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Polly Elizabeth's avatar

Eighteen very worthwhile minutes. Thank you Julia

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Cindy Chupack's avatar

I love this! Not too long -- a perfectly told story with visual aids, a new dimension to storytelling. Love your take on his letters to Hawthorne and also your relationship to Bartleby moments. I have been to that house -- will have to share that story. xo

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Nictate's avatar

What a delight to be on the authors' home tour with you! I hope you do start that Substack book club. Speaking of books, if you ever return to writing Lose Weight, Fast, here's an alternate title/subtitle that came to me during your NYC trip: Sweeney Bod.

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David Williams's avatar

Bartleby is very close to the American heart I think. Very close. Everyone feels like Bartleby at least once or twice. Or, at least, I did, too. Very very much. And thanks for the nice visit.

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AlisonH's avatar

Really enjoy living vicariously through your trip! Did you happen to hear this story on Morning Edition today (June 14): https://www.npr.org/2023/06/14/1182074483/a-rare-collection-of-american-literature-will-be-auctioned-off-at-christies Yes, Melville, Hawthorne, Twain, and others are in the collection. I nerded out completely and went to christies.com where you can review the catalog for the sale. Don't think I spotted any Bartleby-related material, but opening bids for an 1851 copy of Moby-Dick start at $25K. (Starting bids for a Typee or Omoo begin at less stratospheric $2k!) The most expensive item that I ran across was a Hawthorne item related to The Scarlett Letter (opening at $600K): "Hawthorne's own pre-publication annotated page proofs for his masterpiece, with his corrections and emendations on over 140 pages". Anyway, in addition to books and manuscripts, there are newspapers, magazines, and letters. RE: the latter, quite a few in which authors are either thanking a friend or benefactor for support or asking for support. (Which reminded me of your comments about Melville and his mortgages!)

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Rula Abboud's avatar

I'm frozen now. How do you unfreeze?

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Jane Bethke's avatar

Your tours are top shelf, Julia. I, too, am wracked with suspense that you will be confronted to turn off that camera! So fun to tour with you. And, I've got to say--the tilt on Moby Dick is, well, you know. . .Enjoy your travels. Can't wait for the next post!

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Holly's avatar

I haven’t made it to Melville’s house, but you’ve made me want to read more by him and then go there.

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Eve Keller's avatar

I think my new term for stuck moments will be, I’m having a Bartleby kind of day. There is a lot of precious here, and the ‘Mobester D’ will be my next Melville read. Have continued great fun on your trip.

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Ennavé Institute's avatar

These are great, especially with the suspense of wondering if you will run into some disapproval! So far so good. I’m intending to read Moby Dick, if only because it features so prominently in John Irving’s The Last Chairlift. I just finished The House of Seven Gables. It felt like the prequel to The Handmaid’s Tale.

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Jill Fox's avatar

Based on your description of Moby Dick, I’m thinking it might finally be time to read it!

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Nancy's avatar

What a spectacular raconteuse you are! Thank you for 18 minutes well spent, and for the mantra for my next decade in life, which I believe I shall use shamelessly: I prefer not to.

No justifications or explanations. Bartelby, weirdly inspiring.

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Lorian's avatar

Loving these dispatches from literary landmarks and the stories they tell through you! I would travel to visit them myself, but I prefer not to. :)

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Carole Rollins's avatar

Julia... I hang on to your every word. Thank you!

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Dixie Powless's avatar

Lived this. Love you. And I too am Bartley

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