Since we’re underway with The Sea Wolf, it seemed fitting to offer a round-up of resources for our literary voyage.
These are the best things I found.
ArtOfManliness interview with Dr. Earle Labor
Dr. Labor was the foremost Jack London scholar and is largely responsible for any favor London’s work holds today among critics. This podcast is wide-ranging, looking at London’s entire body of work, rather than just The Sea Wolf. But it’s a perfect introduction to London and presents the chance to gain a broader understanding of his significance.
Nietzsche’s Übermensch - YouTube Breakdown (5 min.)
It seems London’s portrayal of Wolf Larsen was inspired by a loose understanding of Nietzsche’s “Übermensch,” or Superman. The video’s a bit goofy, but it provides a quick breakdown of Nietzsche’s concept, so you can see how London worked with that source material in creating his own character.
A History of the Schooner - Youtube Documentary (45 min.)
I was hesitant to commit this much time, but it turned out far better than I expected. The schooner has a rich history, even with the U.S. alone. This documentary does a great job walking through it.
Fur Seals Migration Video (3 min.)
The Ghost, the ship that Humphrey Van Weyden lands upon, is a sealing schooner whose livelihood was found in the trade of seal furs. This is a short video that delves further into the migration habits of these seals, which set the course of the Ghost in the novel (disclaimer: the pattern’s a little different. The seals in the video migrate along the North American coast of the Pacific, whereas the seals in the novel migrate along the Japanese coast).
Burial of the Dead at Sea Service - lastly, I’m offering some thoughts I recorded on the Burial of the Dead at Sea service from the Book of Common Prayer (scroll down). I’ve been intrigued by the audio essay form lately, and this is my “minimum viable product” attempt.
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