EVERY HOUR, EVERY ATOM

Turpin and Miller, both English professors and Whitman scholars, do an invaluable service in transcribing the scattered pages of his pre–Civil War work, rendering them in an intimate, accessible format for lay readers and fans. In his helpful introduction, Miller emphasizes the small size of the actual notebooks—the size of a palm—and how "the economy of [Whitman's] handwriting is meticulous, at times even fussy." The editors have taken great pains to show the mechanics of Whitman’s process—the "trial lines," revisions, scratch-outs, and constant edits—revealing the poetic mind as the muse and mood carries Whitman along, literally strolling the streets of Brooklyn. Some of the fragments will resonate with readers well versed in Whitman's poetry, especially "Song of Myself" and "The Sleepers," but more often, there is a thrilling glimpse into the intensity of Whitman's imagery, tactile language, and fiery sensations. Best of all, the editors have not attempted to "clean up" his spelling or typographical disarray, since this is part of the joy of reading the rough-and-tumble poet and newspaper editor who was fond of "manicules" and drawings, as well. “If, while reading, you experience a kind of whiplash from Whitman’s abrupt fits and starts, know you are not the first,” writes Miller. “If one page of a notebook is so radically different in tone or texture from the next that it seems as if one part were written months or years after the other, that very well may be the case. Whitman often returned to notebooks he had abandoned for years.” It’s solid advice for reading these feverish bits of literature, well organized for further critical study or simple enjoyment.

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