Flaming Hydra’s MOBY-DICK WEEK, a collaborative project closing out the distant year of 2025, is a kaleidoscopically beautiful document that we want everyone to read. As of today the collection is free for all to enjoy.

Grateful thanks to all contributors, composers, performers, impresarios, and other artists who created this glorious project for Flaming Hydra.

Welcome aboard.

Tal Lavin and Maria Bustillos, editors.

Bedtime Story
by Ben Ehrenreich

The author reads the story aloud to his eight or nine-month-old baby daughter.

Damn me, but all things are queer, come to think of ’em.

Pursuit of the White Whale
by Tal Lavin and Jack Pendarvis
A rollicking conversation between two writers, each of whom undertook a full public reading of Moby-Dick—Tal in a podcast with guests, and Jack transcribing his spoken-word impressions, chapter by chapter.

I agree that Moby-Dick is contagious! It makes you want to do things. Terrible things.

Cetacean Solo
by Misha Angrist

When I hear the words “Moby Dick,” my first thought is of a masterpiece, yes, but the one by Zeppelin drummer John Bonham rather than the one by Herman Melville.

Killers
by S.I. Rosenbaum

The Wampanoag were not whalers by nature; before contact with Europeans they would harvest beached whales, but rarely hunted them. In the industry's early days, though, many Wampanoag were indentured or forced onto whaling ships. Later, whaling became one of the few livings available to them, and they developed a reputation as sought-after expert sailors. Native history after European contact had been a procession of plagues: yellow fever, smallpox, conversion, forced debt, the indenturing of children, the outright enslavement of adults; whaling wasn't the hardest thing they'd done to survive.

Quick Eternity
by Laurie Woolever

A luscious-sounding visit to the Moby-Dick themed cocktail bar and restaurant in New York’s South Street Seaport.

The food is straightforwardly delicious, with some dishes paying homage to the seafaring story (both clam and oyster chowder, a tack board) and others just giving the people what they may well want: a thin-crusted pizza, and a substantial smash burger served with crisp, vinegar powder-dusted fries, a genius way to impart tang without sog. 

The Bones of Gåshamna
by Kim Kelly

I was tramping around Svalbard in wool base layers and a parka with a bunch of artists, scientists, and Arctic guides—and as much as I love going down the shore, I wasn’t too upset about hanging up my bikini for the season. I love to sail forbidden seas and land on barbarous coasts, but more importantly, I was going to see a whale.

My Friend Raj Persuades Me That Moby-Dick Is Already in My Life
by Amy Chu

A bewitching animation and podcast from Amy Chu, in conversation with her friend Raj, an extreme Moby-Dick fan.

...this strange Polynesian man named Queequeg. And Queequeg is full of tattoos and it's just so like, yeah, this is like the most exotic possible person but there's, human connection, or you know, it's like there's enormous game recognize game. They sleep together and they’re just talking and smoking for a bunch of nights.

A Heart as Big as a Whale
by Carrie Frye

Imaginary letter from Melville to Hawthorne, dated Arrowhead, November 15, 1851. Handwritten text: My Dear Hawthorne, I made you a book. Just a token of my [following text is a series of words crossed out: fraternal feeling affection limerence desire longing to share one skinsuit] admiration. [DRAWING of a red whale tail], H. Melville
Illustration: Carrie Frye

Passion—??—between Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Dave Dudley and Moira Horowitz. Photo: Jim Burger

A Farewell Sea Shanty
Produced by Joe MacLeod

Shanty composer Dave Dudley and vocalist Moira Horowitz lay down some White Whale For Dummies and send us off into the deep.

Gird yourselves, shipmates, a-goin’ to sea
There’s a crazy long chapter about cetology
We’ll hear about chowder and harpoons and cod
The whiteness of whales, the indifference of God 

Melville's grave with a blank granite scroll. Atop the headstone, along with pennies and rocks, a rusting metal white whale pendant placed by a visitor, and a pencil tucked in the scroll.
Photographer Jim Burger shot these in 2022 for his Woodlawn Cemetery story for the Village Voice. "Herman Melville’s tombstone features a writer’s greatest fear, a blank sheet of paper."

But, at last, he turned to his comrade, with a final sort of look about him, — “Captain Bildad — come, old shipmate, we must go. Back the main-yard there! Boat ahoy! Stand by to come close alongside, now! Careful, careful! — come, Bildad, boy — say your last. Luck to ye, Starbuck — luck to ye, Mr. Stubb — luck to ye, Mr. Flask — good-bye and good luck to ye all — and this day three years I'll have a hot supper smoking for ye in old Nantucket. Hurrah and away!

— Herman Melville, Moby-Dick

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