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Excelsior Literary Association

About This Item

  • Title: Excelsior Literary Association
  • Date: 8 September 1858
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
  • Whitman Archive ID: per.01152
  • Source: Brooklyn Daily Times, 8 September 1858: 2. Our transcription is based on a digital image of a microfilm scan of the original issue. Microfilm of original issue held at Pennsylvania State University Libraries. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the journalism, see our statement of editorial policy.
  • Editorial note: This piece is unsigned, as was the case for most of Whitman's journalism. However, this editorial is part of a series of texts that deal with a coherent theme that has been identified by the Whitman Archive journalism team as likely authored by Whitman. This decision is based on a combination of historical and (auto)biographical accounts, similarity to contemporary Whitman writings, a history of scholarly attribution, extant clippings retained by Whitman, computational stylometric analysis, and, in some cases, manuscript evidence in Whitman’s hand.
  • Contributors to digital file: Kaylen Michaelis Thara Michaelis Brandi Faulkner Stefan Schöberlein Karie Cobb
  • Cite this page: Whitman, Walt. "Excelsior Literary Association." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 17 July 2024. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
  • Source File: per.01152.xml (TEI)
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EXCELSIOR LITERARY ASSOCIATION.—

This society of promising young men held a meeting last evening at the School-house, in Ninth street, near North 1st, which was attended by a considerable number of ladies and gentlemen. The exercises, after a few pertinent and appropriate remarks by the President on the advantages and benefits arising from associations of this character, consisted of recitations, an essay, and a discussion, all of which were gone through with, with an ability clearly demonstrating the utility of such institutions. The debate evinced a talent and a readiness of argument which surprised and gratified their audience, and called forth frequent bursts of applause. If those of our young men who filter away their leisure hours on the corners of streets, smoking cigars and ogling the ladies, could be prevailed upon to join an association of the above kind, they would vastly benefit themselves and the community in which they live.

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