Song of Chuck

Upon registering for the class, I immediately bought the three books required. Not knowing which book would be first, I began with Walt Whitman’s New York: From Manhattan to Montauk. I immediately fell in love with his work as my family has been in Brooklyn since the 1800s, so I feel some kinship to the time and places he refers to. I visited my mother today and she showed me the purchase invoice of the fruit and vegetable business of my great-grandfather in Park Slope dated 1890. Our family has a large plot of land in Greenwood Cemetery where we have been burying our dead since the late 1800’s up until current times. I’ve always been eager to know more about my Brooklyn history, and Walt is filling in some of those blanks. His detailed descriptions of the people and places in Brooklyn give a real sense of what the times were like. In Walt Whitman’s New York he goes into great detail of early Brooklyn. I was particularly proud that Whitman says that Brooklynites come from the Dutch. According to Whitman, “Be it remembered, too, that the Dutch were ahead of all other races in their regard for moral and intellectual development” (5).  At another point he writes, “The official records of Brooklyn are to be traced back, in an unbroken line, as far as 1671” (4). Upon getting up to speed and realizing that we are beginning with Leaves of Grass I found a whole different style of writing which I enjoy in a different way as I find it intelligent and filled with depth. After finding out that Whitman dropped out of school early, it made his writing all the more astounding for me. At the age of 44, I consider myself not particularly educated, although intelligent, and it is refreshing that someone lacking the formal education of the time could have done so much to affect the portrayal of history. Another way in which I identify with Whitman is that in the 1850’s he built and sold houses in Brooklyn. I have also been buying, renovating, and selling houses in Brooklyn for the past 20 years. Another way in which I can relate is that I have renovated houses while my family is still living inside in my early years of real estate investing. I knew very little of Walt Whitman’s life until the introduction of this class into my curriculum except for the fact that many places in Camden, New Jersey were named after him including the Walt Whitman Bridge. I began my real estate career in Camden, New Jersey buying handy man specials and repairing them for resale. When I told people that I was taking the class they asked me where Walt Whitman was from and I quickly responded, “Camden, New Jersey”. It was quite a pleasant surprise to find that he actually spent most of his life in Brooklyn, New York. Although I am enjoying The Leaves of Grass (Song of Myself), I truly look forward to delving deeper into Walt Whitman’s New York: From Manhattan to Montauk.