23
May
2011

Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet Blogger

By

 

I studied with a very lovely woman—a passionate Walt Whitman scholar.  She worked my ass off. Technically, she made me a Walt Whitman expert. I passed her comprehensive exam with high distinction. Which is fitting, since Walt Whitman is my poetic father. Seriously, reading his work is how my mind survived my childhood.»

Did you know Whitman self-published the first edition of Leaves of Grass? Before Amazon.com and Kindle, before blogs and Twitter, the greatest American poet literally made his own book.

It didn’t sell very well, but it got Emerson’s attention. He wrote Walt a letter: “I greet you at the beginning of a great career.” See, Emerson—the humble Buddha that he was—recognized in Whitman the American poet he had called for, but would never be.

And do you know what Whitman did with Emerson’s letter? He quoted it without asking permission. He printed a blurb—“I greet you at the beginning of a great career.” -R W Emerson»—on the spine of the second edition of Leaves of Grass.

He knew how to market himself: rogue bohemian poet.

So guess what happened to Walt Whitman after he published the 1860 edition of Leaves of Grass—the one with all the sex in it. His boss read it and found it offensive. Whitman was fired.

Now, keeping in mind my emotional connection to Whitman from childhood, and that little historical fact about Whitman’s employment problems, consider this:

When I was sitting in the Dean’s office, being subtly, artfully fired for my blogging», there was a Walt Whitman portrait on the wall.

I stared at it the entire time.

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148 Responses
  1. Charles Bivona says:
    September 3, 2011 at 10:06 PM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet Blogger http://t.co/s7i43Hk by @CharlesBivona @LuzMCosta #poet #writer #teacher #friend #NJ

  2. K says:
    September 3, 2011 at 10:07 PM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet Blogger http://t.co/s7i43Hk by @CharlesBivona @LuzMCosta #poet #writer #teacher #friend #NJ

  3. Aslan Moonbeam says:
    September 3, 2011 at 10:11 PM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet Blogger http://t.co/s7i43Hk by @CharlesBivona @LuzMCosta #poet #writer #teacher #friend #NJ

  4. bonzaiventures says:
    September 4, 2011 at 9:15 PM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet Blogger http://t.co/s7i43Hk by @CharlesBivona @LuzMCosta #poet #writer #teacher #friend #NJ

  5. Charles Bivona says:
    September 4, 2011 at 9:15 PM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet Blogger http://t.co/s7i43Hk by @CharlesBivona @LuzMCosta #poet #writer #teacher #friend #NJ

  6. Lisa Faeth says:
    September 4, 2011 at 9:45 PM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet #Blogger http://t.co/yVz8Ifp by @CharlesBivona @LuzMCosta #poet #writer #teacher #friend #NJ

  7. Lisa Faeth says:
    September 5, 2011 at 9:45 PM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet #Blogger http://t.co/yVz8Ifp by @CharlesBivona @LuzMCosta #poet #writer #teacher #friend #NJ

  8. Lisa Faeth says:
    September 6, 2011 at 10:45 AM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet #Blogger http://t.co/yVz8Ifp by @CharlesBivona @LuzMCosta #poet #writer #teacher #friend #NJ

  9. bonzaiventures says:
    September 7, 2011 at 10:15 AM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet Blogger http://t.co/s7i43Hk by @CharlesBivona @LuzMCosta #poet #writer #teacher #friend #NJ

  10. Lisa Faeth says:
    September 7, 2011 at 10:45 AM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet #Blogger http://t.co/yVz8Ifp by @CharlesBivona @LuzMCosta #poet #writer #teacher #friend #NJ

  11. Lee Colby says:
    September 7, 2011 at 11:35 AM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet #Blogger http://t.co/yVz8Ifp by @CharlesBivona @LuzMCosta #poet #writer #teacher #friend #NJ

  12. Jerry Pearlman says:
    September 7, 2011 at 12:35 PM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet Blogger http://t.co/s7i43Hk by @CharlesBivona @LuzMCosta #poet #writer #teacher #friend #NJ

