Whitmania was a constellation of more than a dozen events held in 2019 to explore the legacy and celebrate the radical optimism of Walt Whitman. It was the largest celebration of Whitman’s bicentennial west of the Mississippi, and a proud member of the Whitman 2019 Consortium. For more information about our eclectic events, read and click on below. Visit our Facebook and Vimeo pages for photos and videos as well. Yawp on!
Fall 2019
Sunday, October 6
Daughters of Whitman: A Celebration and Challenge: Los Angeles women literary artists explore the complicated legacy of the father of American poetry. This lively mix of reading, discussion, and performance is part of Lit Crawl LA 2019 and CicLAvia, and will feature Dominiqua Dickey, Cecilia Fairchild, Susannah Rodríguez Drissi, and Amber West. 5th Street entrance, Central Library (Los Angeles Public Library), 3:30-4:15pm
Tuesday, October 15
Live Oak, With Moss (Abrams, 2019) book launch celebration featuring New York Times best-selling and Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator, Brian Selznick (The Invention of Hugo Cabret) in conversation with Whitman scholar, Dr. Karen Karbiener (New York University), UCLA Powell Library East Rotunda, 4-6pm
Wednesday, November 6
Singing The Body Electric at Fowler Out Loud. Join poets and UCLA faculty members, Drs. Amber West and Susannah Rodriguez Drissi in honoring the legacy of the father of American poetry with a lively evening of original poetry, puppetry, and music by diverse Los Angeles artists including puppeteer Audrey Densmore and musical duo The Singer & The Songwriter, Fowler Museum, 6-7pm
Spring 2019
Tuesday–Saturday, April 9–13
Happy National Poetry Month! Whitman talks and writing workshops led by poet and Writing Programs faculty member Amber West in Eagle Point, Oregon. More information here.
Wednesday, April 24
Whitman Games in Color: Interactive screen printing and bookmark-making with Los Angeles visual artist Clovis Blackwell and Fleur De Boom Editions at UCLA GameFest 2019
Sunday, April 28
Poet as Maker: Try out an antique typewriter, get a poem composed by a professional poet and UCLA faculty member on a typewriter just for you, selfies with Whitman, book giveaways, open mic, and more at We Make: A Festival of Makers at UCLA
Monday, April 29
Whitman Dreams in Color at Getty Museum College Night, 6–9:30pm
Free (with ID) for college students from throughout southern California; free shuttles to/from UCLA available
Saturday, May 18
First-ever west coast “Song of Myself” Marathon reading, on the top of Janns Steps at UCLA, 12-3pm
Sunday, May 19
Walt’s Greatest Hits! Open mic reading of favorite Whitman poems at LitFest Pasadena, featuring Amber West, Dominiqua Dickey, Susannah Rodríguez Drissi, and special guests, 3-4pm. Bring a Whitman poem, excerpt or quote to share! Event details here!
Friday, May 24
Songs of Ourselves: Whitmanic Explorations of Self and Community at Undergraduate Research Week, UCLA Powell Library Rotunda, 10am-12pm
Thursday–Friday, May 30-31
Happy birthday, Walt! Whitmanic merriment, marionette performance, typewriter poetry on demand, and free giveaways, Janss Terrace (between Shapiro Fountain and the Powell Library entrance), 1-5pm
Friday, May 31
Ecos del Gran Viejo: Latin American Poets Sing Walt Whitman, a bilingual reading of works by Latin American writers influenced by Whitman, UCLA Powell Library Rotunda, 2-4pm
Sunday, June 2
Daughters of Whitman: Womxn literary and performing artists explore Whitman’s legacy, Beyond Baroque, Venice, 5-8pm
