Author Event! Ken Lizotte & Andrew Middleton "Walden for Hire"

Join us on Thursday, March 19th as we host Ken Lizotte and Andrew Middleton in conversation to discuss, respectively, Walden for Hire and The Map Center. Signed copies of Walden for Hire will be available for purchase.

Event moderated by Audrey Spina.

About the book:

An in-depth look at Henry David Thoreau’s innovative thinking and business achievements—for the unconventional professional and independent thinker.

Includes a conversation with Erik and Christopher Loren Ewers, Codirectors of Henry David Thoreau, a three-part PBS documentary.

You may be surprised by the hidden business lessons of a man better known for Transcendentalism and "Civil Disobedience." It’s true—Henry David Thoreau has come to be defined primarily through the lenses of writer, environmentalist, thinker, surveyor, and activist. But a deeper look into his life reveals Thoreau as a creative and eclectic thought leader with timeless contributions in the business arena that are as profound as his impact in other disciplines.

Like so much else that Thoreau attempted in his life, when opportunities arose in his professional life, Thoreau not only proved himself more than capable at just about anything he put his mind to—from innovations in farming and science to writing and public speaking—but he did things in ways that were inventive and unconventional, often yielding highly-successful results.

In Walden for Hire, bestselling author Ken Lizotte draws out the hidden business insights we can all learn from through Thoreau’s life and the body of his work, bringing to light how his natural curiosity and problem-solving skills drove multi successful business enterprises and an enduring legacy.

About The Map Center:

The Map Center is for the curious, the adventurous at heart, the playful. They have art, posters, globes and geographical oddities to tickle the imagination and help you see the world in a new way. It’s a fun and educational visit for all ages and a lovely, eye-opening hour spent with your family while out and about or on vacation to the beautiful beaches of Rhode Island. They also have high resolution scanning, printing, mounting and framing for images of all kinds. It’s a new kind of a store for a very old thing. Visit themapcenter.com for more info!

It's located at 545 Pawtucket Ave, MS 208 # A114, Pawtucket, RI.

About the authors:

Ken Lizotte is the author of Walden for Hire: Business Lessons from Henry David Thoreau. Living just three miles from Walden Pond and serving as president emeritus of Thoreau Farm, Ken has spent years challenging our assumptions about Thoreau. In his forthcoming book, he reveals Thoreau not as someone who rejected commerce, but as a polymath entrepreneur who was a teacher, surveyor, naturalist, writer, lecturer, and innovator—someone who sought to make money "on his own terms, in harmony with the natural world."

Andrew Middleton is the owner of The Map Center in Pawtucket, Rhode Island—New England's oldest map store. He won the business in 2023 through a nationwide contest, leaving his GIS career in California to take over this beloved institution. Andrew calls himself a "cartographic sommelier" and has transformed The Map Center into a place
"for the curious, the adventurous at heart, the playful"—curating maps as art and culture, not just navigation tools.

About the moderator:

Audrey Spina works at the RISD Career Center as a Career Advisor. Her interdisciplinary background in museum collections and administration, social justice focused nonprofit organizations, and student advising allows her to draw on a multitude of skills and strengths when supporting students. She believes in the power of creative economies and expression as critical engines in procuring flourishing communities. Audrey received her undergraduate degree in Art History and English from Wheaton College, Massachusetts, and a master’s degree in secondary education and poetry from Bridgewater State University. She is also trained in design thinking and “life design” concepts from Stanford University’s d.lab housed at the d.school.

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