painting by Rick Bartow

Each moment and whatever happens, thrills me with joy.

–Walt Whitman, from “Song of Myself”

To celebrate Walt’s 202nd birthday, on Sunday, May 30th we performed the sacred rite of reading Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” together. Readers and Listeners who joined the gathering included:

Martha Ragland, Brent Gregston, Claire Stock, Prabu Muruganantham, Mary Real-Leflar, Tad Leflar, Jeffrey Sher, Nancy Scharbach, Marianne Pulfer, Todd Oleson, Katie Radditz, Gail Lester, Andy Larkin, Scott Teitsworth, Deborah Buchanan, Carla Grant, Ken Margolis, Alan Benditt, Carmen Bernier-Grand, Nick Eldredge, Jude Russell, Will Hornyak and me.

This poem changed my life. And continues to inspire me. In this interview I did a few years ago on Marfa Public Radio, I elaborate on what the poem means to me. If you’re interested, here’s a link to that interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0D6WmHaSE8&t=25s

All truths wait in all things.

–Johnny