Whitman Illuminated: Song of Myself

Walt Whitman

Hardcover

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Yes!

Walt Whitman's iconic collection of poems, Leaves of Grass, has earned a reputation as a sacred American text. Whitman himself made such comparisons, going so far as to use biblical verse as a model for his own. So it's only appropriate that artist and illustrator Allen Crawford has chosen to illuminate--like medieval monks with their own holy scriptures--Whitman's masterpiece and the core of his poetic vision, "Song of Myself." Crawford has turned the original sixty-page poem from Whitman's 1855 edition into a sprawling 234-page work of art. The handwritten text and illustrations intermingle in a way that's both surprising and wholly in tune with the spirit of the poem--they're exuberant, rough, and wild. Whitman Illuminated: Song of Myself is a sensational reading experience, an artifact in its own right, and a masterful tribute to the Good Gray Poet.

Book Details

Publisher: Tin House Books
Publish Date: May 13rd, 2014
Pages: 256
Language: English
Edition: undefined - undefined
Dimensions: 7.80in - 5.20in - 1.10in - 1.20lb
EAN: 9781935639787
Categories: • Individual Artists - Artists' Books

About the Author

Whitman, Walt: - "Walt Whitman (May 31, 1819 - March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works."

Crawford, Allen: - Allen Crawford is the illustrator of Whitman Illuminated: Song of Myself. He and his wife, Susan, are proprietors of the design/illustration studio Plankton Art Co. Their illustrations are on permanent display at the American Museum of Natural History's Milstein Hall of Ocean Life. His work has appeared in numerous publications including the New York Times, Orion, and Art in America. He lives in Mt. Holly, New Jersey.

Praise for this book

Praise for "Whitman Illuminated: Song of Myself"
"Zestful. . .exudes the essence of Whitman's 1855 edition."
"New York Times"
"Whitman's famous "Leaves of Grass" poem gets a gorgeous visual treatment that will wow poetry fans."
"Good Housekeeping"
"A lovely and inspired visual interpretation of Whitman s classic 60-page poem."
"San Francisco Chronicle"
"Allen Crawford brings you the words of Walt Whitman beautifully arranged and illustrated in "Whitman Illuminated: Song Of Myself.""
Buzzfeed
"Crawford s tribute is a beautiful piece of art that every Whitman lover will want on their bookshelf."
Flavorwire
"[Crawford's] elegant, lyrical play of text size and orientation layers over Whitman s poem a kind of visual rhythm that not only harmonizes with the original verses but enriches them and gives them uncommon dimension."
Brainpickings
"Crawford's work is almost something else entirely, a pictorial guidebook to Whitman's catalog of Americana. The poem is so vivid it's almost surprising no one has thought of this before. The few samples of the work available online thus far are stunning."
Philly.com

Praise for Allen Crawford's (aka Lord Whimsy) "The Affected Provincial s Companion, Volume One"
one of the more charming treatises to come along in yearsIn short, [Crawford] glorifies almost every aspect of Homo Affectusas [his] book points out, being a dandy isabout imagination, about dreaming up and acquiring and embodying a mixture of traits and clothes and habits peculiar to you. And if they seem peculiar to everyone else, well then, they had better catch up, hadn t they?
The "New York Times"
"Ask Whimsy, and he may call himself a crack-pot or a shut-in. But if you want the full answer, hightail it to a bookstore and secure a copy of one of the most entertainingand certainly weirdestnon-fiction titles of the summerThe Companion is a lifestyle battlecry, both quaint and radical, lighthearted and dead serious"The Affected Provincial s Companion" may never dislodge The South Beach Diet as a guide to post-modern American living, but it is a lot more fun than any rivals in the field. After reading this eccentric s creed, it feels good to know that a book this quirky can still get published. And good, too, to know that Whimsy is out there, tending his bug-eating plants and dreaming up his next shot at boring mainstream life."
The Associated Press
"We humbly endeavor to showcase the talents, both literary and graphical, of the aforementioned Lord Whimsy. While he has been widely denounced as a cad, rake, and sipper of porridges, we humbly submit that he is also a splendid raconteur and a canny quillsman. Granted, he is also something of a bounder. But, gentle reader, let the work speak for itself. Witness his rousing jeremiad against Sporting Wear. Admire his scientific chart detailing the improbable physics of Self Congress. Behold the impeccably turned out man-about-town. We are confident you will find this dandy s manicured musings a bracing tonic against the enervating drudgery of the modern world. Was it not the great Gallic thespian Gerard Depardieu who once exclaimed, Ah, Whimsyun homme d esprit! Yes, it was not."
Yahoo
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