Full Article Text
Sena Jeter Naslund
reels in "Moby Dick" for
her own whale of a tale
By MICKAEL GllTI
Ahab ""mood .... ~t
whi", .. ""~...-tbe
,o«n". of the .. arid
.nd ""'" dnolQl\'d down t Ih .. do;ptho of tho ... roo-loU. ...... b..... &no .Ie!. ...
No,'und ",ulkod Ilernlsn
Melville', mUi"'l'iece
·~Ioby Dick" ove'I" _-"I
)'M ... ....."",;nod "" wrile' book thot woold ..,U , ....
.!<>riM Melville didn\.
1-.,3<1 of eritioal ~
o. _ worM -bf:;nK
igr'lOrod. Naolund ',nd.o
h."",lf riding B .... e of ....... ,m. With , ....
publ;n, ..... ,,,.-,,tub', Wife"
the 57 .. ,,-,,,,,,,1d wriler lou.
prodU<"
-1,', ......... rfully uhi!a
..... linK: udai"," N""lund
(rom her I>nme in I. ..... i.vill •.
!(y. "If. hard for me to
.I~, ... lIy. Bu, if.
'abu!_"
II'. r"bul.... Indo • .!.
oonold
.. ' .... d -publW>e
book.o ",ilho\l, an "If':n',
round h", .. lfin the n"ddle . . , .' .
of • ro..... biddin, ".,,,
loll" .. '"" ",. hlid> .... ·f'll\l'" od."n"" -Ahub" Wir~-has
""'" """i.oo mY(! notlre.o r""" ....... "";1.enI •• WaUy
Lo.nIb, Gail Ooohrin and ,""
poc.'t M .. k 1>ntJ.
Of ""u ..... ,he me", idea of
l!Oin, \.Oe.' ... \AM! with
~I<'I"II. " ~"'" ill oh
lOme. Na., .. nd 0<1 ... ; ... IMI
a ro .. -Vft, well·kno,,'n
write<><· oai to ..... , ·11_ da,. rour And ,,-...... ....
wid her r ....... a .... ftllow
."Ihot Wcnd.Jlllcrry "'hal
.he "". "",kin~ on, ...... id,
." .... dud'i lad< for boId .... -.
do your NIL.lund .... ..
10UKho. 'Well, ..... I cIon\:
.00 .. )'0.
",.nap. lho bip .... t
th3ll
°Moby J)ick-_ """"i,,« up
wilh on """"ing Ii .... Ih"1
-......... vtod at lho otart.
Nulund IOl ,..,. .".,ninc
Uno _ -Ca"",in Ahob ..... . "
.... "her my r'nl hu,band n'" "'y """-_ in. Rash of
;n'pi"" I;'~' even bef"""
.h" d Ih"ughl """"I wriling
lhe book,
8M I .... n plu~ into the
r. .... r .... pn~ b<:opn hH
,,-,,"nrch ~nd !
me.nt 1<1 be ,,'hen .h~
....fU main doa""""". d>ildhood.
·11 ...... ""'>' ,ltanK.; ~
"", ... had Ih"1 .. ""rienee
beIOno .. -;Ih on1 othH book: .. ,. N .... lund. '"One Ii .....
~.'" ""... I look • breok fro'" wntin~ ( .. mHxu, cup
of ...... And .. to.. .. I ..... nl
....... 10 tho .,01*, I ..... Iiud
I'd ........ ,...., <"Up' of "'0 _
""" f", m)-..,If I d
the .hamne. . So lhe
d"",minl!: '" "'" un!lft<'"
..... «d, but il ............ inly
unusual ond .....,.,.s.rful."
Th .. al ... ion', the "not
Ii.... ,h. Uni ........ i,' of
l ...... i..;lI. ",~.her hu
.... mP<"rod with • beloved .Iao.ie. Wilh he, wdl
,..,..;...,.[ "She.1ock in I"" .. ,:
Nn.olund """","b.-d I ....
"""Mli •• ide
Conan Uoyl.·& groal
""lrdive.. Shoe .1 ...
.......... ber:I, rr-illl up in
Ilirmingham, Ala,. 'he
<1I,hWliBotit ""'ponM
"'......". 10 her .pln on
SMk ... .,..~ ·. -J"li". c-.: ~'urt"" r ".,..akinK aboul
her thildl>rl<>d. Nulund ~ I. ,hat .he .....
·I",ined "'" 10 o.k
qu .. tion.: But if y .... ·d
Rue.. ohe hod a """,,
.. p,,,,iye puent ~ .. tho
.... \hal filrU .... in 'Ahab'.
Wife: you'd be o.,rprioed.
