The ocean — vast, brutal, beautiful, and so very deep — is a thrilling setting for stories. Seafaring heroes and heroines are challenged by external forces like the wind and waves, as well as internal demons that become unwelcome companions in the close quarters of a ship.
The sea is a metaphor for everything that’s important to us: for adventure and creativity and love. It’s fascinated humans since the beginning of time, inspiring poets, historians, and novelists, as well as adventurers, conquerors, and pirates.
From luxury cruises to battered warships, open seas to exotic ports, the ocean is a compelling setting for stories of big adventure, quiet moments, human vs. nature, and the drama found above and below decks.
In this episode, we discuss essential words and phrases associated with the sea — including an introduction to the first poet — and recommend books that made us feel the ocean breeze and smell the salt in the air, including a harrowing memoir, a spy adventure set aboard-ship in WWII, a poignant tale of a seafaring circus, the adventures of a lady pirate, and a classic. And David chats with B.J. Porter, an American father and husband from Ohio, who sailed with his family halfway around the world in their boat the Evenstar. (show notes / transcript)
Top image courtesy of Michael Blum/Unsplash.
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