Join us as we plumb the depths of Walt Whitman’s darker side. Bring a flashlight, lantern, or candle and walking shoes to be part of our roving, after-dark group reading of Whitman’s long night poem “The Sleepers” (1891/1892 Deathbed ed. of Leaves of Grass). Event starts outside High Street subway stop on Cadman Plaza West [...]
Read watery excerpts from Walt Whitman’s poetry in canoes at dawn on the Gowanus Canal – or listen from the historic Carroll Street Bridge. Presented with the Walt Whitman Initiative as part of the 2019 Walt Whitman Bicentennial. Readers should contact Brad.Vogel@gmail.com in advance to arrange selections. Readers arrive at the Gowanus Dredgers Boathouse at [...]
2019 is the 200th birthday year of Walt Whitman (1819-1892), who is known today as one of the most influential poets of the nineteenth century. In addition to his work as a poet, Whitman is also remembered as a book designer and printer, essayist and journalist. Calling himself “the Bard of Democracy”, Whitman broke the [...]
Los Angeles women literary artists explore the complicated legacy of the father of American poetry. This lively mix of reading, discussion, and performance is part of Whitmania, the west coast’s largest celebration of Walt Whitman’s 200th birthday in 2019. Featuring Dominiqua Dickey, Cecilia Fairchild, Susannah Rodríguez Drissi, and Amber West. This reading is part of [...]
The Providence Athenaeum will host a portion of the exhibition Walt Whitman: The Poet of the Body, which was on view at the Grolier Club in New York from May – July 2019. The display at the Athenaeum will celebrate the history of Leaves of Grass, featuring the Athenaeum’s rare first edition inscribed by Whitman along with items from the [...]
Live Oak, With Moss (Abrams, 2019) book launch celebration featuring New York Times best-selling and Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator, Brian Selznick (The Invention of Hugo Cabret) in conversation with Whitman scholar, Dr. Karen Karbiener (New York University), Tuesday, October 15, 4-6pm in the East Rotunda of UCLA’s Powell Library. This event is free and open to [...]
It’s a day full of all things Whitman! Drop in to celebrate yourself, the man of the hour, and the opening of the Poet of the Body exhibition with poetry, treats, music, and crafts for all ages. Curator-led tours of the exhibit will be offered at 11:30am and 1:30pm. – Take a turn on the press [...]
Focusing on a major new gift to our world-renowned collection of Chinese art, One: Xu Bing highlights the painting Square Word Calligraphy: Crossing Brooklyn Ferry, Walt Whitman (2018) by one of China’s most important living artists. Created specifically for the Brooklyn Museum in consultation with curator Susan L. Beningson, the work celebrates Xu Bing’s close relationship with Brooklyn, [...]
How did a carpenter’s son, grammar school dropout, and sometime hack writer become America’s poet? Scholar Karen Karbiener traces the extraordinary transformation of Walter Whitman Jr. to “Walt Whitman, a kosmos, of Manhattan the son,” a saint-like Civil War nurse, and the iconic “Good Gray Poet.” Whitman’s story will be enhanced by discussions of highlights from the [...]
Please join us as we celebrate the street co-naming of Walt Whitman Way! It will be a day filled celebrating Walt, his writing, and his connection to Brooklyn. There will be activities, speakers, readings and much more. The celebration will be held on Dekalb Ave between Hall St and Ryerson St., just outside the Pratt [...]
Join poets and UCLA faculty members, Drs. Amber West and Susannah Rodriguez Drissi in honoring the legacy of the father of American poetry with a lively evening of original poetry, puppetry, and music by diverse Los Angeles artists including puppeteer Audrey Densmore and musical duo The Singer & The Songwriter, Fowler Museum, 6-7pm This performance [...]
Drink wine-drink beer-raise your voice./Behold! your friend-as he arrives-Welcome him, when, from the upper/step, he looks down upon you with cheerful look – Walt Whitman, The Two Vault Join the Ath and Campus Fine Wines to recreate the atmosphere of the bohemian Pfaff’s Saloon, Whitman’s favorite Manhattan bar, where writers, artists, actors, and philosophers gathered to imbibe, [...]
Florilegium Chamber Choir will open their 44th season with a bicentennial tribute to the American poet Walt Whitman. The program explores Whitman’s words through settings by Randall Thompson, Norman Dello Joio, René Clausen, and others. Central to the program is Jeffrey Van's four-movement song cycle for choir and guitar, A Procession Winding Around Me, poignant [...]
Cultures clash, egos flare, words fly and secrets emerge as Walt Whitman and Oscar Wilde, two of the greatest writers of the 19th century - one nearing the end of his career, the other just beginning - come face-to-face in Donald Steven Olson’s new play re-creating an actual encounter that took place in 1882 between [...]
“The Wound Dresser: Whitman and the Civil War” - Ian Maloney, St. Francis College The Walt Whitman Initiative is pleased to announce its inaugural Walt Whitman Lecture Series (WWLS) for Brooklyn Lifelong Learning, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on the Brooklyn College campus offering diverse learning opportunities to adults. There is no age requirement, and you may enjoy all course [...]
"Walt Whitman and the Making of Leaves of Grass” - Matt Miller, Yeshiva University The Walt Whitman Initiative is pleased to announce its inaugural Walt Whitman Lecture Series (WWLS) for Brooklyn Lifelong Learning, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on the Brooklyn College campus offering diverse learning opportunities to adults. There is no age requirement, and you may enjoy all course [...]
"The Commercialization of Walt Whitman in Modern Society” - Ed Centeno, Whitman collector The Walt Whitman Initiative is pleased to announce its inaugural Walt Whitman Lecture Series (WWLS) for Brooklyn Lifelong Learning, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on the Brooklyn College campus offering diverse learning opportunities to adults. There is no age requirement, and you may enjoy all course offerings [...]
“Whitman's Poe: A Story of Literary Networks in Bohemian New York” - Ed Whitley, Lehigh University The Walt Whitman Initiative is pleased to announce its inaugural Walt Whitman Lecture Series (WWLS) for Brooklyn Lifelong Learning, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on the Brooklyn College campus offering diverse learning opportunities to adults. There is no age requirement, and you may enjoy [...]
Lavelle Porter and Matt Miller will discuss issues related to Walt Whitman, race, and Porter's recent and highly influential article, "Should Walt Whitman Be #Cancelled?" They will discuss how black America has talked back to Whitman and how recent conversations about Whitman and his racist statements have affected the poet's reception and legacy. What do [...]
Jesse Merandy and Karen Karbiener discuss connecting to Whitman through place, using walking tours and location based mobile experiences as methods to understanding the poet's life and work. Speakers will recount their own experiences using place-based pedagogy, offering helpful insights and resources for educators and those looking to embark on their own exploration of Whitman's [...]
