Literature
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Rockwell Kent’s White Whale
Readers might never have heard of “Moby-Dick” had it not been for American artist Rockwell Kent’s 1930 illustrated edition.
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Song of a Sailor’s Despair
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow‘s “The Wreck of the Hesperus” combines poetic license with real nautical disaster off the stormy New England coast.
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The Terrifying Story of “The Raft of the Medusa”
WARNING: This tale of a shipwrecked French frigate in 1816 might make you reconsider getting on a boat. But it did produce some great art. Continue at your own risk!
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Vincent van Gogh from Sunflowers to Sailboats
During one of the most prolific and darkest periods of his life, Vincent van Gogh journeyed south to chase the light.
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Excerpt: “The Captain of the ‘Pole-Star’”
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle brought modern detective fiction to the masses with his Sherlock Holmes series. But one of his first tales was a ghost story set in the Arctic.
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The Epic Life of Webb Chiles
Meet the six-time circumnavigator, poet, and writer Webb Chiles—before he sails over the horizon again.
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John Steinbeck’s Swashbuckling First Novel
Before he wrote about migrant workers and mice and men, the great American novelist looked first toward the sea.
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A Sailor’s Guide to the Legend of the Kraken
This mythical sea monster has haunted the dreams of sailors, fishermen, and other mariners for thousands of years.
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The Real Moby Dick That Inspired Melville’s Classic Tale
Herman Melville’s nautical masterpiece is based on events in the South Pacific whaling grounds more than two centuries ago.
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The Enduring Appeal of John Masefield’s “Sea-Fever”
His brief poem evokes a longing for the sea, and its most iconic imagery captures the essence of tall ships under sail.