Description:
Herman Melville was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works are Moby-Dick (1851); Typee (1846), a romanticized account of his experiences in Polynesia; and Billy Budd, Sailor, a posthumously published novella. Although his reputation was not high at the time of his death, the 1919 centennial of his birth was the starting point of a Melville revival, and Moby-Dick grew to be considered one of the great American novels.
Birthday
August 1, 1819
Born In
New York City, New York, USA
Spouse/Ex-
Elizabeth Shaw August 4, 1847 - September 28, 1891 (his death)
Relatives
Phoenix Melville (Niece or Nephew)
Trivia
Went to sea in his youth, as a cabin boy aboard the whaler 'Acushnet' (1841-42). He deserted his ship at the Marquesas Islands and lived among cannibals. Boarded the Australian whaler 'Lucy Ann' and left at Papeete, for a while becoming a beachcomber. Returned to the U.S. signed on as a seaman aboard the frigate 'United States' (1843-44). His early book "Typee" (1846) is based on these experiences.
Quotes
Faith, like a jackal, feeds among the tombs, and even from these dead
doubts she gathers her most vital hope.
