Peter S. Canellos to discuss new Alito book at Lenox author talk | Books
Peter S. Canellos will appear in Lenox on May 2 for a public discussion of his new book on Justice Samuel Alito and the conservative legal movement. The event, hosted by the Lenox Library and The Berkshire Eagle, also brings home Priscilla Painton, a former Eagle reporter now leading Simon & Schuster.
LENOX — The Lenox Library, in partnership with The Berkshire Eagle, will host an author talk featuring Peter S. Canellos on Saturday, May 2, at 2 p.m. The event will take place in the Lenox Town Hall Auditorium, 6 Walker St., and is free and open to the public.
Canellos will discuss his new book, “Revenge for the Sixties: Sam Alito and the Triumph of the Conservative Legal Movement,” in conversation with Priscilla Painton of Simon & Schuster. Books will be available for purchase and signing at the event through The Bookstore.
The book offers a detailed portrait of Samuel Anthony Alito Jr., examining his rise within the conservative legal movement and his influence on the modern Supreme Court. Central to the discussion is the court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and marked a major shift in U.S. constitutional law.
According to the publisher, “Revenge for the Sixties” traces the social and political forces that shaped Alito’s worldview, from his upbringing in a family of Italian immigrants to his education during the social upheaval of the 1960s. The book also explores the role of conservative legal networks, including the Federalist Society, in advancing jurists like Alito to positions of influence.
Canellos, managing editor for enterprise at Politico, has held several senior newsroom roles, including executive editor during the 2016 presidential election and editorial page editor at The Boston Globe. He is also the author of “The Great Dissenter: The Story of John Marshall Harlan, America’s Judicial Hero” and editor of the bestselling “Last Lion: The Fall and Rise of Ted Kennedy.” His honors include a Pulitzer Prize finalist citation, the American Society of News Editors award for editorial writing and the George Polk Award, among others.
Painton, now editor in chief at Simon & Schuster, began her journalism career as a reporter in Lenox for The Eagle. She later worked for The Washington Post in Brussels and Washington, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Time, where she spent 18 years and rose to deputy managing editor. She has been with Simon & Schuster for the past 18 years.
For more information, visit lenoxlib.org.
