A Natural History of Moby Dick
Arguably the greatest sea novel ever written, Moby-Dick serves as an ideal benchmark to examine how Americans in the 1850s understood the marine biology and oceanography of the deep sea. No previous reading of the novel is necessary, although there might be a few spoilers as Rich King examines Melville’s unique understanding of the ocean environment and how, on the heels of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, this perception of the briny sea has changed surprisingly little from how we perceive the global ocean today.
Rich is a writer and illustrator who taught for many years at Williams-Mystic and is now a part-time boat captain at the museum in the summer. You can read the exceptional reviews of Ahab’s Rolling Sea here: richardjking.info. And pick up a copy before or after the presentation at the Mystic Seaport store!
Age Recommendation: Middle School through Adult
