Lectures at The Mount

Eight Weekly Events July 12 through August 30.

By: Ariel Petrova - Jun 11, 2010

From the “Grand Dame” of Champagne to the “Dark Lady” of American literature, eight intriguing and influential figures are the focus of this summer’s Lecture Series at The Mount. The series, now in its seventeenth season, brings acclaimed biographers and memoirists to Edith Wharton’s estate for fascinating talks exploring an array of cultural icons—and a few notable iconoclasts. The talks are held every Monday from July 12 through August 30 at 4 p.m. in The Mount’s Stable auditorium. Tea and a book signing follow each talk. Tickets go on sale today, June 11, and are $18 for members of The Mount, $20 non-members. They may be purchased by calling (413) 551-5113.

“Our annual Lecture Series has become one of The Mount’s signature summer offerings,” said Susan Wissler, Executive Director. “And with good reason: these popular talks are invitations into the lives and lore of some truly captivating figures. We are so pleased to welcome this year’s line-up of distinguished authors to The Mount, and excited to bring another season of talks to Berkshire audiences.”

2010 Lecture Series Line-Up

July 12
The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It
Tilar J. Mazzeo, author of The Widow Clicquot
Cultural historian and biographer Tilar J. Mazzeo tells the sparkling tale of Champagne’s “Grand Dame,” the visionary and legendary young widow who built a champagne empire among the chaos of the Napoleonic Wars, and showed the world how to live with glamour, style, and luxury.
    
July 19
The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt
T.J. Stiles, author of The First Tycoon
2010 Pulitzer Prize winner T.J. Stiles captures the extraordinary life of American icon Cornelius Vanderbilt: brutally competitive, founder of a dynasty, creator of an impossibly vast fortune.

July 26
How to Be a Movie Star: Hollywood’s Golden Age With Katherine Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor
William J. Mann, author of How to Be a Movie Star
The biographer of Katherine Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor talks about the business of star-making and the merchandizing of fame during Hollywood’s studio era. William J. Mann has “set new standards in movie biography,” according to historian and critic David Thomson.

August 2
Marco Polo: From Venice to Xanadu
Laurence Bergreen, author of Marco Polo
Biographer and historian Laurence Bergreen creates an enthralling portrait of how Marco Polo was able to get to thirteenth-century China—and what he saw, felt, and did when he arrived. The lecture will be accompanied by color reproductions of medieval miniatures as well as spectacular photographs of the Silk Road.

August 9
A Mountain of Crumbs: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain
Elena Gorokhova, author of A Mountain of Crumbs
In this intimate and deeply moving story, called the “the Russian equivalent of Angela’s Ashes,” Elena Gorokhova re-creates her youth in the Soviet Union of the 1960s—a world that both oppressed and inspired her. Through Gorokhova’s captivating voice, we learn the story of one rebellious citizen whose love of a foreign language finally transports her to a new world.

August 16
On Garden Design: Beatrix Farrand and Edith Wharton
Judith Tankard, author of Beatrix Farrand
Award-winning landscape historian and author Judith Tankard will explore the various roles Edith Wharton played in helping to shape the career of her famous niece, Beatrix Farrand. Although Wharton and Farrand’s lifestyles and personal gardens were quite different, they shared a mutual love of gardening.

August 23
Lecture to be announced

August 30
The Talented Miss Highsmith and Her Secret Life in Lenox
Joan Schenkar, author of The Talented Miss Highsmith, with dramatic readings by Kathleen Chalfant
Our final lecture is based on the long-awaited literary biography of the “Dark Lady” of American literature, Patricia Highsmith, whose own life was often as twisted as that of her antihero Tom Ripley. Joan Schenkar, award-winning playwright and biographer, will illuminate how Highsmith’s demons played out on the page and in real life. The Talented Miss Highsmith has received rave reviews across the United States.

For Tickets and More Information

All lectures begin at 4 p.m. and are followed by a tea and book signing. Tickets are $18 for Mount members, $20 for non-members. Students with valid identification receive a $5 discount. Discounts are also available when purchasing tickets to multiple lectures. Please call (413) 551-5113 to purchase tickets or visit EdithWharton.org for more information. Seating is limited; early ticket purchase is highly recommended!