The Lady of Shalott is a poem that describes the magical Lady of Shalott, who lives alone in a tower and suffers from a mysterious curse. She spends her days weaving upon a loom, but can never look out at the real world or the people in it. However, one day, she does look out as the knight Lancelot rides by. The poem draws heavily on Arthurian legend, and contains themes of isolation, fear of the unknown, myth, enchantment, and magic.
Black Hands White Sails: The Story of African-American Whalers is a 1999 work of non-fiction by Patricia C. McKissack. McKissack examines the lives, motives and culture of black sailors who worked dangerous jobs on whaling ships, as well as the lives of some abolitionists. Although the work was exceedingly dangerous, the conditions were preferable to slavery. McKissack also examines the role of whalers during the Revolutionary War and Civil War.