Mystic Seaport A-Twitter Over “Moby-Dick”

Melville’s Classic Novel Told 140 Characters at a Time

Mystic, Conn. – The 26th annual marathon reading of Herman Melville’s classic novel “Moby-Dick” aboard the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan will be live-tweeted by Mystic Seaport on the social media website Twitter.com. Mystic Seaport staff will stream a live video feed of the event and offer commentary and insight about the work.

“Twitter is an innovative way for us to share this special event with a global audience,” said Museum president Stephen C. White.  “Nowhere else does ‘Moby-Dick’ come alive the way it does on the decks of the Morgan, the sole surviving ship of the fleet that inspired Melville.”

A tradition at Mystic Seaport, the “Moby-Dick” Marathon is an uninterrupted reading aloud of all 135 chapters of the work onboard the Charles W. Morgan, the Museum’s 1841 whaleship. Visitors, Museum volunteers and staff sign up to take turns reading, except for the first chapter, “Loomings,” and the Epilogue, which are read by an actor playing Melville. The Marathon begins Sunday, July 31, at noon, and concludes shortly before noon, Monday, August 1.

For 2011, Mystic Seaport decided to expand the reach of the experience and will live-tweet the entire Marathon at @MbyDickMarathon. The account will feature a live Ustream video feed of the event, general information, and highlights of the proceedings, as well as contests and polls that relate to chapters in “Moby-Dick.”

Museum staff will also tweet on three other Twitter accounts that will be visible on the main account page:

·         @MS_PopCulture will tweet links to images in the Mystic Seaport collections, images of relevant parts of the Morgan whaleship, and explanations of 19th century vocabulary in the novel.

·         @MS_Collections will tweet links to images, video clips, stories, songs, and other “Moby-Dick” references in pop culture.

·         @MSeaportScience will tweet science-related information, videos, and images regarding whales, oceanography, and weather as they appear in the novel.

·         The hashtag for the event is #MDM2011

Those who wish to participate physically can do so as a daytime or overnight visitor. Daytime participation is free with Museum admission. Copies of the novel will be available for those who wish to follow along. Overnight tickets include the rare opportunity to sleep onboard the Morgan. Only registered ticket holders will be allowed to stay aboard after Museum hours.

Tickets are $25 ($23 for Museum members) and include a light breakfast Monday morning. Reservations can be made by calling (860) 572-5322.

For more information, please visit www.mysticseaport.org/mobydick.

Twitter links:

http://www.twitter.com/MbyDickMarathon

http://www.twitter.com/MS_Collections

http://www.twitter.com/MS_PopCulture

http://www.twitter.com/MSeaportScience

About Mystic Seaport

Mystic Seaport is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929, it is home to four National Historic Landmark vessels, including the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan. The Museum’s collection includes 2 million artifacts, more than 500 historic watercraft, and one of the largest collections of maritime photography in the country. For more information, please visit www.mysticseaport.org.