Thoreau. He is currently co-editing “The Oxford Handbook of Henry David Thoreau” and will publish a new book this summer.