Ahab’s Wife with Dr. Nan Carmack
Ahab’s Wife with Dr. Nan Carmack  
Podcast: Drinks in the Library
Published On: Tue May 28 2024
Description: I’m so thrilled this week to be talking with Dr. Nan Carmack about a book that profoundly impacted her, Ahab’s Wife, or the Star-gazer by Sena Jeter Naslund. This book is a brilliant recapturing of the life of Ahab’s wife from Moby Dick and is the author, Nasland’s demonstration of a beautiful female journey in juxtaposition of Melville’s inherently male story. The life of our protagonist, Una, is largely set in Nantucket, so we enjoyed Nantucket cocktails while discussing all the interesting aspects of this adventure novel.Nan Carmack is the Director of Library Development and Networking at the Library of Virginia. She works with all of the public libraries in the commonwealth. She is also an adjunct professor at Old Dominion University's Masters in Library and Information Science. After a first career as a mental health therapist and then a short stint as an independent bookstore owner, Nan finds that public libraries are the perfect intersection of social justice and intellectual curiosity. She is an amateur artist and enjoys getting her hands dirty in the garden. She has become one of those embarrassing people whose dogs are her children, now that her family has flown the coop. She and her husband live in Richmond, VA. Naps are a priority in her life.Nantucket Cocktail1.5 oz. White Rum2.5 oz. Cranberry JuiceSplash Grapefruit JuiceLime for garnish (optional)In this episode:The Red Tent by Anita DiamantPort William Series (Jayber Crow) by Wendell BerryRon Rash BooksSilas House BooksGangsters of Capitalism by Jonathan M. KatzAbundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette by Sena Jeter NaslundVirginia Literary AwardsSherlock in Love by Sena Jeter NaslundThis Tender Land by William Kent KrugerIn Distrust of Movements by Wendell Berry