Berkshire County Historical Society Offers: Talks, Teas and Toddles

08:51AM / Saturday, November 01, 2025Print Story | Email Story

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.

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Neal's Office Among Those Targeted by Suspicious Mailings

Staff Reports12:28PM / Wednesday, October 21, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — U.S. Rep. Richard Neal was among congressmen apparently targeted by someone mailing suspicious envelopes.

According to a report in The Berkshire Eagle, an envelope containing a powdery substance was discovered by postal inspectors before reaching Neal's Pittsfield office in the Silvio O. Conte Federal Building.

Nearly 40 members of Congress have received envelopes containing white powder, according to The Guardian. More than 100 letters are thought to be in the U.S. mail system and the FBI, Capitol Police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service were investigating the mailings that have also been sent to elections officials in various states.

The mailings have been sent to both Republican and Democrat officeholders and several congressional district offices had to be evacuated in the last week or so after envelopes were opened in them.

Earlier today, my Bronx district office received an envelope delivered by mail that contained a suspicious substance. Local law enforcement responded swiftly and, after investigating, determined the substance to be non-hazardous.
— Rep. Ritchie Torres (@repritchie.bsky.social) October 16, 2026 at 3:10 PM

The Guardian reported that the FBI is warning officials to look for envelopes processed through a north Texas center and that carry a postmark or stamp stating "Thinking of You."

The Eagle states that Neal's office was alerted on Saturday that it might be getting a suspicious package; inspectors seized the envelope at the Fenn Street post office on Monday.

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