Do I contradict myself?
Very well, then. I contradict myself.
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)

– Walt Whitman, Song of Myself

Walt Whitman is as good an example as you’ll ever find for someone who knew who he was, how he was different, and where his excellence lay. He didn’t need his world to fit into a regular grid and we’re all the better for it.

Photo: Library of Congress