Two weeks ago, I traveled to Mystic, CT to visit the Mystic Seaport Museum. This was my second visit to the largest maritime museum in the United States which is also home to the last wooden whaleship—the Charles W. Morgan.  As Old Sturbridge Village accomplishes so well with its recreation of life in New England in the early 1800s, the Mystic Seaport Museum recreates a 19th-century seaport village replete with historic vessels, exhibitions, and a working shipyard. For those who even have a passing interest in the sea, this museum is a must-visit.

The recreated village really gives visitors a sense of what life was like back then. With my publishing background, one of my favorite exhibits is the printing office. As I type this blog effortlessly on a computer, I wonder what it was like to have to select each letter individually, and then typeset it in reverse so that when it’s “manually” printed it reads left to right.

Of course, the highlight of the museum is the Charles W. Morgan. The last of the wooden whaleships, this floating exhibition dates from 1841 and invites visitors to explore her decks from bow to stern. Learning about Morgan’s storied history from docents and seeing her sails unfurled by her crew, the museum brings this ship to life for all who board her.  Honestly, when one thinks about the complicated rigging system and sails, the spartan accommodations, and the trials and tribulations that the ship must have encountered at sea, the fact that the Morgan is still here and seaworthy is a testament to the past and present generations that believed in its preservation.

The museum is much more than its permanent collection of 19th-century buildings. The revolving exhibits give the museum a continued sense of freshness. One is Spinless: A Glass Menagerie of Blaschka Marine Invertebrates. Yes, the title of the exhibit may be a mouthful, but seeing these sea creatures recreated in glass is a wonder. Created by the father and son team of Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka of Dresden, Germany, the level of detail and realism the artists bring to their creations is something to be seen in person.

As for doing something in person, I have recently been cast in an independent horror film as a priest (yes, a priest!). As an actor, I’m always looking for interesting roles—even better if they involve some sort of costuming. With a table read scheduled for next weekend and my scenes starting to shoot at the end of the month, it’s time to memorize dialogue and prepare a character.

For inspiration, I’ve turned to Montgomery Clift’s performance as Father Michael Logan in Alfred Hitchcock’s I, Confess. In addition to some similarities to Clift’s character in I, Confess and mine in Stonegate, I always liked the way he played this character. He didn’t try to create mysticism around his religious calling, rather he just played the character directly as he dealt with an impossible situation that seemingly had no resolution – until the end.  

As for the end, I’ve just about finished my last edit on SOS United States. The next step in the process is having a developmental editor start to go through the manuscript. Whether I aim for traditional publishing or go the self-publishing route, this will be an important next step in the process. I’m still trying to decide which is easier or more involved – publishing a book or making a movie!

Next scene.