Today in Writing History August 1, 1819: Herman Melville was born. He was one of the greatest American writers of all time. The death of his merchant father in 1832 left his family destitute. So, he became a merchant seaman, having many of the same brutal and exploitative experiences other seamen had in those days. Rum, sodomy and the lash! Consequently, he jumped ship in the Marquesas and lived with the local indigenous people. His first two books, “Typee” and “Omoo,” were about these experiences. His two greatest stories of all time, “Billy Budd,” and “Moby Dick,” were also influenced by his experiences as a seaman.
Melville also explored a variety of sexual themes in his writing, including homosexuality, celibacy, incest and impotence. Though his most famous works involve nearly all-male casts, he does explore the exploitation of women in “The Tartarus of Maids.” Homosexuality, in particular, was a common theme in many of his stories (e.g., Typee, Omoo, Redburn, Moby Dick, Billy Budd). Indeed, it is commonly believed that he was either gay or bisexual. He had a wife and kids, as well as long, romantic relationship with Nathaniel Hawthorne.
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