  13. Lisa Faeth says:
    September 8, 2011 at 10:45 AM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet #Blogger http://t.co/yVz8Ifp by @CharlesBivona @LuzMCosta #poet #writer #teacher #friend #NJ

  14. bonzaiventures says:
    September 9, 2011 at 10:15 AM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet Blogger http://t.co/s7i43Hk by @CharlesBivona @LuzMCosta #poet #writer #teacher #friend #NJ

  15. Lisa Faeth says:
    September 9, 2011 at 10:45 AM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet #Blogger http://t.co/yVz8Ifp by @CharlesBivona @LuzMCosta #poet #writer #teacher #friend #NJ

  16. Charles Bivona says:
    September 9, 2011 at 1:39 PM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet Blogger http://t.co/s7i43Hk by @CharlesBivona @LuzMCosta #poet #writer #teacher #friend #NJ

  17. Charles Bivona says:
    September 9, 2011 at 1:43 PM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet #Blogger http://t.co/yVz8Ifp by @CharlesBivona @LuzMCosta #poet #writer #teacher #friend #NJ

  18. Lisa Faeth says:
    September 10, 2011 at 10:45 AM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet #Blogger http://t.co/yVz8Ifp by @CharlesBivona @LuzMCosta #poet #writer #teacher #friend #NJ

  19. Lisa Faeth says:
    September 11, 2011 at 10:47 AM

    It's NEWalt Whitman Would Be a Poet #Blogger http://t.co/yVz8Ifp by @CharlesBivona @LuzMCosta #poet #writer #teacher #friend #NJ

  20. Lisa Faeth says:
    September 13, 2011 at 10:30 AM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet #Blogger http://t.co/yVz8Ifp by @CharlesBivona @LuzMCosta #teacher #writer #blogger #friend #GoTeamBivona

  21. Luz M. Costa says:
    December 4, 2011 at 10:33 PM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a #Poet #Blogger by @CharlesBivona: http://t.co/8aggvq4G #literature

  22. Luz M. Costa says:
    December 7, 2011 at 2:20 AM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a #Poet #Blogger by #Professor @CharlesBivona: http://t.co/8aggvq4G #Literature

  23. Connie Handscomb says:
    December 7, 2011 at 2:23 AM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a #Poet #Blogger by #Professor @CharlesBivona: http://t.co/e8vZtWBP #Literature RT @luzmcosta RT @CharlesBivona

  24. Connie Handscomb says:
    December 7, 2011 at 2:23 AM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a #Poet #Blogger by #Professor @CharlesBivona: http://t.co/e8vZtWBP #Literature RT @luzmcosta RT @CharlesBivona

  25. Terri says:
    December 7, 2011 at 2:26 AM

    RT @CharlesBivona: Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet Blogger http://t.co/Km2DcRse And an occupier too!

  26. Allan Lokos says:
    December 7, 2011 at 2:28 AM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a #Poet #Blogger by #Professor @CharlesBivona: http://t.co/e8vZtWBP #Literature RT @luzmcosta RT @CharlesBivona

  27. +NRG says:
    December 7, 2011 at 2:34 AM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a #Poet #Blogger by #Professor @CharlesBivona: http://t.co/e8vZtWBP #Literature RT @luzmcosta RT @CharlesBivona

  28. Justin Stone-Diaz says:
    December 7, 2011 at 4:13 AM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a #Poet #Blogger by #Professor @CharlesBivona: http://t.co/e8vZtWBP #Literature RT @luzmcosta RT @CharlesBivona

  29. Sandy Dover says:
    January 13, 2012 at 4:56 PM

    RT @CharlesBivona: Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet Blogger http://t.co/lzFQ5CnA

  30. Charles Bivona says:
    January 28, 2012 at 11:16 PM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet Blogger: http://t.co/pXoeHIF5 @Tashtoo @mbattistella @occupymainst @liamphuckall #ows #occupy #ff

  31. Charles Bivona says:
    January 28, 2012 at 11:16 PM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet Blogger: http://t.co/pXoeHIF5 @Tashtoo @mbattistella @occupymainst @liamphuckall #ows #occupy #ff

