WordFest at The Mount
The Berkshire WordFest gets underway next weekend, July 23-25. This is the inaugural WordFest, what is hoped to be a celebration of words and ideas set in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. It will be held at The Mount, Edith Wharton's historic home and gardens (an absolutely lovely place), in Lenox, Mass. The festival opens Friday evening with a talk by Francine Prose, followed by two days of literary discussions, interviews, readings, signings, and more. Some of the authors in the weekend's schedule are Garrison Keillor, Kurt Andersen, Roy Blount, Jr., Simon Winchester, and Susan Orlean. (For a longer preview of WordFest, see the Albany
Times-Union.) Several exhibits will also be open for viewing, including Edith Wharton and the First World War and Dramatic License: Wharton on Stage and Screen (see image at left). Having fought its way back from foreclosure, The Mount seems to have a new lease on life and will make a perfect home for WordFest.
