American Icons: Moby-Dick

In this Peabody Award-winning show, Kurt Andersen sets sail in search of the great white whale.

Herman Melville’s white whale survived his battle with Captain Ahab only to surface in the works of contemporary filmmakers, painters, playwrights and musicians. Kurt Andersen explores the influence of this American Icon with the help of Ray Bradbury, Tony Kushner, Laurie Anderson and Frank Stella. Actor Edward Herrmann is our voice of Ishmael and Mark Price narrates David Ives’s short play Moby-Dude.

This episode is included in the Studio 360 American Icons #smartbinge podcast playlist at wnyc.org/smartbinge