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Tucker, a professor of English and Humanities who has taught at CSC since 1998, said he has always had an interest in walking, as well as its importance to philosophy and film. Tucker is not alone in his fascination. In his book, he writes about the first moving picture, shot with a single lens camera in 1888, that documented a leisurely stroll through a garden featuring a pair of men and women. The first photo of a human also dealt with movement. The photo, taken by Louise Daguerre in 1838, is of a bustling street in Paris, but due to the long exposure time, the only living thing not moving is a man having his shoe shined.

“People have always been interested in motion, and cinema began as a means to analyze it,” Tucker said. “The first films are rooted in science, not entertainment. Walking is intrinsic in film and the two are intertwined.”

Tucker’s book was in part borne out of his experiences walking the entire French Camino at various points in his life. Tucker, who also drew inspiration from filmmaker Werner Herzog’s conviction that walking is the ultimate film school, said the centuries-old trail affirmed his belief that there is a connection between walking and thinking.

“When you walk there is usually a goal, but it’s slow,” said Tucker, who worked on his book during a recent sabbatical. “Walking is the best way to see the world and it provides you ample opportunity to see and think.”

Tucker’s book goes into detail about walking and its role in early cinema, writing: “walking is at the heart of the technological and narrative mobility inscribed in cinematic visibility.”

Other chapters examine Charlie Chaplin and his character of “The Tramp,” camera technology, including Steadicams and dollies, and films where walking is central to the story.

“There are all types of walks in cinema,” Tucker said. “There’s walking to get home like in ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ aimless walks such as ‘Cleo from 5 to 7,’ and even apocalyptic walks. Walking is everywhere throughout film.”

Tucker said his book is the first to look at walking and film.

“I think this book has a few audiences, especially those who are undergraduate film students, film scholars, and anyone who is interested in movement studies,” he said.

“The Peripatetic Frame: Images of Walking in Film” is Tucker’s second book. His first book, “Derridada: Duchamp as Readymade Deconstruction,” was published in 2008. Tucker has also co-edited a collection of essays about filmmaker Terrence Malick.

—Alex Helmbrecht, Director of College Relations