What’s New?
- Biographies: Jamaica Kincaid, Marilyn Nelson, Clifford Ashley, Sylvia Earle, and Phillis Wheatley
- Audio: Harriet Beecher Stowe's The Pearl of Orr’s Island
- Video: Derek Walcott reads "Sea Grapes"
- Featured Author: Ursula K. Le Guin
Tag Archives: Pacific Ocean
Murphy, Robert Cushman
by R. D. Madison (2000) MURPHY, ROBERT CUSHMAN (1887-1973). Born in Brooklyn, Robert Cushman Murphy graduated from Brown University in 1911. The following year he married Grace E. Barstow and embarked on the whaler Daisy for the South Atlantic. A naturalist Continue reading text links
Posted in M
Tagged 20th Century, Atlantic Ocean, Maritime History, Nonfiction, Pacific Ocean, Science/Nature, Whaling/Sealing
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Porter, David
by Udo Nattermann (2000) PORTER, DAVID (1780-1843). The son of a veteran of the American Revolution, David Porter was born in Boston and grew up in Baltimore. He began his naval career as a midshipman in 1798 and became master commandant Continue reading text links
Posted in P
Tagged 19th Century, Atlantic Ocean, Exploration, First-person narrative, Navy/Coast Guard, Pacific Islands, Pacific Ocean, War
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Safina, Carl
by Rachel Earnhardt (2017) SAFINA, CARL (1955-). Carl Safina is a biologist, author, activist, and educator. Born on May 23, 1955, in Brooklyn, NY, Safina spent his childhood fishing, breeding pigeons, and playing music. In high school, he participated in Continue reading text links
Yang, Jeffrey
by Jaehyun Jeong (2015) YANG, JEFFREY (1974-) Jeffrey Yang is an American poet, translator, and editor best known for his books of poetry An Aquarium (2008) and Vanishing-Line (2011). Born in Escondido, California, Yang attended the University of California San Diego. With an initial interest Continue reading text links
Posted in Y
Tagged 21st Century, Atlantic Ocean, audio, Exploration, Middle Passage and Enslavement, Pacific Ocean, Poetry, Race/Ethnicity and the Sea, Science/Nature, video
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Wouk, Herman
by Laurence W. Mazzeno (2000) WOUK, HERMAN (1915-2019). Herman Wouk, author of the best-selling sea novel The Caine Mutiny (1951) and other works about the navy in World War II, was born in New York City, eldest son of Russian Jewish Continue reading text links
Posted in W
Tagged 20th Century, Fiction, Multimedia/Multimodal, Navy/Coast Guard, Pacific Ocean, Plays, War
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Wilson, Sloan
by Robert Shenk (2000) WILSON, SLOAN (1920-2003). Sloan Wilson was a Coast Guard officer before he became a novelist and a yachtsman before he gained a commission in the Coast Guard. He came to regard his Coast Guard experience as Continue reading text links
Posted in W
Tagged 20th Century, Atlantic Ocean, Fiction, First-person narrative, Navy/Coast Guard, Pacific Ocean, Race/Ethnicity and the Sea
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Wilkes, Charles
by Jason Smith (2013) WILKES, CHARLES (1798-1877). Charles Wilkes was an American naval officer, hydrographer, and writer. He commanded the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838 to 1842, wrote its five-volume Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition (1844), edited the expedition’s Continue reading text links
Posted in W
Tagged 19th Century, Antarctic, Atlantic Ocean, Exploration, First-person narrative, Navy/Coast Guard, Pacific Ocean, Science/Nature, Whaling/Sealing
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Whitman, Walt
by Philip A. Greasley (2000) WHITMAN, WALT[ER] (1819-1892). Walt Whitman was born in West Hills, near Huntington on northwestern Long Island. With almost two centuries of ancestral residence on the island and some seafaring tradition in his family, Whitman was naturally Continue reading text links
Posted in W
Tagged 19th Century, Atlantic Ocean, Class/Labor and the Sea, Fishing, Gender/Sexuality and the Sea, Maritime History, Navy/Coast Guard, Pacific Ocean, Passenger Travel, Poetry, Recreation, Whaling/Sealing
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White, E. B.
