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The Melville Society Cultural Project |
The Melville Society Cultural Project was created in December 2000 to establish our affiliation with the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Together, we are dedicated to sharing an understanding of Herman Melville's writings, his life, and his times. Drawing upon the richness of New Bedford's museums, parks, schools, and other cultural institutions, our joint programs allow scholars, teachers, students, and visitors to explore this internationally acclaimed American writer whose works continue to resonate with our lives today.
The Cultural Project Committee members are Jennifer Baker, Mary K. Bercaw Edwards, Wyn Kelley, Timothy Marr, Christopher Sten, and Robert K. Wallace.
On January 4, 2003, we celebrated the grand opening of The Melville Society Archive in the Kendall Institute, the research center of the New Bedford Whaling Museum. The Archive, which contains primary and secondary materials from the collections of Jill Barnum, Walter Bezanson, Gail Coffler, Harrison Hayford, Jay Leyda, Merton M. Sealts Jr, and Thomas Wendel, is available to visitors interested in research on Melville's work and life, during Institute hours: Monday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. For further information, inquiries, or donations, consult Kendall's Head Curator, Michael Dyer (mdyer@whalingmuseum.org) and either Wyn Kelley (wkelley@mit.edu) or Mary K. Bercaw Edwards (maryk.bercawedwards@mysticseaport.org) of the Melville Society's Archive Committee.
The Melville Society Cultural Project sponsors several annual events.
MOBY-DICK MARATHON
All are invited to assist in reading the entire novel, every January 3. Special offerings of "The Chapel" and "The Sermon" chapters are held in the Seamen's Bethel Church (the site featured in Moby-Dick).
PRESIDENT'S LECTURE
Delivered each year at the Moby-Dick Marathon by the Melville Society's incoming President.
MELVILLE SUMMER INSTITUTE
Seminar study on diverse topics for diverse groups (including high school teachers and graduate students).
MELVILLE BIRTHDAY LECTURE
Presentation by a noted Melville scholar held on the last Thursday in July, in celebration of Melville's birthday (August 1).
- Thursday, July 30, 2009; 7:00 pm. Featured Speaker: D. Graham Burnett, author of the award-winning book, Trying Leviathan: The Nineteenth-Century New York Court Case That Put the Whale on Trial and Challenged the Order of Nature. New Bedford Whaling Museum Auditorium.