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Walt Whitman to James R. Osgood & Company, 17 July 1881

About This Item

  • Title: Walt Whitman to James R. Osgood & Company, 17 July 1881
  • Date: July 17, 1881
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
  • Whitman Archive ID: whs.00001
  • Source: Wisconsin Historical Society. Transcribed from digital images or a microfilm reproduction of the original item. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the correspondence, see our statement of editorial policy.

    Notes for this letter were created by Whitman Archive staff and/or were derived from Walt Whitman, The Correspondence, ed. Edwin Haviland Miller, 6 vols. (New York: New York University Press, 1961–1977), and supplemented or updated by Whitman Archive staff.
  • Contributors to digital file: Kirsten Clawson Nima Najafi Kianfar Stefan Schöberlein Nicole Gray
  • Cite this page: Whitman, Walt. "Walt Whitman to James R. Osgood & Company, 17 July 1881." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 05 January 2025. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
  • Source File: whs.00001.xml (TEI)
 whs.00001.001_large.jpg 431 Stevens Street1 Camden New Jersey July 17 '81 Dear Sirs

I have been unwell & disabled the last fifteen days from the heat & several little things happening. Am pretty well shattered anyhow—Am busy with the copy of the book—thought I had finished—but I find it will bear about as much work as I can put on it—& I can't hurry—But it is about in printing office shape—

How will it do to have this definite arrangement—that I come on by (or just before) 1st of September to Boston—& we make a clear start with it at once then?—Ought to be put through I suppose in two months—say by the end of October—

I was thinking something might be done with an extra bound edition for the holiday book trade for '81–2 for gift books— whs.00001.002_large.jpg whs.00001.003_large.jpgCouldn't we get it out early half of November if I am in Boston with the copy complete on or before 1st September sure?2

Walt Whitman  whs.00001.004_large.jpg

Notes

  • 1. A draft version of this letter is available at the Library of Congress. [back]
  • 2. On July 18 the firm was ready to "start the book whenever you wish, and should consider six to eight weeks sufficient time for it." [back]
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