World Whale day is always the Third Sunday in February. It began in Maui to help bring awareness to whales, especially the humpback whale. Several species of whales are threatened or endangered. The books shown today promote hunting of whales, or do they? Karma took care of one, and the author isn’t keen on the other. The first book is “Whaling and Fishing” by Charles Nordhoff, 1885. This is a book about the actual events of a sailor on a whaling ship. It is riveting because it explains both the good and bad of life at sea. There is much drudgery, and boring day to day life, and yet still interesting. The author though would not like boys to try out the whaling life, even says in his introduction “If anything I have written on this subject shall induce a young man, launching into life, to make a sensible choice of evils, by looking elsewhere than to the Sea for the adventurous existence which his spirit requires, I shall be rewarded.”
This brings up an problem with me and my library. When I read and research my books, I sometimes find curious things. For example with Charles Nordhoff, this was the third book of a true-life trilogy about the Sea; There was also, Man-of-War life, and The Merchant Vessel. He also wrote a novel trilogy, the middle one being Mutiny on the Bounty (other two based on before and after the mutiny story). With the detail and excitement of how I enjoyed this book about whaling, I now am obsessed to track down five more seafaring books. My wife cannot fathom why this gnaws at me. I think she would like me to just read, not research and find reasons for more books. Did Captain Ahab’s wife feel the same?
This brings us to “Moby Dick, a Pop-up” by Sam Ita, 2007. This is a wonderful adaptation of Moby Dick, written in a graphic novel style, along with Pop-ups. Sam Ita was commissioned to write four graphic novels/pop-up books based on famous novels. The other three were “Frankenstein, “The Odyssey”, and “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”.
My mother and I went to see Sam Ita speak at a Pop-up convention in Philadelphia, a few years ago. After his talk about the writing of Frankenstein, we went up to talk with him personally, and chatted for about 20 minutes. He loved that my mom was a pop-up fan, and that we collected books together. After signing the three books she had, he asked why we did not have Moby Dick? Mom told him we were going that afternoon to the convention booksale to buy the fourth. He said “not today” and reached down to his briefcase. He pulled out the book, drew a picture of a whale in it, and gave it to her with a hug. Mom was more than just thrilled; and it was a real special moment for me, knowing I brought my mom to this weekend long convention for fellow pop-up book collectors and writers.
I also have Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick”, along with his other writings. I have a large collection of slipcased books from The Library of America, that published archival quality books of American authors.
I first read “Moby Dick” because of my father. This story begins when we were camping in Wisconsin: Mom, Dad, my brothers and sister, along with two other families. The group had two campers, and a tent, and we were camped right at the edge of Lake Petenwell, the largest manmade lake in Wisconsin. It is about 14 miles long by 6 miles (at fattest point) wide. I was maybe 17. A storm came up, the winds grew very bad. The friend’s tent blew down, and was rolling away. My dad, and I, along with one of the owners of the tent, laid the tent on picnic table, and sat on the tent, to keep the tent secure, and to ride out the storm.
As the rains drenched us, and the tent canvas flapped around, the winds howled like a freight train. My dad calmly said that a tornado was coming. We could see nothing in the darkness, and just feel the rain whipping into our faces. Then a lightning bolt cracked, and we saw the tornado. It was about mile and half away, on the other shore of the lake, moving from left to right. With that same calm voice, he reassured us “We should be OK now, not coming toward us.”
After the tornado passed, the wind slowed down some, but the rain kept up. We could faintly see into the lake, watching the waves not too far out. Then like magic, some of the whitecaps began to glow, eerily blueish white. There became an illuminated path about 50 yards wide, and two or three hundred yards long. The three of us watched this in silence, till it finally lost the glow and disappeared.
“Dddad, what was that?” I finally asked.
“St Elmo’s Fire” he said matter of fact like. ”What is that?” I questioned again.
“It is a type of electrical charge.” Dad then added, “I first read about it in Moby Dick. It lit up the mast of the Pequod. Go read the book.” I marveled first at his calmness through a tornado. And then at his knowledge of electrical storms. And then just like that he gave me a reading assignment. He kept us all calm in quite an event. That was my most memorable moment ever spent with my dad.
So ends my National Whale Day adventures. I did read Moby Dick, and gave Dad a verbal book report. I think he was glad I read it. I am happy that books and readings have given me some close memories with both of my parents. I whale always love them both.
Addendum:
I have found two more of Charles Nordoff’s books.
Librarytomes 