I thought I had no family history, but I’ve found relatives dating back to the American Revolution.” He talks about his great-great-great grandfather being “…connected to one of most horrendous events in the war (Pyles Massacre, 1781) and his “…people involved in the Battle at Kings Mountain.” In 1780 the North Carolina battle was a decisive victory for the Patriots over the Loyalists. However, he now lights up telling stories about his current project, Ornery People: Who Were the Depression Okies? Parker said, “Mother was so poor. He also taught at Northwestern University and the University of Southern California. He co-edited the Norton Critical Edition of Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick,(19), was the general editor of the Northwestern-Newberry Edition of The Writings of Herman Melville, and his first two-volumes of Melville’s biography were published by Johns Hopkins University Press (1996, 2002). Fletcher Brown Professor Emeritus from the University of Delaware. In 2016 “Volume III” is scheduled for publication. In 1997 Parker was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for Herman Melville: A Biography Volume 1 1819-1851. I always knew when he was in the building and I appreciated his quiet friendliness and humor though I felt his intellect deserved a more extensive book collection than we offered.”īorn Novemin Comanche, OK, the literary giant chose to spend his retirement days in Morro Bay, but like many who are inspired by the quiet lifestyle of the Central Coast, Parker is transitioning to his next career as he finishes his final publication on Melville.

“Hershel (Parker) was a giant in our Morro Bay Library tall and looking scholarly in a comfortable way. Retired Morro Bay librarian Jude Sanner Long recalls numerous visits by the world’s authority on Herman Melville.

Hershel parker melville