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Leaves of Grass: New York Public Library Collector's Edition (New York Public Library Collector's Editions)

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July 4 is the 150th anniversary of the publication of Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass." This volume, if not the single greatest achievement in American letters, is certainly one of them. When I first read "Leaves of Grass" I felt jolted, as if great, loving hands had grabbed me and shaken me into consciousness. I felt live. I'd never read anything remotely like it. Until that moment, I had no idea that simple, everydays words, could be used to such ebullient effect. Since its publictaion it has come to be thought of as an almost holy text. Indeed, there is something almost Christ-like in the love of nature and humanity that Whitman conveys. Even through the bloody civil war and the assassination of our beloved President Lincoln, Whitman was able to find life affirming beauty and hope. That this was composed by an openly gay man edifies all gay people.