Passion And Excellence at Oceanic Melville and Mystic Seaport Museum
“A low rumbling sound was heard; a subterraneous hum; and then all held their breaths; as bedraggled with trailing ropes, and harpoons, and lances, a vast form shot lengthwise, but obliquely from the sea.” –Herman Melville
Whaling was a business–here is a vivid visual pie chart of who gets how much of a slice aboard a whaling ship–if the voyage is successful. On the Charles W. Morgan at Mystic Seaport Museum, a field trip of Oceanic Melville (The Melville Society) conference.
Launching a whaleboat from the Charles W. Morgan.
Part of the multi-day Oceanic Melville. This portion at Mystic Seaport Museum, Connecticut, USA.
— Moo Dog Press (@moodogpress.com) June 18, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Voices. #music
— Moo Dog Press (@moodogpress.com) June 19, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Decide and dedicate. Time is finite. You can’t do it all. Choose.
(Today becomes yesterday in a blink. When you leave this planet, what cannot be left undone?)
As in life (and in writing), so too aboard a whale ship.
Narrow the focus to give the subject justice–your 110 percent attention. Choose.
Look up. Harpoons stored on the Charles W. Morgan.
Pick, plan. Prepare.
Gas up, rest. Check oil, tires.
Herman Melville thought he was a failure. He is not.
The sighting.
Oceanic Melville field trip day at Mystic Seaport Museum.
— Moo Dog Press (@moodogpress.com) June 19, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Bring water, a Dr. Pepper. An apple. Hat for rain and/or sun.
Notebook, pens (one will go kaput at the worst possible moment).
Recharge cord and adapter in the vehicle. Identification, cards. Set an alarm–not needed as it turns out. Woke, excited. Grab the keys.
Ready? Let’s go.
Melville would’ve been astounded—seeing the humans drawn to the Oceanic Melville conference by his work.
Also see: airmail.news/arts-intel/e…
— Moo Dog Press (@moodogpress.com) June 19, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Oceanic Melville Conference Organizing Committee:
Mary K. Bercaw Edwards, University of Connecticut.
Wyn Kelley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Tony McGowan, United States Military Academy.
— Moo Dog Press (@moodogpress.com) June 18, 2025 at 8:58 PM
The music, the people. Converaations. Artists, sketching. A father, explaining to his two young children–asking questions of them, listening. Oh my heart.
Whaleboats. Cooking/rendering kettles. Chicken coop on deck. A head/outhouse. Slippery decks, so glad to have worn gripper soles, boots.
Climbing, climbing. The sails, unfurled.
Note: Writing is the original magic, after life itself. Observe, transmute into words and images to then transport the day into the future. To be continued.