Epilogue

 and I only am escaped alone to tell thee -- Job

 The drama's done. Why then here does anyone step forth? -- Because one did survive the wreck. It so chanced that after the Parsee's disappearance, I was he whom the fates ordained to take the place of Ahab's bowsman, when that bowsman assumed the vacant post; the same who, when on the last day the three men were tossed from out of the rocking boat, was dropped astern. So, floating on the margin of the ensuing scene, and in full sight of it, when the half-spent suction of the sunk ship reached me, I was then, but slowly, drawn towards the closing vortex. When I reached it, it had subsided to a creamy pool. Round and round, then, and ever contracting towards the button-like black bubble at the axis of that slowly wheeling circle, like another Ixion I did revolve. Till gaining that vital centre, the black bubble upward burst; and now liberated by reason if its cunning spring, and, owing to its great buoyancy, rising with great force, the coffin lifebuoy shot lengthwise from the sea, fell over, and floated by my side. Buoyed up by that coffin, for almost one whole day and night, I floated on a soft and dirge-like main. The unharming sharks, they glided by as if with padlocks on their mouths; the savage sea-hawks sailed with sheathed beaks. On the second day, a sail drew near, and picked me up at last. It was the devious-cruising 'Rachel', that in her retracing search after her missing children, only found another orphan.

-- Herman Melville, Moby Dick

Loomings

Call Me Ishmael. Some years ago -- never mind how long precisely -- having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen, and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off -- then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. 

- Herman Melville, Moby Dick 

Moby-Dick Marathon at Mystic

In honor of Herman Melville's birthday (August 1),  there is an annual Moby-Dick Marathon at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut, on the decks of the Charles W. Morgan, the only surviving 19th century American wooden whaling vessel.

If you're there for the marathon, you get to sleep aboard deck!

 At noon on July 31, a reenactor dressed as Melville recites the first chapter. Then people take turns reading each chapter. Some veterans are attached to particular chapters; they read those every year. One of my friends writes down which chapters he reads each year, as his goal is to eventually have read every single one out loud. You also get fun bookmarks!

I also got a photo with him the next day

This event goes on all day and all night. You don't have to stay on board the entire time. Last year, my friends and I bailed to get a delicious seafood dinner (and ice cream!) in Mystic. But we returned for the long night's haul. My intention was to pull my weight during the wee hours of the night, but no, I conked out quickly. My friends apparently just pushed me to the side of the inflatable mattress when they were catching quick naps.

A reluctant early morning wake up for my friend Mr. J

So, an interesting feature of this event is that even though it's a 24-hour long marathon, it only takes 22.5 hours to read the whole book. Mystic staff members fill in the gaps through the morning of August 1 by doing demonstrations of how to work the ship. 

From the "how-to-lower-a-boat" demonstration

More tourists start coming on board as it gets closer to noon. Finally, the reenactor shows back up again and recites the Epilogue. And then, there's cake! The Mystic website makes sure to point out that it's "a great, white cake."

Mmmm, call me delicious!

Pro-tip: They have both chocolate and vanilla. Because I'm a greedy little grummit, I made sure to get a slice of each.

Unfortunately because the marathon ends on a workday, I can't make it this year. But I'll be watching snippets of it on Mystic's live feed, and you should too!