The complete online text of Mardi: and A Voyage Thither, Vol. II (of 2) by Herman Melville.

Herman Melville drew upon his adventurous travels on sea and land for the primary materials of his greatest fiction and poetry. Out of his experiences in the merchant service (1839), the whaling industry (1841- 1843), and the United States Navy (1843-184...

Herman Melville, who died almost forgotten although he had once been a popular author and had left behind ten notable books of prose fiction and four of verse, has gathered increasing fame, especially for his metaphysical whaling novel, Moby-Dick (1851)....

Herman Melville, who died almost forgotten although he had once been a popular author and had left behind ten notable books of prose fiction and four of verse, has gathered increasing fame, especially for his metaphysical whaling novel, Moby-Dick. Like m...

Amid myriad problems that have bogged down its recovery, New Orleans is hoping for a rebound for the annual Carnival spectacle that provides a big chunk of its tourist economy.After Hurricane Katrina, the 2006 parade schedule was cut back to eight days. Many restaurants were...

It's the third Mardi Gras since Hurricane Katrina slammed into Mississippi's Gulf Coast, but a rounder number will be on the minds of many as the parade rolls through town on Fat Tuesday.The local carnival association has been sponsoring parades in Biloxi since 1908, a...

The final weekend leading up to Mardi Gras has been a boon for hotels, restaurants and bars, with business generally brisker than last year, the first Carnival since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city."The weekend was surprisingly busy," said Earl Bernhardt, co-owner of two bars and...

First to go were the giant oak trees along North Claiborne Avenue, cut down in the 1960s to make way for an elevated interstate highway.Then, in 2005 the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina scattered the black community of downtown New Orleans across the country.But the celebration...