  32. Luz M. Costa says:
    January 28, 2012 at 11:16 PM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet Blogger: http://t.co/8aggvq4G @Tashtoo @mbattistella @occupymainst @liamphuckall #ows #occupy #ff

  33. Natasha Head says:
    January 28, 2012 at 11:20 PM

    RT @CharlesBivona: Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet Blogger http://t.co/T8trB3rG

  34. Liam Phuckall says:
    January 29, 2012 at 1:01 AM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet Blogger: http://t.co/pXoeHIF5 @Tashtoo @mbattistella @occupymainst @liamphuckall #ows #occupy #ff

  35. Norman Nicholson says:
    January 31, 2012 at 4:26 AM

    Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet Blogger: http://t.co/8aggvq4G @Tashtoo @mbattistella @occupymainst @liamphuckall #ows #occupy #ff

  36. Charles Bivona says:
    February 1, 2012 at 10:16 PM

    RT @luzmcosta: Walt Whitman Would Be a #Poet #Blogger: http://t.co/pXoeHIF5 @Tashtoo @mbattistella @OccupyMainSt @LiamPhuckall #ows #occupy

  37. Charles Bivona says:
    February 1, 2012 at 10:16 PM

    RT @luzmcosta: Walt Whitman Would Be a #Poet #Blogger: http://t.co/pXoeHIF5 @Tashtoo @mbattistella @OccupyMainSt @LiamPhuckall #ows #occupy

  38. Occupy Main Street says:
    February 1, 2012 at 10:16 PM

    RT @luzmcosta: Walt Whitman Would Be a #Poet #Blogger: http://t.co/pXoeHIF5 @Tashtoo @mbattistella @OccupyMainSt @LiamPhuckall #ows #occupy

  39. Occupy Main Street says:
    February 1, 2012 at 10:16 PM

    RT @luzmcosta: Walt Whitman Would Be a #Poet #Blogger: http://t.co/pXoeHIF5 @Tashtoo @mbattistella @OccupyMainSt @LiamPhuckall #ows #occupy

  40. IndeCan says:
    February 1, 2012 at 10:17 PM

    RT @luzmcosta: Walt Whitman Would Be a #Poet #Blogger: http://t.co/pXoeHIF5 @Tashtoo @mbattistella @OccupyMainSt @LiamPhuckall #ows #occupy

  41. IndeCan says:
    February 1, 2012 at 10:17 PM

    RT @luzmcosta: Walt Whitman Would Be a #Poet #Blogger: http://t.co/pXoeHIF5 @Tashtoo @mbattistella @OccupyMainSt @LiamPhuckall #ows #occupy

  42. MJ Duggan says:
    February 1, 2012 at 10:20 PM

    RT @luzmcosta: Walt Whitman Would Be a #Poet #Blogger: http://t.co/pXoeHIF5 @Tashtoo @mbattistella @OccupyMainSt @LiamPhuckall #ows #occupy

  43. +NRG says:
    February 1, 2012 at 10:23 PM

    RT @luzmcosta: Walt Whitman Would Be a #Poet #Blogger: http://t.co/pXoeHIF5 @Tashtoo @mbattistella @OccupyMainSt @LiamPhuckall #ows #occupy

  44. Natasha Head says:
    February 1, 2012 at 11:02 PM

    RT @CharlesBivona: Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet Blogger http://t.co/T8trB3rG

  45. Natasha Head says:
    February 1, 2012 at 11:02 PM

    RT @CharlesBivona: Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet Blogger http://t.co/T8trB3rG

  46. Leah-Jamielynn says:
    February 1, 2012 at 11:03 PM

    RT @CharlesBivona: Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet Blogger http://t.co/T8trB3rG

  47. Billy Butterfield says:
    February 1, 2012 at 11:06 PM

    RT @CharlesBivona: Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet Blogger http://t.co/T8trB3rG

  48. dVerse Poets Pub says:
    February 1, 2012 at 11:09 PM

    RT @CharlesBivona: Walt Whitman Would Be a Poet Blogger http://t.co/T8trB3rG

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