Whitman on Wellness: Poetry and Prose for a Healthy Life

Walt Whitman · Mose Velsor

may 2023 · Courier Dover Publications

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Long before today's modern use of the term wellness, Walt Whitman, widely considered to be one of America's greatest poets, extolled the virtues of self-care and the mind–body connection. In a series of thirteen newspaper installments, written in 1858 for The New York Atlas under the pseudonym Mose Velsor — unearthed more than 150 years later by a University of Houston graduate student — Whitman adopted the role of advice columnist. Velsor dispensed tips on "manly" health issues, including alcohol use, depression, diet, exercise, physical beauty, sex, socialization, and a host of other subjects. This volume juxtaposes excerpts of Whitman’s well-known verse with his lesser-known prose, offering unique and fascinating insights into one of America’s most beloved poets.

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One of America's most influential and innovative poets, Walt Whitman (1819–92) worked as a teacher, journalist, and volunteer nurse during the Civil War. Proclaimed as the nation's first "poet of democracy," Whitman reached out to common readers and opposed censorship with his overt celebrations of sexuality. As a journalist, he was known to write under several pseudonyms, including Mose Velsor, the author of a newspaper series published in 1858 called "Manly Health and Training."

Bevin Vieweg-Lenz has worked as a journalist, freelance writer, editor, and educator. She received her B.A. in literature from The Catholic University of America and an M.S. in English education from Long Island University.  Like Whitman, she lives on Long Island, where she is currently at work on her first novel.