American Portals

It’s America’s 250th birthday, and I just got back from the Great American State Fair in D.C. Everyone seemed in good spirits, everyone smiled cheerfully, and greeted you warmly, especially in the Southern state Pavilions with their cozy southern drawl. In the rodeo section, a couple of men and women performed equestrian acts. Whitman’s Section XV of Song of Myself ought to give you a better picture of the sort of American social dynamics that took place. This, in other words, has to do with the hospitality that defines America, which I will do my best to pen in this piece.