Who exactly is this Ishmael guy?

This week we realize that running off to sea and adopting a nome-de-mer is usually a sign that you're trying to escape from something...

PSA: You can learn pirate in the Mango Languages app, free with your library card.

Palate cleansers:

• Megan - Lore Olympus web comic
• Pete - "Good Omens" by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
• Jennie - "Comrade Detective" comedy TV show on Amazon Prime and "Chuck Norris vs. Communism" documentary
• Alex - "Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster" by Svetlana Aleksievich