"The bar-room was now full of the boarders who had been dropping in the
night previous, and whom I had not as yet had a good look at. They were
nearly all whalemen; chief mates, and second mates, and third mates, and
sea carpenters, and sea coopers, and sea blacksmiths, and harpooneers, and ship keepers; a brown and brawny company, with bosky beards; an unshorn, shaggy set, all wearing monkey jackets for morning gowns."
—from chapter 5 of Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, "Breakfast"
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A short chapter that helps to further the hilarious couple that Ishmael and Queequeg make. Here is Queequeg at breakfast amongst a bunch of tired and hungover whalemen and sailors, and while they eat their hot rolls and drink their coffee Queequeg is content to grab rare steaks with his harpoon.
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Another small moment of humor.
Monday, July 13, 2015
MOBY-DICK 4: THE COUNTERPANE
"My sensations were strange. Let me try to explain them."
—from chapter 4 of Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, "The Counterpane"
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This is one of my favorite chapters of the novel. I love the friendship that is established between Ishmael and Queequeg in such a short amount of time. It was set up nicely in the preceding chapter and continues here. It is intimate, humorous, and very human.
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Their "matrimonial bed" even includes a "hatchet-faced baby."
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The whole scene is dreamlike. There is the strange tale that Ishmael relates about being sent to bed for the day as a child. There is Queequeg's arm merging into the pattern of the quiltwork. There is Ishmael's observation of Queequeg as "neither caterpillar nor butterfly," but in a stage of transformation and potentiality.
But what is the dream? The scene of "The Counterpane"? The novel of Moby-Dick? America? All of the above? None of the above? Something else entirely?
—from chapter 4 of Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, "The Counterpane"
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This is one of my favorite chapters of the novel. I love the friendship that is established between Ishmael and Queequeg in such a short amount of time. It was set up nicely in the preceding chapter and continues here. It is intimate, humorous, and very human.
---
Their "matrimonial bed" even includes a "hatchet-faced baby."
---
The whole scene is dreamlike. There is the strange tale that Ishmael relates about being sent to bed for the day as a child. There is Queequeg's arm merging into the pattern of the quiltwork. There is Ishmael's observation of Queequeg as "neither caterpillar nor butterfly," but in a stage of transformation and potentiality.
But what is the dream? The scene of "The Counterpane"? The novel of Moby-Dick? America? All of the above? None of the above? Something else entirely?
MOBY-DICK 3: THE SPOUTER-INN
"Ignorance is the parent of fear, and being completely nonplussed and confounded about the stranger, I confess I was now as much afraid of him as if it was the devil himself who had thus broken into my room at the dead of night."
—from chapter 3 of Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, "The Spouter-Inn"
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This chapter is rich. A lot happens.
---
It opens with Ishmael as "art critic." Then we meet Jonah the bartender. Foreshadowing and more foreshadowing.
---
We meet Bulkington. I understand that Bulkington is a favorite character of many readers, although I've never understood why. ("...for some reason a huge favorite with them...") In fact, I know that he will appear later, and Melville tells us as much, but I never seem able to remember him. I guess the question to myself is: Why?
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We meet Queequeg, which is a great scene, and gives us a couple of great quotes.
"It's only his outside; a man can be honest in any sort of skin."
"[H]e has just as much reason to fear me, as I have to be afraid of him. Better sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian."
—from chapter 3 of Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, "The Spouter-Inn"
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This chapter is rich. A lot happens.
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It opens with Ishmael as "art critic." Then we meet Jonah the bartender. Foreshadowing and more foreshadowing.
---
We meet Bulkington. I understand that Bulkington is a favorite character of many readers, although I've never understood why. ("...for some reason a huge favorite with them...") In fact, I know that he will appear later, and Melville tells us as much, but I never seem able to remember him. I guess the question to myself is: Why?
---
We meet Queequeg, which is a great scene, and gives us a couple of great quotes.
"It's only his outside; a man can be honest in any sort of skin."
"[H]e has just as much reason to fear me, as I have to be afraid of him. Better sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian."
MOBY-DICK 2: THE CARPET-BAG
"With halting steps I paced the streets, and passed the sign of the "The Crossed Harpoons"—but it looked too expensive and jolly there."
—from chapter 2 of Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, "The Carpet-Bag"
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Then Ishmael passes on another inn, the "Sword-Fish Inn," for the same reason: "too expensive and jolly again. So he eventually settles upon The Spouter Inn, which he come across upon "such dreary streets! blocks of blackness" as he heads for the waterfront and the cheapest places to stay for the night. But these streets appear to be much more in keeping with his depressive state. The exterior landscape reflects his interior landscape. (Or vice versa.)
—from chapter 2 of Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, "The Carpet-Bag"
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Then Ishmael passes on another inn, the "Sword-Fish Inn," for the same reason: "too expensive and jolly again. So he eventually settles upon The Spouter Inn, which he come across upon "such dreary streets! blocks of blackness" as he heads for the waterfront and the cheapest places to stay for the night. But these streets appear to be much more in keeping with his depressive state. The exterior landscape reflects his interior landscape. (Or vice versa.)
