“Pride goeth before the fall.”

“Excellent,” the professor said. “Ms. West is correct. That is—in essence—the theme of Melville’s novel.”

Another student snorted.

“Mr. Jones?”

“Sorry, sir. It’s just…that’s too artsy-fartsy.”

“Really. Then what do you say the theme is in Moby Dick?”

“Never lean on the railing.”

Johnny Lowe has copyedited books for a university press. He recently edited an anthology of short stories titled What Would Elvis Think? Mississippi Stories. Lowe has also lettered comic books and dabbled in ventriloquism.