On the 200th anniversary of Whitman’s birth, we will celebrate the event by hosting a reading of the 1855 edition of his masterpiece, Leaves of Grass. The volume heralded the arrival of a genuinely American voice in poetry and would eventually be seen as the forerunner of American Modernist expression with its expansive free verse lines and courageous themes. Ralph Waldo Emerson excitedly wrote to the young Whitman, “I find it the most extraordinary piece of wit and wisdom that America has yet contributed.” The poem continues to resonate with readers today because of its inspiring vision of America as the great melting pot of humanity, with its immense geographical and ethnic diversity, and its candid celebration of love in all its forms.

Dr. Sue Weaver Schopf will present opening remarks and then we will read aloud from the first edition of Leaves of Grass (1855).

All are welcome to participate! Come and contribute a verse, if you wish, or sit, listen and enjoy with us!

Stay as long as you like–for the whole reading or just for a few minutes.

Free.