"From Herman Melville, to Richard III, to Ray Bradbury"

Yesterday afternoon I was listening to a lecture given by Ray
Bradbury at a writer's conference held at Santa Barbara, CA in 2002.
Ray Bradbury was talking about finding inspiration for writing from
all sorts of sources, movies, books, etc. and gave the example of
Herman Melville---Melville, who had very poor eyesight, was in his
30's when he finally read the works of Shakespeare after finding the
complete works in larger than normal type--thus the Bard was part of
the inspiration for "Moby Dick" as well as the wreck of the
whaleship "Essex" and in fact in Chapter LV of "Moby Dick"
entitled "Of Monsterous Pictures of Whales" there is the following
passage that I found years ago while reading the book:

"As for sign-painter's whales seen in the streets hanging over the
shops of oil-dealers, what shall be said of them? The are generally
Richard III whales, with dromedary haumps, and very savage;
breakfasting on three or four sailor tarts, that is whaleboats full
of mariners; their deformities floundering in seas of blood and blue
paint."

Bradbury went on to say that 'there's a lot of Richard III
in "Moby Dick"---but I think he was referring to the character of
Ahab who is compelled to do what he does by circumstance and reasons
known only to himself. The other irony is that Ray Bradbury's
birthday is August 22nd and he has written a small book
entitled "That Son of Richard III". Ray Bradbury wrote the screenplay
for the 1956 film version of "Moby Dick" directed by John Huston.

All things truly are connected.

"Meek"