New Jersey Vacation and Travel Ideas for Literary Tours
Walt Whitman House
328 Mickle Boulevard
Camden, NJ 08103
Website: http://www.ci.camden.nj.us/htdocs/walt.html
Email: - none listed
Phone: (856) 964-5383
The poems of Walt Whitman (1819 - 1892) have been described as quintessentially American for their irregular, freestyle verse and rejection of the rigid metrical rules of European poetry. Parallels are often drawn between Whitman's reinvention of poetry and the great transformations taking place in America during his lifetime, particularly the nation's experience of the Civil War and the abolition of slavery. Ironically, although Whitman is hailed as an icon of American poetry, his early work was initially poorly received in the United States, but was awarded great critical acclaim abroad, particularly in France.
Whitman came to Camden, New Jersey, in 1873, and lived there until his death. Initially he lived with his brother, but in 1884 he purchased a home on Mickle Street. It was the only home he would ever own. By this time, Whitman had established an international reputation, and many notable literary figures, among them Charles Dickens, William M. Thackeray, and Oscar Wilde visited him in Camden. He was also a friend of the Philadelphia painter Thomas Eakins. Whitman's home continues to attract international visitors. The house preserves his original letters, his bed, and many of his personal belongings, along with a collection of rare nineteenth century, including an 1848 daguerreotype of Whitman.
Only a few miles away is Whitman's Tomb, located in Harleigh Cemetery. A ceremony is held here every year on May 31, in memory of his birthday. For more information about Whitman's burial place, visit: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1098
Camden is also home to the Walt Whitman Arts Center. For information about the center, see, visit http://www.waltwhitmancenter.org, or call (856) 964-8300.
Huntington Station, New York, is home of the Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site and Interpretive Center. For more information see ******* , visit: http://www.waltwhitman.org/, or call: Phone (613) 427-5240.
---
Walt Whitman Arts Center
Second & Cooper streets
Camden, NJ 08102
Website: http://www.waltwhitmancenter.org
Email: Go to "Contact Us" section of website
Phone: (856) 964-8300
The Walt Whitman Arts Center in downtown Camden, New Jersey, commemorates the years that Whitman lived in the city. The center is home to a range of programs and events, including theater, music, and dance productions, neighborhood arts initiatives, and educational programs for all age groups, from pre-schoolers through senior citizens. The second and fourth Tuesday of each month the center hosts an open mic night for poetry, prose and music. The center honors Whitman each year on his birthday, May 31, with 24 hours of poetry readings.
Visitors to Camden may also want to explore the Walt Whitman House. For more information see , visit: http://www.ci.camden.nj.us/htdocs/walt.html, or call: (856) 964-5383.
Huntington Station, New York, is home of the Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site and Interpretive Center. For more information see ******* , visit: http://www.waltwhitman.org/, or call: Phone (613) 427-5240.
---
Terhune Memorial Park - Sunnybank
Terhune Drive (Route 202)
Wayne, NJ 07470
Website: http://www.waynetownship.com/his-sun.htm
Email: - none listed
Phone: (973) 694-1800
Albert Payson Terhune (1872 - 1942) was a passionate breeder of collies, an author, and a journalist. He was the author of dozens of books and stories, many of them about his beloved collies, including Lad of Sunnybank (1929).
Sunnybank, Terhune's estate in Wayne, New Jersey, has been preserved as Terhune-Sunnybank Park. The 9.6 acre park overlooking Pompton Lake features many reminders of Terhune's life, including the graves of many of his dogs. Terhune and his wife, Anice, were avid horitculturalists, as had been Terhune's parents who owned the property before him, and extensive plantings of wisteria, woodbine, weeping willows, pre-Revolutionary War stands of oak, chestnut trees and Siberian elms grace the property. This park is dedicated to the tradition of the writer's books about his Sunnybank collies. One can see Champion Rock, the grave dedicated to Wolf, the famed collie. Overlooking the serene Pompton Lake, the park is an ideal picnic and walking location.
Unfortunately, the Victorian home in which Terhune lived is in a state of disrepair. Collections of items pertaining to Terhune are preserved at the Van Riper-Hopper Historic House Museum (for more information visit: http://www.waynetownship.com/his-mus.htm ) and at the Pompton Lakes Historical Museum (no website).
---
The Trial of the Century: Charles Lindbergh
Hunterdon County Courthouse
Main Street
Flemington, NJ 08822
Website: http://www.famoustrials.com
Email: producer@famoustrials.com
Phone: (908) 782-2610
The trial of the kidnapping of Charles A. Lindbergh's baby son has been written about many times over in American literary history. Currently, Lindbergh is one of the characters in Pulitzer Prize-winner Philip Roth's novel The Plot Against America. The trial is a live reenactment of the monumental event and it takes place in the exact room of the courthouse of the original trial in 1935. The event is held from September 30 - October 22, 2006. Tickets go on sale June 15. This is becoming a huge event so order tickets ahead of time. Special note: Try and make eating reservations at the Union Hotel, located across the street from the courthouse. It is now a restaurant but in 1935 it was the hotel where the media stayed. Visit: www.unionhotelrestaurant.com
Advertisement:
