Even as a child, Charles Dickens was an avid, sometimes compulsive walker. So much so, he once wrote, “If I could not walk far and fast, I think I should just explode and perish.” Today’s show is all about walking, from the ancient origins of labyrinths, to the early 20th century phenomenon known as pedestrianism, to its ongoing benefits in a world built for cars.
Listen to the full show.
Damon Young is the author of How to Think About Exercise. During his research for the book, he learned a lot about Darwin and his daily intellectual routine of walking, every day, rain or shine.
The writer Wayne Curtis follows competitive walker, Edward Payson Weston’s final pilgrimage in 1909, and contemplates the role of walking in the physical and social development of human beings in a book called, The Last Great Walk.
Walking is a symbolic act across religions, but there is a walking ritual that pre-dates Moses, Christ, Buddha and Mohammed: labyrinths. Eunice Schroeder found a new path for her life through this ancient practice. Julie Sabatier brings us the story.
You can listen to this story again at PRX.org.
Journalist and UNH Professor Tom Haines, embarked on a project he calls “Fuel Walk” last summer. His goal is to explore on foot some of the places where America’s energy is produced.
In 1992, NHPR's Sean Hurley tried to walk across the country, and failed. And while he may not have achieved what he set out to do, he did record his journey on a handheld cassette recorder.
You can see video and read a transcript of this story at this link: A Walk Across the Country
