Melville’s Reading and the Arc of Literary Genius

Herman Melville acquired some 1,000 books prior to his death, after which his library was dispersed among family members and second-hand book dealers. Less than a third of the collection is known to survive, but copies with his autograph and notes continue to resurface. Ranging from source books on whaling to Shakespeare’s dramatic works, Melville’s surviving books contain markings and notes that reveal the origins of powerful passages and themes in Moby-Dick and other writings. This slide-lecture will discuss ongoing efforts to trace the dispersal of Melville’s library and analyze evidence of his reading, including technical recovery of annotations that were erased after his death, and will address the role of Melville’s engagement with books in the formation of his genius and the creation of his art.