BY KEVIN DUGGAN
Walt Whitman fanatics
from around the borough
gathered in Clinton Hill on
Saturday to christen a local
street corner as “Walt Whitman
Way” in honor of the
Bard of Brooklyn’s outstanding
artistic legacy, said the
area’s local councilwoman.
“Brooklyn has always
brought big ideas to the
world, and we’re ready
to commemorate another
Brooklynite whose artistic
work and influence has
spread globally,” said Laurie
Cumbo. “Walt Whitman
was a cultural icon, visionary,
and a true artist in every
sense of the word.”
The famed poet’s name
now graces the street signs
at the intersection of Dekalb
Avenue and Ryerson Street
— just two blocks from Whitman’s
former home, where
he penned Leaves of Grass
in 1855 .
Some attendants used
the co-naming ceremony to
lobby for their ongoing effort
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COURIER L 22 IFE, NOVEMBER 8-14, 2019
to landmark the lyricist’s
former Ryerson Street
home between Myrtle and
Park avenues — the only of
Whitman’s New York City
abodes that still stand today,
according to one advocate.
“We still have a chance to
protect his last remaining
NYC home a few blocks from
the co-naming site by designating
it a city landmark for
the benefit of future generations,”
said Brad Vogel of the
Coalition to Save Walt Whitman’s
House.
Saturday’s ceremony —
which was part of a City
Council bill to co-name 86
thruways around the fi ve boroughs
— was preceded by a
walking tour from Brooklyn
Heights, marking the path
the Bard took several times
while working on his famous
collection of poems during
his time in the borough.
Musicians, poets, and
singers also graced attendees
with artistic renditions
of the most beloved works by
the poet — whom they also
celebrated in May for his
200th birthday — in an effort
to preserve Whitman’s memory
for future generations of
Brooklynites, according to
Vogel.
“It helps to remind people
that Walt Whitman lived and
emerged as America’s poet
right here in the streets of
Brooklyn,” he said.
Whitman in 1887 (about age 68),
sporting his signature hat and facial
hair. George C. Cox
Walt Whitman fans celebrated the Bard with the co-naming of the corner
of Dekalb Avenue and Ryerson Street in Clinton Hill on Nov. 2.
Photo by Derrick Watterson
Writings on the Walt
Whitman fans celebrate Clinton Hill street co-naming
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