by Hillary Frey and Mira Dock (2000) WHITE, E[LWYN]. B[ROOKS]. (1899-1983). Best known for his articles in The New Yorker and his children’s books, E. B. White reflected significantly upon his relationship with the sea in two important essays, “The Continue reading text links
Posted in W
Tagged 20th Century, Atlantic Ocean, Children's Writing, First-person narrative, Fishing, Pacific Ocean, Passenger Travel, Recreation
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Vidal, Gore
by Donald Yannella (2000) VIDAL, GORE [EUGENE LUTHER] (1925-2012). Gore Vidal was born in West Point, New York, attended Philips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, and served in the army during World War II. A novelist, playwright, and essayist, he Continue reading text links
Posted in V
Tagged 20th Century, Fiction, Nonfiction, Pacific Ocean, Plays
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Steinbeck, John
by Susan F. Beegel (2000) STEINBECK, JOHN [ERNST] (1902-1968). John Steinbeck, winner of the 1962 Nobel Prize in literature, was born in Salinas, California. As a child, he divided his time between his family’s home in the rich agricultural land of Continue reading text links
Posted in S
Tagged 20th Century, Class/Labor and the Sea, Fiction, Nonfiction, Pacific Ocean, Science/Nature, Short Story, Whaling/Sealing
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Slocum, Joshua
by Haskell Springer (2000; rev. 2021) SLOCUM, JOSHUA (1844-1909). Joshua Slocum, the first singlehanded circumnavigator and author of the classic Sailing Alone Around the World (1900), was born in Nova Scotia. At about sixteen he left home to work as a Continue reading text links
Posted in S
Tagged 19th Century, 20th Century, Atlantic Ocean, audio, First-person narrative, Fishing, Merchant Marine, Navy/Coast Guard, Pacific Ocean, Recreation, video
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Rich, Adrienne
by Claire J. Keyes (2000) RICH, ADRIENNE [CECILE] (1929-2012). The author of twenty books of poems and four prose works, Adrienne Rich was born in Baltimore. “Diving into the Wreck” (1972), a poem frequently anthologized, contains her fullest, most dramatic reference Continue reading text links
Olson, Toby
by Peter H. McCracken (2000) OLSON, [MERLE THEODORE] TOBY (1937- ). Poet and novelist Toby Olson was born in Berwyn, Illinois, but spent much of his childhood moving around the United States. This constant movement instilled a theme of travel into Continue reading text links
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Tagged 20th Century, 21st Century, Coastal Life, Fiction, Navy/Coast Guard, Pacific Ocean
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Olson, Charles
by Ralph Maud (2000) OLSON, CHARLES [JOHN] (1910-1970). The poet Charles Olson was born and raised in the inland city of Worcester, Massachusetts, but the family always spent summers in the fishing port of Gloucester; widowed in 1935, his mother provided Continue reading text links
Norris, Frank
by Donald Yannella (2000) NORRIS, [BENJAMIN] FRANKLIN] (1870-1902). Although his short life was adventurous enough, including trips to Africa’s Transvaal and Cuba during the Spanish-American War, Frank Norris’ disposition to set two of his less successful novels partly at sea probably Continue reading text links
Posted in N
Tagged 20th Century, Arctic, Exploration, Fiction, Fishing, Pacific Ocean, Passenger Travel, Whaling/Sealing
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Nordhoff, Charles, the younger AND James Norman Hall
by Grove Koger (2000) NORDHOFF, CHARLES [BERNARD] the younger (1887-1947) AND JAMES NORMAN HALL (1887-1951). Writers Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall were born the same year but worlds apart, Nordhoff in London of American parents and Hall in Colfax, Continue reading text links
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Tagged 20th Century, Fiction, Maritime History, Multimedia/Multimodal, Navy/Coast Guard, Pacific Islands, Pacific Ocean, War
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Nordhoff, Charles, the elder
by John B. Hattendorf (2000) NORDHOFF, CHARLES, the elder (1830-1901). A journalist, Charles Nordhoff was born in Erwitte, a village in Westphalia, Prussia. At five, he emigrated with his parents to Ohio, where they died. Left an orphan in the care Continue reading text links
Posted in N
Tagged 19th Century, Atlantic Ocean, Fiction, Fishing, Indian Ocean, Island Life, Journalism, Merchant Marine, Navy/Coast Guard, Pacific Ocean, Whaling/Sealing
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Nickerson, Thomas
by Nathaniel Philbrick (2000) NICKERSON, THOMAS (1805-1883). At fifteen years old, Thomas Nickerson was the youngest member of the crew of the Nantucket whale-ship Essex when she was rammed and sunk by a whale in the Pacific Ocean, 20 November Continue reading text links
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Tagged 19th Century, First-person narrative, Maritime History, Pacific Ocean, Whaling/Sealing
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Nelson, James L.
