Saturday, February 14 | 3pm | 213 Water Street | $10
Spend Valentine’s Day afternoon at the Seaport Museum with the Walt Whitman Initiative for a special Queer History program celebrating love, poetry, and connection. Come discover Walt Whitman’s secret loves as we delve into 12 deeply personal poems that Whitman wrote in a handmade notebook he titled Live Oak, with Moss.
Co-authors of Live Oak, with Moss (Abrams, 2019)—Caldecott Medal–winning illustrator Brian Selznick and Whitman scholar and Walt Whitman Initiative President Karen Karbiener—will place these poems in historical context, exploring Whitman’s intimate reflections on love, desire, and connection. Written decades before the term “homosexual” entered common usage, the poems express Whitman’s affection for other men with honesty and vulnerability.
Revolutionary for their time in both theme and emotional candor, these poems remained hidden from the public for more than a century—a secret chapter of literary and queer history waiting to be rediscovered. Join us for this thoughtful and moving Valentine’s Day program that invites reflection on love.
Whether you bring your special someone or come solo, preregistration is encouraged. Walkups will be accommodated as possible. All guests will receive a special Valentine keepsake from the Seaport Museum printed at Bowne & Co., the Museum’s 19th century-style letterpress print shop. While you’re at the Museum, check out the wide array of unique products available at the Bowne & Co. gift emporium right next door to find something unique for your valentine.
This event is free for Seaport Museum members. Just sign in when prompted at checkout to receive your discount.
About the Speaker
Brian Selznick is the author and illustrator of many books for young people, including The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which won the Caldecott medal and was the basis for the Oscar-winning movie Hugo, directed by Martin Scorsese. His other books include Wonderstruck, The Marvels, Kaleidoscope, Big Tree, and Run Away With Me. His Beginning Reader Baby Monkey, Private Eye, was written by his husband David Serlin.
Karen Karbiener is an internationally recognized Whitman scholar and a Distinguished Teaching Award -winning professor at NYU. She has published widely and curated several exhibitions on the poet; she is also president of the Walt Whitman Initiative, a nonprofit organization serving as an organizing center for cultural activism and poetry-related events. Karen is currently at work on American Kosmos: The Lives, Loves and Worlds of Walt Whitman (HarperCollins, 2027).
About Walt Whitman Initiative
The Walt Whitman Initiative is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to celebrate and honor New York City’s literary legacy, and to serve as an organizing center for cultural activism and poetry-related events. It is an international collective open to all, and seeks to foster a sense of community among those interested in the life, work, and influence of Walt Whitman.
About Bowne & Co.
Established by Robert Bowne in 1775, Bowne & Co. holds the distinction of being New York’s oldest operating business under the same name. After growing as a financial printer throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, Bowne & Co. Inc. partnered with the Seaport Museum in 1975 to open a 19th century-style print shop at 211 Water Street in the South Street Seaport Historic District. Today, it is comprised of the Bowne & Co. Printing Office—a workspace that continues the age-old tradition of job (or small batch) printing using historic presses from South Street Seaport Museum’s working collection—and Bowne & Co. Stationers, a 19th century-style emporium selling gifts and fine goods.
Enjoy More That the Museum Offers
Access to the historic ships and exhibition galleries at the Seaport Museum is included with your ticket to this event! You may visit any time from 11am to 5pm on the day of your event.
General Admission brings you aboard the 1885 tall ship Wavertree and 1908 lightship Ambrose at Pier 16, and into all current exhibitions on view in the first-floor Schermerhorn Row galleries at 12 Fulton Street. Your ticket also sets you on course to explore Maritime City, the Seaport Museum’s immersive, three-floor exhibition at A.A. Thomson & Co., located at 213 Water Street.
Ready for more?
Head over to our Programs and Events page to see what else is happening at the Museum. Sign up for an upcoming talk, learn more about visiting Wavertree, or explore our virtual offerings.