Melville House Books

Melville House Authors

• Interview: Rudolph Herzog, author of A Short History of Nuclear Folly

  In A Short History of Nuclear Folly, Rudolph Herzog presents a devastating account of history’s most irresponsible uses of nuclear technology. From the rarely-discussed nightmare of “Broken Arrows” (40 nuclear… Read more »

• Nuclear Folly Locator

  In honor of Rudolph Herzog’s excellent A Short History of Nuclear Folly, we built this handy “Nuclear Folly Locator,” so you can browse a few of the strange (and sometimes horrifying)… Read more »

• David Foster Wallace’s Kenyon commencement speech video

  David Foster Wallace’s 2005 commencement address begins: (If anybody feels like perspiring [cough], I’d advise you to go ahead, because I’m sure going to. In fact I’m gonna [mumbles while… Read more »

• Ten Nights On Long Island: The Great Gatsby’s early reviews

  In its first year, The Great Gatsby sold a disappointing 21,000 copies, less than half of the first year sales for This Side of Paradise or The Beautiful and Dammed.… Read more »

• Moby-Dick, the card game

  Moby-Dick, the BBC historical drama; Moby-Dick, the interactive sing-along theatrical production; Moby-Dick, the beer; Moby-Dick, the felted version? Chalk up one more adaption for Herman Melville’s novel: Moby-Dick, the card… Read more »

• The Amanda Knox circus—again

  Amanda Knox, even while appearing on prime time television in America to promote her book Waiting to Be Heard, is facing yet another murder trial in Italy for a crime—of… Read more »

• How to do an NPR interview

  The Rumpus is on top of the confessional nonfiction beat, from Sari Botton’s “Writers Who Are Braver Than Me” interview series to the book club’s conversation with Emily Rapp. Martha… Read more »

• Sing-along Moby-Dick

  Recently, we brought you a report on the BBC’s forthcoming new drama, The Whale, which will centre around the tragedy of the Essex whaleship, the historical basis for Moby-Dick. Now, we bring you… Read more »

• SLIDESHOW: Self portraits by famous authors

  If you were Flannery O’Connor, wouldn’t you paint a friendly fowl under your arm? If you were Hunter S. Thompson, wouldn’t you take a couple of selfies in your favorite… Read more »

• The skeleton in the Papal closet

  On June 5, 2012, financial police in Piacenza, Italy searched the home of Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, who was the target of a money laundering investigation. Up until just a few… Read more »