by John F. Hussey (2000, revised 2014, by Eleanore MacLean) NELSON, JAMES L. (1962- ). Born in Lewiston, Maine, James L. Nelson, a former professional square-rig sailor, traces his love of the sea to his earliest memories when he chose Continue reading text links
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Tagged 20th Century, Atlantic Ocean, Fiction, Maritime History, Merchant Marine, Navy/Coast Guard, Nonfiction, Pacific Ocean, Piracy, War
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Morrell, Benjamin
by Haskell Springer (2000) MORRELL, BENJAMIN (1795-1839). Benjamin Morrell, sealing captain and explorer, was born in Rye, New York, the son of a shipbuilder. His early experiences included being twice captured by the British during the War of 1812 and spending Continue reading text links
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Tagged 19th Century, Antarctic, Atlantic Ocean, Exploration, Nonfiction, Pacific Islands, Pacific Ocean, Whaling/Sealing
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Moore, Christopher
by Mira Dock (2000) MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K. (1957- ). Christopher Moore has lived on the California coast for over twenty years, using his experiences on diving and fishing boats around the world in two offbeat novels. Island of the Sequined Love Continue reading text links
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Tagged 20th Century, Fiction, Fishing, Pacific Islands, Pacific Ocean
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Michener, James A.
by Grove Koger (2000) MICHENER, JAMES A[LBERT]. (1907-1997). Prolific novelist James A. Michener was rescued as a foundling by a widow living in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Years later, having taught high school and college, Michener found his nascent career as a textbook Continue reading text links
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Tagged 20th Century, Caribbean, Fiction, Navy/Coast Guard, Pacific Islands, Pacific Ocean, War
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Melville, Herman
by Mary K. Bercaw Edwards (2000) MELVILLE, HERMAN (1819-1891). More than any other American author, Herman Melville used the sea as setting and concept to create great literature. With broad-ranging and deep philosophical interests, his books are far more than adventure Continue reading text links
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Tagged 19th Century, Antarctic, audio, Class/Labor and the Sea, Fiction, Merchant Marine, Navy/Coast Guard, Pacific Islands, Pacific Ocean, Race/Ethnicity and the Sea, video, Whaling/Sealing
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Mason, Arthur
by Bert Bender (2000) MASON, ARTHUR (1876-1955). Born in Ireland, Mason went to sea at age seventeen to embark on a career that would last twenty-four years. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1899. For much of Continue reading text links
Le Guin, Ursula K.
