Herman Melville

Born in New York City on August 1, 1819, Herman Melville became one of the major writers of the American Renaissance. As a young man he worked at sea, and those experiences shaped his early books, including Typee and Omoo, which first brought him wide attention.

In 1851 he published Moby-Dick—now widely seen as his masterpiece—followed by other important works such as Pierre and the short fiction that includes Bartleby, the Scrivener. During his lifetime, though, his reputation faded, and later in life he turned more toward poetry while working as a customs inspector in New York.

Melville died in New York City on September 28, 1891. Interest in his work grew strongly after his death, and today he is remembered not only as the author of a great sea novel, but as a writer who explored ambition, doubt, violence, and the mysteries people cannot fully master.