Born in New York City in 1819, Herman Melville died in 1891, at which point his work had been largely forgotten. He has since been recognized as one of America’s greatest writers. His metaphysical whaling novel, Moby-Dick, is one of literature’s most enduring works of art. His shorter works, including Billy Budd, Bartleby the Scrivener, and Benito Cereno, are considered classics of the form.