by Dennis Berthold (2000) LE GUIN, URSULA K[ROEBER]. (1929-2018). Born in Berkeley, California, Ursula K. Le Guin earned her B.A. at Radcliffe College in 1951 and her M.A. in French and Renaissance literature at Columbia University in 1952. Author of over Continue reading text links
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Tagged 20th Century, 21st Century, Atlantic Ocean, Children's Writing, Coastal Life, Fiction, Gender/Sexuality and the Sea, Pacific Ocean, Science Fiction, Short Story, video, Women Protagonists
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Kesey, Ken
by Christopher Lee (2000) KESEY, KEN [ELTON] (1935-2001). Ken Kesey was born in La Junta, Colorado, and soon moved to Oregon, where he now lives. He developed a love of hunting and fishing as a child, and much of his writing Continue reading text links
Kent, Rockwell
by Doug Capra (2000) KENT, ROCKWELL (1882-1971). Rockwell Kent, painter, writer, adventurer, graphic artist, and political activist, was born in Tarrytown Heights, New Jersey. He trained as an architect at Columbia University and studied painting under William Merritt Chase, Robert Henri, Continue reading text links
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Tagged 20th Century, Atlantic Ocean, Multimedia/Multimodal, Nonfiction, Pacific Ocean
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Jeffers, Robinson
by Gregg Allen Walker (2000) JEFFERS, [JOHN] ROBINSON (1887-1962). Robinson Jeffers, best known for his verse narratives set on California’s rugged northern coast, was born in Pennsylvania. In 1903 he moved with his family to Los Angeles and entered Occidental College, Continue reading text links
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Tagged 20th Century, Fishing, Pacific Ocean, Poetry, Science/Nature, War
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Harte, Bret
by Nathaniel T. Mott HARTE, [FRANCIS] BRET[T] (1836-1902). Born in Albany, New York, Bret Harte rose to literary prominence as editor of the Overland Monthly (first pub. 1868), a San Francisco-based magazine of western lore. In this forum Harte produced Continue reading text links
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Tagged 19th Century, Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, Fiction, Pacific Ocean, Poetry
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Gann, Ernest K.
by James F. Millinger (2000) GANN, ERNEST K[ELLOGG]. (1910-1991). Known primarily for his books in the field of aviation literature, Ernest K. Gann wrote about seafaring in Twilight for the Gods (1956) and Song of the Sirens (1968). Twilight for Continue reading text links
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Tagged 20th Century, Fiction, Pacific Islands, Pacific Ocean
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Eberhart, Richard
by Thomas R. Brooks (2000) EBERHART, RICHARD [GHORMLEY] (1904-2005). Richard Eberhart is the author of some twenty-six volumes of poetry, from A Bravery of Earth (1930), to Maine Poems (1989). Throughout his career he has utilized nautical images and themes, Continue reading text links
Posted in E
Tagged 20th Century, cruise ships, First-person narrative, Pacific Ocean, Poetry, Recreation (beaches, small boat sailing
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Delano, Amasa
by James L. Gray (2000) DELANO, AMASA (1763-1823). Amasa Delano, whose Voyages and Travels (1817) was the source for Herman Melville’s “Benito Cereno” (1855), was born in Duxbury, Massachusetts. After serving briefly in the Continental army during the American Revolution, Continue reading text links
Posted in D
Tagged 18th Century, 19th Century, Exploration, First-person narrative, Indian Ocean, Pacific Islands, Pacific Ocean, War
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Chase, Owen
by Thomas Farel Heffernan (2000) CHASE, OWEN (1796-1869). Author of Narrative of the Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex, of Nantucket (1821), Owen Chase was first mate of the Essex when it was stove and sunk by a whale in the Pacific Ocean, 20 November 1820. The Continue reading text links
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Tagged 19th Century, First-person narrative, Pacific Ocean, Whaling/Sealing
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Calvin, Jack
by Kenneth A. Robb (2000) CALVIN, JACK (1901-1985). Jack Calvin was well acquainted with the Pacific coast from Monterey north. His first two novels, Square-Rigged (1929) and Fisherman 28 (1930), are based on his experience sailing from San Francisco to the Bering Sea. After Continue reading text links
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Tagged 20th Century, Pacific Ocean, Recreation, Science/Nature
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Binns, Archie
by Matthew Evertson (2000) BINNS, ARCHIE [FRED] (1899-1971). Archie Binns, novelist and historian of the northwestern United States, is best known for his critically acclaimed novel Lightship (1934). Based partly on Binns’ own experiences at age eighteen aboard the Umatilla Reef Lightship off Cape Continue reading text links
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Tagged 20th Century, Atlantic Ocean, Children's Writing, Fiction, Indian Ocean, Journalism, Maritime History, Pacific Ocean
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Adams, Bertram Martin
by Bert Bender (2000) ADAMS, BERTRAM MARTIN [BILL ADAMS] ( 1879-1953 ). Bill Adams was born in England to American parents. He left college to go to sea at age seventeen in a career that lasted four or five years Continue reading text links
Posted in A
Tagged 20th Century, Fiction, First-person narrative, Merchant Marine, Pacific Ocean, Poetry, Short Story
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