New Bedford Whaling Museum Looking for Moby-Dick Marathon Readers

It's no secret that New Bedford loves to celebrate our rich history. Our city has been the backdrop of some pretty significant events over the past couple of hundred years. From historic Revolutionary War battles fought, to historic figures like Frederick Douglass walking our city streets, we love our history.

That's why it's no surprise that the New Bedford Whaling Museum's Moby-Dick Marathon has continued to grow as it rounds home on nearly three decades of Melville.

As you well know, Herman Melville's ties to New Bedford helped him write the classic Moby-Dick.

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An interesting aside that I can't help sharing whenever Melville's name comes up:  Melville died never knowing that his book would later become iconic. Moby-Dick was not a big deal when he passed away.

Imagine that, never being aware of your life's biggest achievement. Remarkable.

Good old Herman's mind would be blown if he ever realized that people would come from miles around to read his book, with no breaks, cover to cover on a cold January day. To think they'd do this for 27 years in a row? It would be unthinkable.

But here it is, the Moby-Dick Marathon at the Whaling Museum. It's one of the most New Bedford things we do as a city. If you've never participated in this amazing event, the Whaling Museum is offering you an invite.

The event kicks off on Saturday, January 4 at noon and will continue until roughly 1 p.m. on Sunday, January 5. If you'd like to read a portion of the book, you can click here to sign up.

Personally, I would highly recommend it. Last year was the first year I've tried it, and it was a very rewarding experience.