The first edition of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass was published in 1855 in Brooklyn, New York [Leaves of Grass, by Walt Whitman (1855)], introducing the poet as an American icon whose works represented the notion of the ideal American–that is, self-reliant, curious, and inquiring. This first collection consists of twelve poems, all of which are untitled, including the original version that is now known as “Song of Myself,” which although considerably lengthy, is one of my favorites of his works.

When I initially saw the book, I found the physical, exterior design of the first edition both striking and unique. The covers are a dark green, which is the color of grass, with a subtly indented plant pattern of what, to me, appear to be mostly interconnected leaves. Moreover, the title of the book, Leaves of Grass, is written in gold letters, with roots and leaves growing from each letter. The gold border near the edges of the book highlight the words in the center. This visual display is not only aesthetically pleasing at an initial glance, but could also serve as a metaphor that represents the essence of Whitman’s poetry and the content within the collection: the thoughts, feelings, and words flow freely from the mind, much like the sprouting of “leaves of grass” or plant growth in the Spring.

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Vitruvius was an Ancient Roman architect, engineer and writer that lived in the mid- to late-first century BCE. He is known to modernity only by his nomen gentilicium, or clan name; although many scholars have speculated as to his identity, no conclusive findings have been made.[1] In his only written work he claimed that he was an old man at the time of its publication, but no other indications of his birth or death are made. Vitruvius served both Julius Caesar (100-44 BCE) and Augustus Caesar (63 BCE – 14 CE) as a siege engineer. From his writings, it is clear that he had a strong education and plenty of leisure time in which to write, as well as the ability to travel and see building types across the Roman Empire. [2]

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Many people are aware of the famous story of Jane Eyre and her journey that ultimately ends with her marriage to her love, Mr. Rochester. They are aware of the struggles Jane goes through that allow her to progress from the confined spaces at Gateshead to the large residence of Thornfield, and then finally the cottage of Ferndean where she resides with Rochester for the rest of the novel. “Reader, I married him” is a sentence that most people can automatically pin to the Victorian novelist, but the publication history of this beloved classic is not as well-known.

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Book Title: Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque by Edgar A. Poe (1839)

I, like many other children in school, was required to read some of Edgar Allan Poe’s work. But why? Indeed, Poe is often (and was often) described by scholars and writers as a man of literary genius (Wagenknecht 6). But, if all it takes is the mark of a literary genius in order to cement oneself within the American education system, why was I not required to read some other author instead? Why read Poe? “Poe was an epileptic. Poe was a manic depressive. Poe was a necrophilliac. Poe was impotent. Poe was syphilitic. And so on, ad infinitum and ad nauseam” (Wagenknecht 13). Although Poe has often been labeled “as a solitary genius unconcerned with cultural contexts” (Faherty 4) due to his “imaginative writings” (Hayes xv), we, as Americans, read Poe because of quite the opposite. Poe was emblematic of American literary, political, and social trends during the 1830s, and this is why we, as Americans, study his work. A closer look into Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque, a two-volume collection of many of his short stories, provides the reader with such a glimpse into American history.

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The Sorrows of Werter. A German Story, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1791).

Die Leiden des jungen Werthers was first published on September 29, 1774 in German by Weygandsche Buchandlung, Leipzig. It published in English in 1779 and a revised German version of the novel was published in 1787. This is Goethe’s most famous book of his Sturm und Drang (Storm and Stress) period, it is characterized by writing with anti-aristocratic themes, extreme emotions and personal freedom.

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Although the First Folio, published in 1623, is considered the most important book in English history; it is no doubt that the Fourth Folio also had a great impact and was momentous in the legacy of William Shakespeare. The fourth folio of Shakespeare was published in 1685. The book is in excellent condition and is a great collection for our library here at Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, NC.

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In light of recent events, many people know Twelve Years A Slave as an important film about slavery. Yet the origins of Twelve Years is deeply imbedded in not only the history, but also in the literary culture of America.

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The American Military Pocket Atlas, printed in 1776 in London, is an interesting item to peruse. On the outside it looks like a regular book, if maybe a little inflated. Tucked inside its bursting pages, however, are 6 full-size maps, ranging in size from 17 x 12 inches to 26 x 19 inches. Sometimes called a “holster atlas”, these atlases were made for British officers going to war in the American Colonies during the Revolutionary War. The officers would carry the books in their pockets or on their belts, hence the name “holster”. It must have been quite a feat to fold so many big maps down to a portable size – something evidenced by the expanded shape of the book, the uneven pages, and the worn edges and folds of the maps themselves. This particular atlas was printed for Sayer & Bennett, who were major map and print sellers on Fleet Street in London. They were official partners between 1776 and 1784.

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The Poems of Ossian, By James MacPherson (1785)

How you market a book has a great influence on how well or poorly it comes across to the public. A book that is advertised as funny that ends up being serious may not sell as well or be reviewed as well as it would be if the advertising was accurate. People do not like to be misled, especially when advertising is involved. A man who learned this lesson was James MacPherson.

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