Annually January 3rd-4th
New Bedford Whaling Museum
Old Dartmouth Historical Society
18 Johnny Cake Hill
New Bedford, MA 02740
508 997-0046
Volunteer readers: Free
Attendees: Regular museum admission
Starts at noon January 3
Volunteers donate their time to read aloud Herman Melville's classic novel Moby-Dick in one non-stop, 24-hour period. In past years, the Marathon has drawn readers from as far away as Alaska, and included celebrities, prominent Massachusetts politicians, relatives of descendants of Melville, and just plain lovers of good literature. Paticipants have numbered over 150 people -- reading 10-minute blocks of the novel.
The backdrop for the reading is the Lagoda, a half-scale model of a whaling bark, and the Richard Ellis mural of Moby Dick in the cavernous Bourne building of the Whaling Museum. You'll be surrounded by whaling tools and the history of a long-ago way of life. The reading of Father Mapple's sermon takes place across the street from the museum at the pulpit of the Seamen's Bethel at about 2 pm.
The public is invited to listen to the reading at any time during the marathon at regular museum admission. A whaleship dinner and grog, and Sunday morning breakfast is served during the reading.
In addition to the English readings, short passages have been read in Portuguese, Spanish, French, Japanese, Norwegian, Russian, Greek and Italian.
The Museum awards free copies of the hardcover version of Moby-Dick, Random House edition, to all readers who stay for the full reading. The full reading lasts approximately 24-25 hours. Past winners included a reader from Raleigh, NC and another from Connecticut. The hardcover editions are autographed by Anne Brengle, the Whaling Museum's Executive Director.
