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Inside the Whale (Joseph G. Peterson, 2011) is a modern narrative poem that tells the tragic, mythic story of an artist struggling with alcoholism, guilt, and self-destructive behavior.

It follows the life of Jim O'Connor, an Irishman and aspiring poet in Chicago. He is haunted by the memory his ex-girlfriend, Anne, who was killed in a car crash while Jim was driving while intoxicated.

The story is presented in stanzas that shift between third and first-person accounts, incorporating many of Jim's own poems. It is framed in the spirit of Beowulf, imagining a bardic drone recounting the story to a group of ruffians.

It has been described as a "beautifully haunting, fascinating, and unique novel"; "infused with spirit, heart and awe"; and features nods to Moby-Dick.

For this meetup, we will be joined by the author for a discussion about his book.

Note: This meetup will be recorded.

Inside the Whale:

Supplemental:

Extracts:

  • "But, alas for the man-of-war's-man, who, though he may take a Hannibal oath against the service; yet, cruise after cruise, and after forswearing it again and again, he is driven back to the spirit-tub and the gun-deck by his old hereditary foe, the ever-devilish god of grog." (White-Jacket, 91)

This meetup is part of the series In the Belly of the Whale.

Related topics

Fiction
Healing Depression and Anxiety
Intellectual Discussions
Poetry
Alcohol Recovery

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