Higgledy-Piggledy Whale Statements

In this episode, the material world of the Pequod looms large, as does its materials. Instead of getting a new friend, Ahab gets a new leg, and we meet the carpenter. He gets a whole chapter to himself, describing him more or less schematically. After that, we try something a bit different: Since Chapter 108 is entirely a dialogue between Ahab and the carpenter, your hosts read the whole thing, after flipping a coin for the parts. (If you want to skip this, it’s between 43:51 and 54:54.) Finally, we round out the episode with Starbuck not quite managing mutiny and Queequeg not quite managing to die.

N.b.: Due to technical difficulties, the audio quality for the last section is a bit worse. Sorry about that.

Next episode: We read chapters 111 through 118, and a weapon is forged. We are approaching the Season on the Line.

This week, we delve deep into the prehistory of whales, and from there, consider their most remote future. But first, an extended examination of Dutch and English whaleship supplies in a chapter Ben grades ‘passable.’ There’s 135 of them, they can’t all be winners. But after that, the whale’s skeleton beckons us through elaborate Gnostic imagery to the headwaters of infinity, as Ishmael more or less states that the whale predates the Book of Genesis, and that the species will continue throughout all ages, whale without end. It takes us a bit to unravel it all, with various elements of 19th century thought on prehistory and deep time being required to make sense of it.

Next episode: We deal with carpentry, in chapters 106 through 110.

This week, we have some excellent Ahab content. First, in “The Doubloon,” we discuss the hermeneutics by which the crew of the Pequod interpret the markings on Ahab’s golden prize, promised to whoever sights Moby Dick. Ishmael presents us with interpretations ranging from the conventional to the indecipherable, and we discover that this is a coin that actually existed, and is now called the ‘Moby Dick coin’ because, well, take a wild guess. Also, we completely fail to understand a Manxman because we forgot what ♌ looks like. Strange revelations and odd opinions, as well as some astrology and Stubb being awful, coincide. Then, in “Arm and Leg,” Ahab makes a friend at last!

Next time: We read chapters 101 through 105, which are mostly about whale skeletons, and try to answer the most important question in the book: “Does the Whale’s Magnitude Diminish?—Will He Perish?”

Well, here it is, what Mark’s called ‘the orgy chapter.’ It’s part of the elaborate processing of the whale for oil, which (in a somewhat chronologically weird way) we’re finishing up this episode. Ishmael experiences a deep and squishy benevolence for all mankind; some weird parts of the whale are discussed; eventually, everything is cleared up and put away. However, before that can happen, we reach an intense and hellish height of metaphor and imagery as the great furnace roars to life, and Ahab’s presence is felt. It’s a hell of a time!

Next time: Chapters 99 and 100. Thoughts on Ahab’s vendetta, as well as meeting one Captain Boomer in a very singular gam.

After some development on the theme of ‘royal authority is kind of unjust, huh,’ in connection with fast-fish and loose-fish, we move on to another meeting with another whale-ship (no gam). And, in the Pequod’s meeting with the less than fragrant Rose-Bud, the love of grey gold leads men to do terrible things. Or at least Stubb commits some obnoxious, fraudulent, and self-interested acts in pursuit of ambergris, after which Ishmael explains the uses of that odd whale byproduct. And finally, in The Castaway, what was long foreshadowed comes to pass as one of the Pequod’s crew comes face to face with the infinite, spiraling through strange extended metaphors and rapturous visions of the deep.

Next time: We read chapters 94 through 98, as we discuss the processing and oleaginous results of sperm.

We forge ahead now with the Grand Armada - when Ben stops talking about semi-related matters, anyways. In this wild and piratical chapter, the Pequod pursues and is pursued, Starbuck’s crew witness the secret hidden bowers of the whale, and we learn of the forbidden flavor. After all that, of course, Ishmael needs to take a break to talk entirely about conceptual matters, yet somehow gets even wilder: first, with the unmitigated gender of whale herds, and second as he considers the rights and laws of unclaimed whales.

Next time: in chapters 90-93, we have a little more law and rights, some more incompetent foreign whalers, treasure of a rare kind, and then a young mind is destroyed by the presence of God. You know, normal whale things.

This week we’re reading Chapters 85 and 86, The Tail and The Fountain - we are not reading 87, The Grand Armada, because there was just too much there to add on after we talked about two of the whale’s most noble attributes (according to Ishmael, who doesn’t seem to find much ignoble in the whale). There’s some amazing sentences, some more whale anatomy, and some important injunctions about what a superior person or fish get up to. Also, we learn how a whale will kill you, specifically and ergonomically.

Featuring the cats for the last time in a while (quietly).

Next time: Chapters 87 through 89, which will take us through The Grand Armada, of course, as well as some explanation for the impressive events of that chapter in the next two.

As is not unusual, we had a hard time making these chapters into a coherent lump - once again, Ishmael is all over the place. However, that’s to our listener’s benefits, as Ishmael is petty about rival whalers, somewhat overstates the historical and mythological importance of whale-slaying, gets into questions of Biblical exegesis, and then mostly fails to explain how to pitchpole. Ben thinks he’s figured it out, but Mark is understandably skeptical about our ability to communicate this better than Ishmael. If you think you know how to pitchpole after reading Moby-Dick and listening to this podcast, please film yourself demonstrating this and get at us on social media! (But be careful and don’t use a sharp lance, just a practice one. Or, I don’t know, a broom.)

Next time: We’ll be reading through at least chapters 85 and 86, and maybe 87 - it’s just long enough to make us wonder whether we should cover it separately. Keep an eye out for next episode’s description!

It’s time to finally get inside a whale’s head. It’s a dangerous place, and we have some swashbuckling to save a crewmate from getting too deep into it. We’ll also travel around one, compare some, and apply the caliper sciences to them. There’s a surprising amount of geometry, some swordplay, and references to great moments in the history of science (primarily to be dismissed by Ishmael). Join us, not to enlarge your mind, but subtilize it.

Next time: In chapters 81-84, the Pequod meets yet another ship, Ishmael talks yet again about whalemen historical and biblical, and we get yet more detail of whaling practices.

We’ll have no gam this time, friends - this episode, we try to figure out what thread goes through the three chapters we read, which cover a pretty wide variety of topics and forms. First, we hear the story of the Jeroboam, a distinctly unlucky ship. Not only do they have an epidemic aboard, which is why there’s no gam, they also have a prophet, who causes a lot of trouble. Then Ishmael remembers something he should have told us earlier about what he and Queequeg were doing during the cutting-in, and explains some particular whaling practices. Finally, we have actual narrative again as Stubb and Flask go hunt down a Right Whale and talk about the devil. Altogether, though, we’re definitely moving right along, with a new ship and a new whale killed.

Next time: Chapters 74-80, covering a variety of whale-head-related topics.