Celebrating himself
On July 4, 1855, Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass was first published to mixed reviews and general apathy. Now, 150 years later, a panel of American writers and critics celebrate the ways this volume changed the world of writing. For those with computer audio capabilities, an online discussion between Michael Cunningham, whose Specimen Days is partly inspired by Whitman’s poems — Ed Folsom, editor of the Walt Whitman Quarterly Review — and Ed Centeno, a collector of Whitman memorabilia, is posted on the NPR website. Also, in The New York Times, an editorial celebrates the poet and his work’s continuing relevance.
Related links:
Click here to read and listen to the full story at NPR
Click here for the editorial in The New York Times
