This introductory guide to Walt Whitman weaves together the writer's life with an examination of his works. - An innovative introductory guide to Walt Whitman. - Weaves together the writer's life with an examination of his works. - Focuses especially on Whitman's evolving masterpiece "Leaves of Grass." - Examines the material conditions and products of Whitman's "scripted life," including his original manuscripts. - Investigates Whitman's "life in print" - his belief that he could literally embody himself in his books. - Linked to a large electronic archive of Whitman's work at www.whitmanarchive.org