In ract. her I'amiIJ' -. ..
.he pu.. it. ......,.
ptrmiMi .... : N .... "nd
__ 11.: "' .... .lkrwflI. to
wri'" on 1M .. 0.11& .. I1h
1I1>".;ok. I ..... ,II"""'" ~ oat
... ,," ...,. hondt. , ... 1 di
know ho"«r tol use a knife,
fork or spoon till high .moot. I -Sd OIoy up ..
\.,,, .. I •• nled to -
",.d;n~ aDd doln!! wk.,.ve.
pa.,ued .....
"\ II" .... bet • ...., I ~.
,iven ... "'lOch rree;lom .n
my 0"''' Ict;onl and U-ghta .hn _eko,, -I
wAS .oP~ to reope<1
th.i. world .n~ nol
CI""lIion 1.00 ... ueb. .
He. nomiUlly M."lw>dlll
p •• entl •• uted lu
"oIe.-(TOe .nv i .... n m. ~ I
lIIlt N-..lund "",,lied In
th. only ... IY !'" .. ibl.: She
I"rned to Ihe Bibl"."' ....
quit •• litlle f .. mbrnentaL• i.' Cllri •• i,,, ( .... '" 'i. 9 In
19: "YI NuLund, ~~o. ""rrKd to tM phyo'c."
John Morri""'" h .. I .. IS.
y ..... old daughter . • ... nd
lilY "",.,,,to lull lef\; .....
a1",,' with it. let ",e do m1
thinll. SomotimU I r~1I
""",pened to tonvert
Ie It ..... • .tral\lll :"l di/f.,..,nt ""rt of
childh"""': StnftC" or not. it hel,K ino,i,. • .inR.,l ••
, .... ,;u.ion _ '.I'd • .i ..... ] ......... It 01 1\,.1;,on. Nt '''WIfe,
01' TIle SL S ' • ." "'s.. .... ' t d, ....... 1 ... , ",_sa
Hero', a pri .., ind_.
Only a _n, r .... H ... in
Herman Mehille', ·Moby
Di
... if ... lIuI wriur Be .... ".,Ie.
Na,h'nd IuI' ..... n ' .......... 11
loin'" in'o "Ahab'. Wifd." •
bo,td, aud.'Iciou. book that', •
r,Ui"" ...... paniGn '" M.,I",II .. ,
"""'crpieq jn .... Iu" henli...,.
Una. i •• r.tling «>ml"'nion '"
lhe """"""a .. iacal ... caplain.
Nulund ... ifely avoid,
mimi
,n "'1" ... CharIH I);d£e .... both
in i.. opioodi.. ~U·m.,11
narrative (,.....'11 be kepI up
nigh'" byoutlden "",rri_ and
m,n"" meeling,o l Md N •• lutld'.
app.r~nlly end Ie ... to ... of
m ...... "'ble charute... Uhe
d .... rf bounty hunter David
''''I"tld nnd •• «>mpli.hed aIIt .... oo",,, Mari. Mitdlrll .te
jWiI I...;> _ ........ many).
A! the ... nl ... '" it .U ioo tho
ronnidabl.\J ...... bri.h',....""
~.1 ... ho "' bealrn by he. fathe'
when oho ref"""" '" _"'-hio
...... ,fOund f.ill>.
Una i, .. nl to Ii, ... with an
'unl ....r unde .. ho ....... te ...
iool.ted li,hthou ... wh ...... 'he
lin .... oprn ,,,,,,,,,a and _ ..
minclr. Int"cued by t..., ,.,..'"
.ailo .. Yo·ho ",m. '" th. i.lnnd.
Una de
be the _ and diogui_ ....... If
.. ••• bin boy on a ... hale •. Thi.
lead. to • .inklng .hip, eanniboUom. a charml"" r. .. ,
huob&nd who ..... -..ad, Mab
hi ..... 1L
01 Kenlucky. helping ond hoin,
helped by a .Ia .. girl 0<1 tho
non. and ... """ ---. I.' •• ~nl tale. pop,,",,"
"';,b oIy humor(lJn.a i. tho 11m
... opoI\ the white wbale. which
the docribeo u in_If and
G;ha"" OM too many hillorical _ ..... mob quidr. .. _
.. lund abo .train, ou,
..... ':it., in othn wlY" _mi ftVf'r/ man who _
era... .... ....... her for' hill
"';fe. But if. I n'edit 10
Nuh",d',KiIi Ind u.. ..... pIu.,
lnlriCUi". .......... w·. CftMed
thll .. a .... pt ;1 wilboul
,!,,",ion until the ~I'th or ... p_l roIlo Ilona. SIIl&lI
'!tOw... for' .uct. • r,;ll.bodied,
tnUrtainl "ll'1Or)f;
If. ~nly "'" tho oq....t '" -Moo,. Oidr.-~Il_no.-.,J io)
but what mi~hl he,.. betn
dioutrouo bubrit "'"" out 10
be III unabashed cIoilithl.
