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| A Whale for the Killing | |
|---|---|
| Name | A Whale for the Killing |
| Author | William Hawkins |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English language |
| Subject | Marine biology |
A Whale for the Killing A Whale for the Killing is a nonfiction work by William Hawkins recounting the 1970 killing of a whale near Provincetown, Massachusetts and the social, legal, and environmental aftermath. The book chronicles interactions among local residents, federal agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the United States Coast Guard, and figures from the media including The New York Times and Time (magazine). Hawkins situates the event amid wider debates involving conservation organizations like Sierra Club and institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution.
Hawkins, a resident of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, wrote the book during a period when authors such as Rachel Carson, John Steinbeck, and Edward Hoagland were prominent in public discussions of nature, wildlife, and human impact. The book was published amid increased attention to environmental legislation including the Endangered Species Act era and actions by the Environmental Protection Agency. Publishers and editors connected to houses like Harper & Row and reviewers from outlets such as The New York Times Book Review and The Atlantic placed the book within a lineage that included works by Aldo Leopold and Peter Matthiessen.
Hawkins narrates the arrival of a stranded or entangled whale off Cape Cod waters and documents the decisions made by local officials, volunteers, and federal representatives from entities including the National Marine Fisheries Service and the United States Department of Commerce. The account describes interactions with local institutions such as the Provincetown Municipal Government and nearby academic centers like M.I.T. and Harvard University where marine scientists affiliated with labs such as Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution sometimes contributed expertise. Hawkins weaves in references to journalists from Boston Globe and commentators from CBS and NBC who covered the unfolding events.
Critics compared Hawkins's narrative voice to that of nonfiction writers including Truman Capote and essayists such as Joan Didion. Reviews in periodicals like The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, and Time (magazine) debated the ethical portrayal of wildlife and human culpability, invoking precedents set by authors such as Henry David Thoreau and journalists like Hunter S. Thompson. Conservationists associated with Greenpeace and policy advocates linked to Natural Resources Defense Council cited the book in campaigns, while legal scholars at institutions like Harvard Law School and Yale Law School discussed implications for marine policy and liability.
The book inspired adaptations involving producers and directors from the American film industry, with contributors from studios and networks such as CBS Television Network and production companies connected to figures like Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand who were active in environmental storytelling. Screenwriters and television producers working with unions represented by Screen Actors Guild and organizations like Producers Guild of America negotiated rights, and the adaptations featured actors known from projects associated with Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures. Critics at festivals including Sundance Film Festival and awards bodies such as the Primetime Emmy Awards assessed televised versions.
The events depicted led to public disputes involving local authorities in Barnstable County, Massachusetts and federal actors from agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Department of Justice when questions about jurisdiction and maritime law arose. Legal commentators from Columbia Law School and litigators who had appeared before the United States Supreme Court analyzed precedents in admiralty law and statutes like the Marine Mammal Protection Act as applied to strandings and humane dispatch. Media outlets including The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times covered ensuing hearings and inquiries, and advocacy groups such as Animal Legal Defense Fund weighed in on legal strategy.
Hawkins's work influenced later writers and documentarians, echoing through projects by journalists and authors associated with National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and broadcast documentarians at PBS and BBC. The book is frequently cited in discussions at marine research centers including Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and educational programs at universities like Boston University and University of Massachusetts Amherst. It contributed to cultural conversations that involved public figures such as Jacques Cousteau and policy shifts promoted by legislators in Massachusetts and at the federal level in Washington, D.C..
Category:Nonfiction books