UA students, faculty read classic 'Moby Dick' in 24-hour marathon

Generally a marathon commences with the bang of a starter's pistol.

Yesterday's marathon began instead with "Call me Ishmael."

In a tent in front of the Arizona State Museum, a group of University of

Arizona students and faculty began reading aloud from Herman Melville's classic, "Moby Dick."

"The main reason we wanted to do this is that community is very important in the English Department," said Mandy Siegel, an English junior.

Including readers and spectators, an estimated several hundred people will join the reading, said Greg Jackson, assistant English professor and organizer of the event.