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January 27, 2026
The Marathon Moby-Dick Reading Is a Radical Act
It’s an all-analog mass redreaming of a flawed American gospel: superbly countercultural.
TL;DR
- The author attended the 2026 Moby-Dick Marathon at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, which featured a 25-hour continuous reading of the novel.
- The event took place in the museum, surrounded by exhibits like a half-scale model of a whaling bark and a model of a blue whale's heart.
- Hundreds of volunteer readers participated, reading in five-minute increments, showcasing a diverse range of reading styles and presences.
- The author reflects on Moby-Dick's duality: its brilliance and flaws, its compelling characters (Ahab and the white whale), and Melville's influences, including Shakespeare.
- The author experienced the marathon intermittently, wandering the museum and the town, reflecting on modern distractions and the novel's persistent themes.
- The reading culminated with a powerful performance by actor Steven Weber, who read the final chapters, including the destruction of the Pequod.
- Over 3,000 people attended the marathon, highlighting its significance as a communal and 'radical act' of engaging with a complex American novel.
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