- An innovative introductory guide to Walt Whitman.
- Weaves together the writer's life with an examination of his works.
- Focuses especially on Whitman's evolving masterpiece Leaves of Grass.
- Examines the material conditions and products of Whitman's "scripted life", including his original manuscripts.
- Investigates Whitman's "life in print" - his belief that he could literally embody himself in his books.
- Linked to a large electronic archive of Whitman's work at www.whitmanarchive.org