PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Beginning Nov. 9, the Berkshire County Historical Society will host a special series of fund-raising readings featuring four authors with strong ties to the Berkshires. 

 

The readings begin at 2 pm on Nov. 9, Nov. 23, Dec. 7, and Dec. 14. They take place in Herman Melville’s historic study where he wrote Moby-Dick inspired by his view of Mount Greylock. Following the readings, guests can interact with the authors while enjoying tea, hot toddies and a selection of sweets. In-person seating for this cozy afternoon is limited; all proceeds benefit BCHS restoration, education, and preservation programs. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased by using the BOOK NOW button at berkshirehistory.org. Tickets for a virtual, on-line presentation of the readings are also available for $35.

 

Nov. 9 - Simon Winchester is the New York Times best-selling author of The Professor and the Madman. His recent titles include The Perfectionists and Land. Winchester was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to journalism and literature. He lives in Massachusetts and New York City.

 

Nov. 23 - Debby Applegate is an American historian and biographer. She is the author of Madam: The Biography of Polly Adler, Icon of the Jazz Age and The Most Famous Man in America: The Biography of Henry Ward Beecher, for which she won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography.

 

Dec. 7 - Michelle Young is an award-winning author, professor, and journalist. She is the author of the narrative non-fiction book The Art Spy: The Extraordinary Untold Tale of WWII Resistance Hero Rose Valland (HarperOne), which is longlisted for the 2025 American Library in Paris Book Award.

 

Dec. 14 - Kevin O'Hara, a retired R.N. following a 30-year career at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is also the proud recipient of the John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Award. In addition, Kevin is a longtime contributing columnist for The Berkshire Eagle, and was Writer-in-Residence at Herman Melville's farmhouse, Arrowhead, in 2020. His books include A Lucky Irish Lad, The Last of the Donkey Pilgrims, The Ins and Outs of a Locked Ward, and A Christmas Journey.