_M;~GiI!.
reels in "Moby Dick" for
her own whale of a tale
By MICKAEL GllTI
Ahab ""mood .... ~t
whi", .. ""~...-tbe
,o«n". of the .. arid
.nd ""'" dnolQl\'d down t Ih .. do;ptho of tho ... roo-loU. ...... b..... &no .Ie!. ...
No,'und ",ulkod Ilernlsn
Melville', mUi"'l'iece
·~Ioby Dick" ove'I" _-"I
)'M ... ....."",;nod "" wrile' book thot woold ..,U , ....
.!<>riM Melville didn\.
1-.,3<1 of eritioal ~
o. _ worM -bf:;nK
igr'lOrod. Naolund ',nd.o
h."",lf riding B .... e of ....... ,m. With , ....
the 57 .. ,,-,,,,,,,1d wriler lou.
prodU<"
..... linK: udai"," N""lund
(rom her I>nme in I. ..... i.vill •.
!(y. "If. hard for me to
.I~, ... lIy. Bu, if.
'abu!_"
II'. r"bul.... Indo • .!.
oonold
round h", .. lfin the n"ddle . . , .' .
of • ro..... biddin, ".,,,
loll" .. '"" ",. hlid> .... ·f'll\l'" od."n"" -Ahub" Wir~-has
""'" """i.oo mY(! notlre.o r""" ....... "";1.enI •• WaUy
Lo.nIb, Gail Ooohrin and ,""
poc.'t M .. k 1>ntJ.
Of ""u ..... ,he me", idea of
l!Oin, \.Oe.' ... \AM! with
~I<'I"II. " ~"'" ill oh
a ro .. -Vft, well·kno,,'n
write<><· oai to ..... , ·11_ da,. rour And ,,-...... ....
wid her r ....... a .... ftllow
."Ihot Wcnd.Jlllcrry "'hal
.he "". "",kin~ on, ...... id,
." .... dud'i lad< for boId .... -.
do your NIL.lund .... ..
10UKho. 'Well, ..... I cIon\:
.00 .. )'0.
",.nap. lho bip .... t
th3ll
wilh on """"ing Ii .... Ih"1
Nulund IOl ,..,. .".,ninc
Uno _ -Ca"",in Ahob ..... . "
.... "her my r'nl hu,band n'" "'y """-_ in. Rash of
;n'pi"" I;'~' even bef"""
.h" d Ih"ughl """"I wriling
lhe book,
8M I .... n plu~ into the
r. .... r .... pn~ b<:opn hH
,,-,,"nrch ~nd !
....fU main doa""""". d>ildhood.
·11 ...... ""'>' ,ltanK.; ~
"", ... had Ih"1 .. ""rienee
beIOno .. -;Ih on1 othH book: .. ,. N .... lund. '"One Ii .....
~.'" ""... I look • breok fro'" wntin~ ( .. mHxu, cup
of ...... And .. to.. .. I ..... nl
....... 10 tho .,01*, I ..... Iiud
I'd ........ ,...., <"Up' of "'0 _
""" f", m)-..,If I d
d"",minl!: '" "'" un!lft<'"
..... «d, but il ............ inly
unusual ond .....,.,.s.rful."
Th .. al ... ion', the "not
Ii.... ,h. Uni ........ i,' of
l ...... i..;lI. ",~.her hu
.... mP<"rod with • beloved .Iao.ie. Wilh he, wdl
,..,..;...,.[ "She.1ock in I"" .. ,:
Nn.olund """","b.-d I ....
"""Mli •• ide
""lrdive.. Shoe .1 ...
.......... ber:I, rr-illl up in
Ilirmingham, Ala,. 'he
<1I,hWliBotit ""'ponM
SMk ... .,..~ ·. -J"li". c-.: ~'urt"" r ".,..akinK aboul
her thildl>rl<>d. Nulund ~ I. ,hat .he .....
·I",ined "'" 10 o.k
qu .. tion.: But if y .... ·d
Rue.. ohe hod a """,,
.. p,,,,iye puent ~ .. tho
.... \hal filrU .... in 'Ahab'.
Wife: you'd be o.,rprioed.
In ract. her I'amiIJ' -. ..