MOBY-DICK 1: LOOMINGS
"Call me Ishmael. Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world."
—from chapter 1 of Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, "Loomings"
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I myself have set sail in my favorite novel once again. This time I head out with fellow readers, participants in the adult summer reading program of the Puyallup Public Library. While out on the waters of Melville's novel, I am selecting at least one quote from each chapter that speaks to me for one reason or another. I am also jotting down a few notes for each chapter as a way to remember what I see this time, on this particular journey.
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Hopefully, I survive this sailing unscathed!
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I find it interesting that the novel's narrator doesn't give us his name and won't give us a specific time for his tale, but his descriptions of the place he starts from (and the other places he encounters) are described in such detail. If I knew his New York City, I believe I could find my way around it from his love for it.
—from chapter 1 of Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, "Loomings"
---
I myself have set sail in my favorite novel once again. This time I head out with fellow readers, participants in the adult summer reading program of the Puyallup Public Library. While out on the waters of Melville's novel, I am selecting at least one quote from each chapter that speaks to me for one reason or another. I am also jotting down a few notes for each chapter as a way to remember what I see this time, on this particular journey.
---
Hopefully, I survive this sailing unscathed!
---
I find it interesting that the novel's narrator doesn't give us his name and won't give us a specific time for his tale, but his descriptions of the place he starts from (and the other places he encounters) are described in such detail. If I knew his New York City, I believe I could find my way around it from his love for it.
Sunday, July 12, 2015
DEEP DREAMS in the DEEP DREAM
I had an artificial intelligence deep dream my chalked deep dream of an artificial deep dream of an image offered by a human.
Does it appear more human than my chalked original?
(I see more realistic eyes, an added right ear, a shadow person.)
View the two images side by side.
Friday, July 10, 2015
FROST PARK: DEEP DREAM
"Deep Dream" by Troy's Work Table. Chalk art for Friday 10 July 2015 at Frost Park.
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Google artificial intelligence is "deep dreaming" our images in its neural network, producing new from the old.
I did the same, by "deep dreaming" one of the Google AI's images and likewise made it my own.
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And then the chalk happened.
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It appears the Mother Octopus must still be bouncing around inside me somewhere, especially since the Google AI seems to favor the canine in its "dreams" while I seem to favor the cephalopodic.
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I describe the particular Google "deep dream" I used for my dream-source as Edvard Munch meets H. P. Lovecraft on the dance floor.
Mine, for me, feels like Queequeg meets Mother Octopus in the cosmic bath.
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View more pictures of "Deep Dream" HERE.
Friday, July 03, 2015
FROST PARK: STARS AND STRIPES
"Stars and Stripes" by Troy's Work Table. Chalk art for Friday 03 July 2015 at Frost Park. A rare wall chalking.
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Sperm whale meets star-spangled banner.
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The Starchild.
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Seven stars of Revolution or seven stars of Revelation?
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View more pictures of "Stars and Stripes" HERE.
Thursday, July 02, 2015
MOBY-DICK: "READ A CLASSIC" BOOK CLUB
“Green Melville” by Troy Kehm-Goins. Sidewalk chalk, charcoal, and chalk pastels on concrete.
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Join Puyallup poet Troy Kehm-Goins and others as we head off in search of the ever-elusive White Whale as part of Puyallup Public Library’s adult summer reading program. We will meet for two evenings, one in July and one in August, to explore Herman Melville’s classic American novel, MOBY-DICK.
On Wednesday, July 8, 2015, we will look at a brief history of how MOBY-DICK came to be written, its poor reception when first published, and its “rediscovery” in the 1920s. Then, Troy will share some of his favorite passages and chapters, and will provide some different ways to read the novel, whether one is new to the story or has made several sailings with it.
On Wednesday, August 05, 2015, we will reconvene to share our impressions of the book, discuss our new-found joys discovered in its pages, and talk about some of the challenges we encountered.
Copies of MOBY-DICK will be available at the library, but you are encouraged to bring your own well-worn and weathered copy, if you have one. A list of related books, movies, and music will be available both evenings.
Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/480371352118277/ to join the 7/8 event!
FREEDOM
Seven sunflower stalks / each with its own strangling vine // deft hands
and sharp knife / leave them stretching toward sky / unbound once more.
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Or:
Seven sunflower stalks
each with its own strangling vine
deft hands and sharp knife
leave them stretching toward sky
unbound once more.
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My hands were digging in the rich volcanic soil of the Puyallup River Valley—pulling weeds, removing roots, sifting out rocks. Oh the joy of the garden.
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Or:
Seven sunflower stalks
each with its own strangling vine
deft hands and sharp knife
leave them stretching toward sky
unbound once more.
---
My hands were digging in the rich volcanic soil of the Puyallup River Valley—pulling weeds, removing roots, sifting out rocks. Oh the joy of the garden.
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