May 1 | 7pm | Wavertree | $15–$32
Join the South Street Seaport Museum, in partnership with McNally Jackson and BELLETRIST––an online reading community––for an evening of maritime-inspired festivities aboard the 1885 tall ship Wavertree that celebrate two decades of the cult classic The Seas by American novelist, essayist, and short-story writer Samantha Hunt.
Following a teenage girl who believes she’s a mermaid, The Seas “blurred the lines between reality and fairy tale, hope and delusion, sanity and madness” and predated our contemporary wave of surreal fiction by writers like Melissa Broder, Marie Helene Bertino, Yasmin Zaher, and Ottessa Moshfegh. In a conversation moderated by Belletrist’s Karah Preiss, author Samantha Hunt and author and actor Alexandra Auder will discuss the novel’s core love story and flexible definition of reality, but also: mermaids, girlhood, and identity. A book signing will follow the discussion.
Advanced registration is required via the McNally Jackson website, with the option to register with or without a copy of the book. It can be chilly in the evening this time of year and this program takes place below the main deck of the ship, which is not a temperature-controlled environment. Make sure to bring a coat and dress accordingly. 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.
About the Speakers
Samantha Hunt is the author of four books of fiction, including The Seas and The Dark Dark. The Seas, her debut novel, won a National Book Foundation award for writers under 35. She is also the author of Mr. Splitfoot, Dark, Dark: Stories, and The Invention of Everything Else. Hunt’s writing has been published in The New Yorker and The New York Times among others. She is also the author of The Unwritten Book, a collection of essays about death and literature. Hunt is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship. Her work has been translated into thirteen languages.
Alexandra Auder is a writer and actor. Her memoir, Don’t Call Me Home, about growing up in the Chelsea Hotel with a crazy mom, was a finalist for The Thurber Prize for American Humor. She leads an online weekly writing group through Substack.
Karah Preiss is a creative producer living in New York City. She co-founded Belletrist book club with actress Emma Roberts, along with Belletrist Productions, a TV and film production company.
About BELLETRIST
BELLETRIST was founded in 2017 by best friends Emma Roberts & Karah Preiss. Since 2017, Belletrist has chosen over 75 books for the book club and dozens more for myriad content features across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and the newsletter The Belletrist Brief. In 2019, Roberts and Preiss spun out Belletrist Book Club into a production company called Belletrist Productions. To date, Belletrist Productions has produced two popular television series: First Kill (Netflix) and Tell Me Lies (Hulu). Belletrist Productions is in a first-look deal at MAX and has many other film and tv projects in development.
About the 1885 Tall Ship Wavertree
Wavertree was built at Southampton, England, in 1885 and, after a 24-year sailing career and circumnavigating the globe at least three times, is now the last remaining iron-hulled three-masted full-rigged cargo ship. Today, Wavertree is visited by guests of all ages from around the globe and serves as the centerpiece of the “Street of Ships” at the Seaport Museum. She was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 13, 1978 and symbolizes the profound influence of sailing ships, their intrepid sailors, and the bustling waterfront in shaping New York City into a modern metropolis. As a historic vessel with a fascinating past, Wavertree embodies the rich maritime heritage that played a pivotal role in transforming South Street into the vibrant heart of “Where New York Begins.”
Enjoy More That the Museum Offers
Access to the 1885 tall ship Wavertree at Pier 16 is included with this event. Access to the additional historic ships and exhibitions on view is not included with this event. If you would like to explore more that the Museum has to offer, book in advance or ask Museum staff about admission tickets, available Wednesday through Sunday from 11am to 5pm when you check in.
Museum admission tickets grant access to the 1885 tall ship Wavertree and 1908 lightship Ambrose at Pier 16 as well as all current exhibitions on view in the introduction galleries inside Schermerhorn Row located at 12 Fulton Street.
Admission tickets also include entry to the new Maritime City exhibition in A.A. Thomson & Co. located at 213 Water Street.
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.