I’ve now created a new Moby Dick Blook. You can check out the link to see how it’s going, but right now there isn’t much there: just the standard WordPress entry-level blog. I’ll be customizing it in my spare time over the next couple of weeks. Feel free to take a peek whenever you want, and use the comments to let me know about features you’d like to see, complain about the design, or whatever.

Next, I’m going to create a text design using Melville’s “Bartleby the Scrivener.” I’m going to do this because I’d like to get feedback on the design of the blook before I actually create the real blook. I want to experience Moby Dick along with the other readers; I don’t want to conflate the reading experience with the design experience. Remember, the purpose of this project is to see if I can create an e-text that is as satisfying to read and “grapple with” as a standard text.

So, I’m hoping that by using “Bartleby” as my text-design template, I can create a design that is appropriate to Melville. It will probably be a bit weird, however, because I’m thinking about using a whale motif (very tastefully done, of course). Come to think of it, “Bartleby the Whaler” does have a bit of a ring to it…

Update: Bartleby is up now. Looks absolutely appalling, but we’ll get to improving it soon enough. Suggestions are welcome!