.he pu.. it. ......,.
ptrmiMi .... : N .... "nd
__ 11.: "' .... .lkrwflI. to
wri'" on 1M .. 0.11& .. I1h
1I1>".;ok. I ..... ,II"""'" ~ oat
... ,," ...,. hondt. , ... 1 di
fork or spoon till high .moot. I -Sd OIoy up ..
\.,,, .. I •• nled to -
",.d;n~ aDd doln!! wk.,.ve.
pa.,ued .....
"\ II" .... bet • ...., I ~.
,iven ... "'lOch rree;lom .n
my 0"''' Ict;onl and U-ghta .hn _eko,, -I
wAS .oP~ to reope<1
th.i. world .n~ nol
CI""lIion 1.00 ... ueb. .
He. nomiUlly M."lw>dlll
p •• entl •• uted lu
lIIlt N-..lund "",,lied In
th. only ... IY !'" .. ibl.: She
I"rned to Ihe Bibl"."' ....
quit •• litlle f .. mbrnentaL• i.' Cllri •• i,,, ( .... '" 'i. 9 In
19: "YI NuLund, ~~o. ""rrKd to tM phyo'c."
John Morri""'" h .. I .. IS.
y ..... old daughter . • ... nd
lilY "",.,,,to lull lef\; .....
a1",,' with it. let ",e do m1
thinll. SomotimU I r~1I
""",pened to tonvert
Ie It ..... • .tral\lll :"l di/f.,..,nt ""rt of
childh"""': StnftC" or not. it hel,K ino,i,. • .inR.,l ••
, .... ,;u.ion _ '.I'd • .i ..... ] ......... It 01 1\,.1;,on. Nt '''WIfe,
01' TIle SL S ' • ." "'s.. .... ' t d, ....... 1 ... , ",_sa
Hero', a pri ..
Only a _n, r .... H ... in
Herman Mehille', ·Moby
Di
Na,h'nd IuI' ..... n ' .......... 11
loin'" in'o "Ahab'. Wifd." •
bo,td, aud.'Iciou. book that', •
r,Ui"" ...... paniGn '" M.,I",II .. ,
"""'crpieq jn .... Iu" henli...,.
Una. i •• r.tling «>ml"'nion '"
lhe """"""a .. iacal ... caplain.
Nulund ... ifely avoid,
mimi
in i.. opioodi.. ~U·m.,11
narrative (,.....'11 be kepI up
nigh'" byoutlden "",rri_ and
m,n"" meeling,o l Md N •• lutld'.
app.r~nlly end Ie ... to ... of
m ...... "'ble charute... Uhe
d .... rf bounty hunter David
''''I"tld nnd •• «>mpli.hed aIIt .... oo",,, Mari. Mitdlrll .te
jWiI I...;> _ ........ many).
A! the ... nl ... '" it .U ioo tho
ronnidabl.\J ...... bri.h',....""
~.1 ... ho "' bealrn by he. fathe'
when oho ref"""" '" _"'-hio
...... ,fOund f.ill>.
Una i, .. nl to Ii, ... with an
'unl ....r unde .. ho ....... te ...
iool.ted li,hthou ... wh ...... 'he
lin .... oprn ,,,,,,,,,a and _ ..
minclr. Int"cued by t..., ,.,..'"
.ailo .. Yo·ho ",m. '" th. i.lnnd.
Una de
.. ••• bin boy on a ... hale •. Thi.
lead. to • .inklng .hip, eanniboUom. a charml"" r. .. ,
huob&nd who ..... -..ad, Mab
hi ..... 1L
helped by a .Ia .. girl 0<1 tho
non. and ... """ ---. I.' •• ~nl tale. pop,,",,"
"';,b oIy humor(lJn.a i. tho 11m
... opoI\ the white wbale. which
the docribeo u in_If and
G;ha"" OM too many hillorical _ ..... mob quidr. .. _
.. lund abo .train, ou,
..... ':it., in othn wlY" _mi ftVf'r/ man who _
era... .... ....... her for' hill
"';fe. But if. I n'edit 10
Nuh",d',KiIi Ind u.. ..... pIu.,
lnlriCUi". .......... w·. CftMed
thll .. a .... pt ;1 wilboul
,!,,",ion until the ~I'th or ... p_l roIlo Ilona. SIIl&lI
'!tOw... for' .uct. • r,;ll.bodied,
tnUrtainl "ll'1Or)f;
If. ~nly "'" tho oq....t '" -Moo,. Oidr.-~Il_no.-.,J io)
but what mi~hl he,.. betn
dioutrouo bubrit "'"" out 10
be III unabashed cIoilithl.
_M;~GiI!.