July 28 | 2pm | Wavertree | Free
Claim your space to attend this unique poetry reading and book talk with author Steve Mentz who has reimagined Herman Melville’s great American classic Moby-Dick, without the monomaniacal quest of Captain Ahab. In this event, we will join Mentz as he charts a new course through a familiar epic aboard Pequod, the fictional 19th-century Nantucket whaling ship that, in this retelling, sails without its captain.
Together we will journey through uncharted literary waters and explore Melville’s masterpiece in bold new light through a reading of selections from this cycle of 138 poems––one for each chapter of the original novel. These poems dive into oceanic chaos without the stabilizing focus of the Nantucket captain on the white whale, guided instead by waywardness and curiosity. We will hear how, directionless, these poems reach out to touch the oceanic expanse and depth in a meaningful way.
Join this event to relinquish the original goals and obsessions captured in Moby-Dick and enjoy this poetic rethinking of a literary triumph. A Q&A and book signing with the author will follow the reading, and books will be available to purchase at the event.
Advanced registration is suggested but walk-ups will be accommodated as possible. Access to Wavertree involves climbing a few stairs, walking up an angled gangway, and descending a few stairs onto the deck. The lower decks are accessible via stairs, while the upper deck requires navigating steep ladder-like stairs.
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About the Author
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Steve Mentz is a Professor of English at St. John’s University, teaching Shakespeare, literary theory, and the “blue humanities” with a focus on environmental questions. Responding in his research and teaching to ecological crisis has brought his work beyond Shakespeare to embrace oceanic culture, environmental philosophy, and artistic performances.
He often presents his work to national and international audiences and has received prize fellowships and grants from such bodies as the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Folger Shakespeare Library, the John Carter Brown Library, and the National Maritime Museum in London. His work includes An Introduction to the Blue Humanities (2023), Ocean (2020) and a poetry chapbook, “Swim Poems” (2022).
Extend Your Visit
Access to Wavertree is included with your event ticket. To extend your visit and see more that the Museum has to offer, ask Museum staff about our Pay What You Wish General Admission tickets when you check in. Before or after your event, between 11am–5pm, get Pay What You Wish General Admission tickets to see more of the Museum.
General Admission includes access to all current exhibitions on view in the introduction gallery space at 12 Fulton Street and access to the 1885 tall ship Wavertree. Free timed tickets for a tour of the 1908 lightship Ambrose are available separately at no additional cost.
Tickets to sail New York Harbor on the 1885 schooner Pioneer and 1930 tugboat W.O. Decker are available separately and range from $15–$70.
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Ready for more?
Head over to our Programs and Events page to see what else is happening at the Museum. Sign up for an upcoming talk, learn more about visiting Wavertree, or explore our virtual offerings.