| Description | In this talk, Hearst discusses American authors who have contributed to what he calls our tradition of “revolutionary spirit.” Although he notes the importance of critics in praising good work and blasting what’s bad, Hearst focuses on the revolutionary spirit as an essential “signpost” of American life. He describes it as “the faith in people that has made us unique,” and “an attitude of social justice and belief in the common man.” Hearst refers to several key figures including Frost, Thoreau, Emerson, the newspaper editor and colonial poet Philip Freneau, and Walt Whitman as all exemplifying characters that value intangibles such as freedom and equality more than possessions. Simple acts, Hearst argues, are what makes Americans revolutionary: that we ache, love, challenge, want the best for others, and are first and foremost human beings. We need true critics, he concluded, who will hold us to that spirit. |
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