Jesse Lansner
@jesse.lansner.com
I found an explanation at melville.electroniclibrary.org/editions/ver...
January 16, 2026 at 4:33 AM
I found an explanation at melville.electroniclibrary.org/editions/ver...
A possible explanation for Melville’s animosity towards canallers, from “Melville: His World and Work” by Andrew Delbanco. There’s no actual evidence as to why Herman didn’t get the canal job, but “struck his prospective employers as flighty or truculent” isn’t the worst guess. 🐋
January 15, 2026 at 2:45 PM
A possible explanation for Melville’s animosity towards canallers, from “Melville: His World and Work” by Andrew Delbanco. There’s no actual evidence as to why Herman didn’t get the canal job, but “struck his prospective employers as flighty or truculent” isn’t the worst guess. 🐋
Melville’s clearly referencing Frankenstein here, right? 🐋🔩
January 14, 2026 at 11:57 PM
Melville’s clearly referencing Frankenstein here, right? 🐋🔩
I’m just imagining Martin Buber reading the chapter about Queequeg’s “Ramadan”. 🐋
January 14, 2026 at 7:19 PM
I’m just imagining Martin Buber reading the chapter about Queequeg’s “Ramadan”. 🐋
Interesting to read this bit while I’m also reading “On Repentance and Repair” by @theradr.bsky.social. 🐋
January 4, 2026 at 10:50 PM
Interesting to read this bit while I’m also reading “On Repentance and Repair” by @theradr.bsky.social. 🐋
It looks like Melville coined it!
January 2, 2026 at 7:26 PM
It looks like Melville coined it!
Imagine you’re an old whaleman, just returned from years at sea. All you and your mates want is to have a drink and sleep in a real bed, and instead you encounter Ishmael who makes you all talk about the painting on the wall for an hour. 🐋
January 2, 2026 at 7:20 PM
Imagine you’re an old whaleman, just returned from years at sea. All you and your mates want is to have a drink and sleep in a real bed, and instead you encounter Ishmael who makes you all talk about the painting on the wall for an hour. 🐋
I was curious what some jewish officials have done, and discovered that Josh Shapiro was took his oath on “a stack of three Jewish bibles”.
January 2, 2026 at 4:13 AM
I was curious what some jewish officials have done, and discovered that Josh Shapiro was took his oath on “a stack of three Jewish bibles”.
“Sailing without Ahab” starts off in a very @hwaet.info -approved manner. 🐋
January 2, 2026 at 1:46 AM
“Sailing without Ahab” starts off in a very @hwaet.info -approved manner. 🐋
It’s generally assumed that “Moby-Dick” has a canonical start date in December 1841, so there’s a good chance that Ishmael has entered the AME Zion church (then on South Second St, three blocks from the water) and the preacher he sees is Frederick Douglass. 🐋
January 2, 2026 at 1:39 AM
It’s generally assumed that “Moby-Dick” has a canonical start date in December 1841, so there’s a good chance that Ishmael has entered the AME Zion church (then on South Second St, three blocks from the water) and the preacher he sees is Frederick Douglass. 🐋
Starting with the same copy I used last time, as its whale-sized proportions (the paper is slighly smaller than letter size, and it weighs nearly 6 pounds) feel appropriate, and I like the illustrations. But even though I’ll mostly be reading at home I may break down and get a smaller copy too. 🐋
January 1, 2026 at 11:52 PM
Starting with the same copy I used last time, as its whale-sized proportions (the paper is slighly smaller than letter size, and it weighs nearly 6 pounds) feel appropriate, and I like the illustrations. But even though I’ll mostly be reading at home I may break down and get a smaller copy too. 🐋
You can force yourself to use alt text by going to “Settings -> Accessibility” 🐋
December 31, 2025 at 10:24 PM
You can force yourself to use alt text by going to “Settings -> Accessibility” 🐋
I’m ready for A Month of Dick 2026! Going to try to pair the poems in @stevementz.bsky.social book with the chapters each day.
🐋
🐋
December 31, 2025 at 8:01 PM
I’m ready for A Month of Dick 2026! Going to try to pair the poems in @stevementz.bsky.social book with the chapters each day.
🐋
🐋
Sam creates the night 7 drink, but can’t come up with a name. The waitress/aspiring comedian suggests “The He-Brew” (“because of the coffee”). Guess they don’t know about the beer.
#hallmarkHannukah
#hallmarkHannukah
December 31, 2025 at 7:16 AM
Sam creates the night 7 drink, but can’t come up with a name. The waitress/aspiring comedian suggests “The He-Brew” (“because of the coffee”). Guess they don’t know about the beer.
#hallmarkHannukah
#hallmarkHannukah
Rochester’s official flag is boring, but the flag the city actually uses (which will probably become the official flag next year) is cool.
December 23, 2025 at 5:56 AM
Rochester’s official flag is boring, but the flag the city actually uses (which will probably become the official flag next year) is cool.
Unpacking, and my Lego Endurance is sadly looking way too much like the real Endurance.
December 23, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Unpacking, and my Lego Endurance is sadly looking way too much like the real Endurance.
I am not getting a trophy against this crowd.
December 19, 2025 at 9:37 PM
I am not getting a trophy against this crowd.
Can’t leave Rochester without one last garbage plate. (It’s actually only the second one I’ve had while living here.)
December 19, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Can’t leave Rochester without one last garbage plate. (It’s actually only the second one I’ve had while living here.)
Liberal Zionist boomers, summarized:
December 19, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Liberal Zionist boomers, summarized:
Pro tip: if you remember to light the menorah on time, you won’t find yourself waiting for the candles to burn out so you can go to sleep.
December 18, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Pro tip: if you remember to light the menorah on time, you won’t find yourself waiting for the candles to burn out so you can go to sleep.
I found the leader of the arachno-Zionist movement.
December 17, 2025 at 1:39 PM
I found the leader of the arachno-Zionist movement.
