Berkshire County Historical Society Taps Two New Writers in Residence
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire County Historical Society at Herman Melville’s Arrowhead has appointed two new writers-in-residence for the remainder of this year.
Robin Catalano will be the summer writer, and Kevin O'Hara will take over in the fall.
Catalano has an extensive background in writing, having written for magazines, books, blogs, websites and having published more than 75 articles and 1,000 blog posts. Her work has appeared in publications such as Travel +Leisure, the Boston Globe, Gourmet, Travel Awaits, Berkshire Living, and Berkshire HomeStyle. She is also a three-time speaker at the Women in Travel Summit.
A resident of nearby Stephentown, N.Y., Catalano said she hopes to gain much from her experience as a writer-in-residence with Arrowhead.
"Being part of the rich literary legacy of Arrowhead, including the writers-in-residence who have come before me, is an honor," she said. "As a travel writer, I'll be drawing from Melville's tradition of adventure to continue my work on a series of exploratory travel narratives. Whether I choose to publish them in book form, in literary magazines, or on my new narrative travel blog, Once More to the Shore, I look forward to the uninterrupted time and creative space the residency affords for advancing the craft of travel writing."
The fall writer-In-residence, O'Hara, is the author of two critically acclaimed books: "Last of the Donkey Pilgrims: A Man's Journey Through Ireland" and "A Lucky Irish Lad," a story of growing up in Pittsfield during the 1950s and 60s. O'Hara is also a featured columnist for The Berkshire Eagle, and was awarded the Key to the city of Pittsfield in 2010.
Born in England, O'Hara is a long time Pittsfield resident. He said is looking forward to writing in the same space Herman Melville did this coming autumn.
"During my eight-week tenure at Arrowhead, I plan to put together a collection of my favorite Christmas stories that have been published in The Berkshire Eagle over the past 30 years. Once complete, I hope to self-publish this collection, and make it available for the holidays," he said.
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