Friday, May 4, 2012


cLEAVES OF GRASS

“It does not—suggest the

invention—but describes the

growth of an—American English

enjoying a distinct—identity”

—Walt Whitman,
An American Primer

“We find—Whitman
on this occasion—rather
laying—his plans than
undertaking—to perfect them”
—Horace Traubel,
Foreword, An American Primer
___________________

“Fast-forward—to the 21st Century
and we see—another revolution that
is turning the book—industry topsy-turvy
the transformation—from printed books
to electronic ones—this revolution

Spearheaded by—a modern-day Gutenberg
Amazon.com—the pioneer of the e-book
the Kindle device—for reading it
and the online—marketplace for
publishing—and selling it.”

—Gen LaGreca, “The Luddite-Statist
Attacks on Amazon,” Economics, Society,
and Culture, May 01, 2012
__________________________

Whitman pauses—and looks at
Kindle as new—Leaves of Grass
A language experiment—with e-words

An attempt to give—the spirit
The body, the man—new words
New potentialities—of speech

An American—cosmopolitan speech
And the best of America—is the
Best electronic—cosmopolitanism

This new world—these new times
These new people—this new vista
Needs a new Tongue—électronique

Poème électronique—for today
Such a tongue—will be demanded
By the young now—they want it

They grew up—in an e-culture
They won’t be—satisfied until
Such a new Tongue—is wired



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