The
Erotic Whitman by Vivian R. Pollak
In this provocative analysis of Whitman's
exemplary quest for happiness, Vivian Pollak skillfully explores
the intimate relationships that contributed to his portrayal of
masculinity in crisis. She maintains that in representing himself
as a characteristic nineteenth-century American and in proposing
to heal national ills, Whitman was trying to temper his own inner
conflicts as well.
The poet's expansive vision of natural eroticism
and of unfettered comradeship between democratic equals was,
however, only part of the story. As Whitman waged a conscious
campaign to challenge misogynistic and homophobic literary codes,
he promoted a raceless, classless ideal of sexual democracy that
theoretically equalized all varieties of desire and resisted none.
Pollak suggests that this goal remains imperfectly achieved in his
writings, which liberates some forbidden voices and silences
others.
Integrating biography and criticism, Pollak
employs a loosely chronological organization to describe the
poet's multifaceted "faith in sex." Drawing on his early
fiction, journalism, poetry, and self-reviews, as well as letters
and notebook entries, she shows how in spite of his personal
ambivalence about sustained erotic intimacy, Whitman came to
imagine himself as "the phallic choice of America."
Walt
Whitman : A Gay Life by Gary Schmidgall
Walt Whitman's place in U.S. letters is
unchallenged: he is the poet of America, democracy, and individual
freedom. Yet Whitman and his work have been misrepresented by
scholars and critics during the 20th century, and it is only
recently that they have begun admitting the poet's homosexuality
and examining its effect on his work. Gary Schmidgall's bold and
well-researched Walt Whitman: A Gay Life presents abundant
and irrefutable evidence of the poet's vibrant sexuality and
details Whitman's sexual and romantic affairs. More important,
however, he explains how Whitman's attraction to men was at the
root of his poetic vision: in Whitman's work the "body
electric" is more than a metaphor. Walt Whitman: A Gay
Life is a vital addition to Whitman studies and critical work
on American literature.
Though Walt Whitman's poetry is known for its
unabashed physicality and sexual energy, few biographers have
directly confronted the impact of Whitman's sexuality and his
cherished fraternal relationships on his art. Gary Schmidgall's
fresh, insightful readings and innovative biographical technique
illuminate the vital connection between Whitman's life as a
homosexual and his legacy as a landmark literary artist. Through
careful examination of contemporary sources and Whitman's own
writing, including his letters and personal journals, Schmidgall
explores Whitman as artist, lover, and friend. What emerges is a
fascinating portrait of a man of deeply sexual nature, ardently
pursuing the objects of his desire in erotic encounters and love
affairs that fueled his creative energy and inspired his seminal
literary achievements. Candid, unapologetic, and deeply revealing,
Walt Whitman: A Gay Life enriches our understanding of the father
of American poetry.
