By Beth David, Editor
Scholars, students, readers, and observers joined the New Bedford Whaling Museum for its annual Moby-Dick Marathon this weekend, with a continuous reading of the famous novel by Herman Melville starting at noon on Saturday and ending early Sunday afternoon, about 25 hours later, with more than 200 readers.
The annual event includes a weekend of activities, with Melville scholars and aficionados, food and fun. The sermon by Father Mapple is held in the Seamen’s Bethel, which has a pulpit shaped like a ship’s bow. Chapter 40, “Midnight on the Forecastle,” is acted out by Culture*Park in the Cook Memorial Theater.
Jeremy Ornstein, Sam Murdock, and John Sanchez, are students in Boston, and visited together because Mr. Murdock learned about the event.
“I read the kid’s version,” said Mr. Ornstein.
The three saw Moby-Dick, The Musical, which was four hours long, in Cambridge.
“It was an incredible, four-hour production,” said Mr. Sanchez. “I really liked it.”
“It was phenomenal,” said Mr. Murdock.
“I respected it,” said Mr. Ornstein.’
Mr. Ornstein is doing his senior thesis on alkaline in the ocean, and carbon removal. So he came to New Bedford to talk to people in the scallop industry, of course.
The three had hoped to read, but only made the wait list.
Derek Miller and Sarah Kay Miller traveled from Brooklyn, NY.
Mr. Miller crocheted as he listened, and Ms. Miller worked on knitting a Moby-Dick sweater. They did not read in the main event, maybe next year. Mr. Miller, however, did get a reading spot in the Portuguese Mini-marathon.
It was the first year for both of them, but they said they would definitely be back.
They found out about it when Mr. Miller was looking up the museum during the pandemic and found out about the marathon.
“We made a trip of it,” said Ms. Miller.
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- A woman reads along during the annual Moby-Dick Marathon at the New Bedford Whaling Museum on 1/6/24. Photo by Beth David.
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- L-R: Sarah Kay Miller knits, and Derek Miller crochets as they follow along during the annual Moby-Dick Marathon at the New Bedford Whaling Museum on 1/6/24. Photo by Beth David.
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- Reader #76, Meg Rogers, reads from Chapter 41, describing the white whale, during the annual Moby-Dick Marathon at the New Bedford Whaling Museum on 1/6/24. Photo by Beth David.
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- People follow along during the annual Moby-Dick Marathon at the New Bedford Whaling Museum on 1/6/24. Photo by Beth David.
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- Culture*Park actors perform Chapter 40 of “Moby-Dick” during the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s annual marathon reading of the Herman Melville classic on 1/6/24. Photo by Beth David.
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- Culture*Park actors perform Chapter 40 of “Moby-Dick” during the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s annual marathon reading of the Herman Melville classic on 1/6/24. Photo by Beth David.
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- Culture*Park actor Josiah Bodden as Pip, delivers the final words in the performance of Chapter 40 of “Moby-Dick” during the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s annual marathon reading of the Herman Melville classic on 1/6/24. Photo by Beth David.
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- Culture*Park actors perform the fight scene in Chapter 40 of “Moby-Dick” during the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s annual marathon reading of the Herman Melville classic on 1/6/24. Photo by Beth David.
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