Moby Dick Energy: A Moby Dick Podcast

Mar 10 2021 35 ep. 55 mins 2.3k

Moby Dick Energy: A Moby Dick Podcast artwork

A chapter by chapter breakdown of the greatest, weirdest American novel, "Moby-Dick: Or, the Whale." Theme song by Noam Hassenfeld.

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Chapters 55-57: "Of the Monstrous Pictures of Whales; Of the Less Erroneous Pictures of Whales, and the True Pictures of Whaling Scenes; Of Whales in Paint; in Teeth; in Wood; in Sheet-Iron; in Stone; in Mountains; in Stars."

Mar 10 2021 70 mins

After a long hiatus, we're back! Talia talks with Byrd Pinkerton, amazing podcast producer and multimedia artist, about three chapters in which Melville rambles about how people depict whales. We dissect monstrous pictures rendered in florid language. A link to the slideshow Byrd made so lovingly is here, posted to Medium! https://mobydickenergy.medium.com/moby-dick-pics-b58f6b9a25

Chapters 52-54: "The Albatross," "The Gam," "The Town-Ho's Story"

Jan 22 2021 73 mins

Talia talks with Beth Skwarecki, senior health editor at Lifehacker, about three fascinating chapters. That's right -- we're BACK! After 33 episodes last year, we're off on the second year of Moby Dick Energy, and with hellish strength we are taking another stab at this great book. This week, we examine Melville's glowing and romantic depictions of the Erie Canal and the Great Lake

Chapters 50 & 51: "Ahab’s Boat and Crew. Fedallah" & "The Spirit-Spout"

Dec 10 2020 51 mins

Talia talks to author and producer Jay Bushman, author the new book "Novel Advice," about two marvellous chapters of this book. We're back, babey!!!! With an Agony Aunt letter from Ishmael, an exploration of Melville's orientalism, and the haunting beauty of the spirit-spout.

Chapters 48 & 49: "The First Lowering" and "The Hyena"

Nov 17 2020 68 mins

Prefacing this episode is Talia's prank call to the Trump Voter Fraud hotline.This episode Talia talks to the lovely, gentle-voiced and brilliant Lili Loofbourow, a staff writer at Slate, about THE FIRST TIME WE ENCOUNTER SOME REAL LIFE WHALES in the book and the racially fraught introduction of Ahab's mysterious, hitherto hidden companions, Fedallah and his crew. The word "swart"

Chapters 46 & 47: "Surmises" and "The Mat-Maker"

Nov 03 2020 44 mins

Talia talks with Sarah Marshall, of the "You're Wrong About" and "Why Are Dads" podcasts, about 2 odd marooned mid-40s chapters of the book. It's Sarah's first experience with the book and we debunk some myths about Ahab -- as well as conveying that he's the ultimate Bad Dad of the Sea. "Man and whale must go down together, like Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty." -Sarah Marshallmerch:

Chapter 45: "The Affidavit"

Oct 12 2020 53 mins

Talia talks with New York Times bestselling author Morgan Jerkins about the bizarre and wonderful chapter "The Affidavit." With clips from "Matilda," asides about dairy, and as always, contemplation of the majesty and terror of The Sea.

Chapters 43 & 44: "Hark!" and "The Chart"

Sep 28 2020 51 mins

Talia talks to Justin Scheck (@ScheckWSJ) about a short chapter and a longer chapter, which are also a comical chapter and a profound chapter. In "Hark!" we see a bit more of daily life on the Pequod, while "The Chart" attempts to map Ahab's madness. Justin Scheck is a Wall Street Journal reporter and author of the recent book "Blood and Oil," which is about Mohammad bin Salman, no

Chapter 42: "The Whiteness of the Whale"

Sep 21 2020 72 mins

Talia talks to vaunted Melville scholar Christopher Freeburg about an infamous, complex and fascinating episode, "The Whiteness of the Whale." We discuss the meaning of whiteness, filled with both sinister and holy connotations. Has the author/protagonist line completely blurred? Is Ishmael going slightly insane? What does whiteness mean? Also, check out Professor Freeburg's new bo

Chapter 41: "Moby Dick"

Sep 09 2020 56 mins

Talia talks to James Beard Award nominated writer Rax King about Chapter 41, "Moby Dick." It's an encapsulation of the book in miniature: we talk about the feared whale himself, introduced to our antagonist at last; about the madness of Ahab; about the whaling industry; about sperm whales as the great terrors of the sea. With many thanks to producer Ilana Weinstein for rescuing som

Chapter 40: "Midnight: Forecastle"

Aug 27 2020 56 mins

A RADIO PLAY.First, Talia talks to Akela Lacy, reporter at the Intercept, about the strange, drunken dream of this chapter; its racialized elements; and the feelings of Pip, the Black cabin-boy, about being alone on a ship of white madmen, threatening to knife each other.In the second half, produced painstakingly by Ilana Weinstein, we have the fruits of much labor!! Fans of the sh