To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the publication of Herman Melville’s novel Moby-Dick, the conference keynote address was delivered by E.L. Doctorow, an English professor at New York University’s Graduate School of Arts and Science who is best known for his historical novels. He considered how Herman Melville came to write Moby-Dick. He also answered questions from the audience on his own works, including The Book of Daniel, The Waterworks, Billy Bathgate, Ragtime, and Loon Lake.