the worst part of the Libby app — which, let me be clear, is an incredible gift of an app — is the logo. love the colors, but both the idea and the execution are lacking. you can do better Libby! I believe in you!!

boxd.it/7Tx5R

i can hear the exasperation in this sign maker’s voice. and yet

6. the text deserves to be listened to, to be read aloud. at times I was overwhelmed by how the language flooded me. it tasks me, it heaps me

5. visited Seaman’s Bethel, the chapel where Father Mapple preached his Jonah sermon. the pulpit was a letdown compared to the book’s description. no ladder to be pulled up. but the room is as eerie as Melville described, ringed in memorials to the men who died at the hands of their job

4. the museum’s attention to the wider world’s experience of whaling made for a very robust experience of Moby Dick — a similarly globally-interested work. pictured is a Japanese artwork of whaling.

3. the town of New Bedford used to be overwhelmingly wealthy. felt like visiting the Memphis (FedEx) or Seattle (Amazon) of the 19th century. honestly had no idea before the visit

2. surprisingly crowded. religion may be on the wane in general in the US, but pilgrimage not so much

1. it’s a sort of liberal New England pilgrimage. so many editions of the book mulling about, many Bible-like: paper-thin, gilt-edge pages with ribbon bookmarks and leather covers. a totemic text, approaching scripture status

I attended the Moby Dick reading marathon in New Bedford over the weekend. terrific experience. a few thoughts:

my Mt Rushmore of Christmas movies boxd.it/7Tx5R

You have to admit the man’s got style