Summer of Melville in the Berkshires!

A slate of Melville-themed events is coming to Pittsfield, MA this summer. From the Call Me Melville site:

This summer (from Memorial Day weekend to Columbus Day weekend 2012) we’re celebrating Melville’s life and writings, and bringing them vividly to life for a new generation of readers as well as for all those whose first acquaintance with this vibrant writer left something to be desired.

Keep an eye out for an exhibit and talk by Bill Pettit (of The Moby Dick Collection), to be presented at Arrowhead.

If you're not fortunate enough to live in Pittsfield (declared "Best place for single retirees" by US News & World Report!), you can participate in Moby Dick Daily. Billed as "a chapter-a-day online community read-along," this is some kind of networked group-read of M-D for the Facebook-&-Twitter generation. (Yes, I'm considering the recommendation of USN&WP.)

Latest News from the Feejees - 6

The second episode of the second series of BBC mysteries, Sherlock  (The Hounds of Baskerville), aired in the US tonight. It opens with Holmes bursting into his flat (at 221B, of course), blood-spattered and carrying a fine, toggle-headed harpoon(!).

Watson: You went on the tube like that?
Holmes: None of the cabs would take me!

So, what's the deal with the harpoon? Did I miss something?

Maurice Sendak on Melville

As a tribute to Maurice Sendak, Fresh Air yesterday broadcast portions of several past interviews. Melvillians will know Mr. Sendak's cover art for both volume one and volume two of Hershel Parker's essential biography. (Mr. Parker has posted a collection of personal photos of Maurice Sendak on his blog.)

Mr. Sendak expressed a warm appreciation for interviewer Terry Gross, and it is a joy and a sorrow to listen to the entire 45-minute broadcast. For Melville-centric us, there is a nugget at 26:25.