The Mount’s summer lectures series feature Gen. David Petraeus, Jodi Kantor, Peter S. Canellos and Amanda Vaill | Books

LENOX — Retired U.S. Army Gen. and former CIA Director David H. Petraeus, co-author of the bestseller “Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Gaza,” with Andrew Roberts, is among a stalwart group of authors slated for The Mount’s two summer literary lecture series.

This year’s Summer Lecture Series, which began in 1993, celebrates voices that have reshaped the public imagination — from unsung heroes to innovators who dared to defy convention, these talks invite us to reflect on how acts of fearlessness — large and small — have reshaped culture, challenged assumptions and expanded our collective imagination. Authors include Julia Ioffe, Mark Braude, Martha Ackmann, Carla Kaplan, Jeff Chang, Amanda Vaill, Nicholas Boggs and Peter S. Canellos.

In Conversation, a series curated and hosted by Andre Bernard, former vice president of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, “explores fresh perspectives that spark curiosity and ignite new ways of thinking about the world and our most pressing challenges.” In Conversation authors include Patraeus, Jodi Kantor, Max Boot, Kiran Desai and Lawrence Wright.

Tickets for both series go on sale to the public May 5. Tickets for the Summer Author Series are $30, with the option of a $5 rain or shin upgrade that guarantees seating in the event of bad weather. Member tickets, $27, go on sale April 28. A $250 member rain or shine season pass guarantees seating to all author talks. Tickets for In Conversation talks are $40; $35 for members.  For tickets and more information, visit edithwharton.org.

2026 SUMMER LECTURE SERIES

Where: The Mount, 2 Plunkett St., Lenox

Information and tickets: 413-551-5111, edithwharton.org

JULIA IOFFE

When: 4 p.m. July 6 and 11 a.m. July 7

What: National Book Award Finalist Julia Ioffe discusses “Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy,” in which she traces Russia’s turbulent journey through the interwoven biographies of feminist revolutionaries, Soviet women soldiers, contemporary dissidents and political wives.

MARK BRAUDE

When: 4 p.m. July 13 and 11 a.m. July 14

What: Author and journalist Mark Braude discusses “The Typewriter and the Guillotine: An American Journalist, a German Serial Killer, and Paris on the Eve of WWII,” the untold story of Janet Flanner, a trailblazing American reporter in 1920s and ’30s Paris who transformed The New Yorker while witnessing the rise of fascism. 

MARTHA ACKMANN 

When: 4 p.m. July 20 and 11 a.m. July 21

What: Biographer and journalist Martha Ackmann discusses “Ain’t Nobody’s Fool: The Life and Times of Dolly Parton,” a portrait of a singular American icon. In conversation with Anastasia Stanmeyer, Ackmann explores Parton’s rise from a poor childhood in the Smoky Mountains to international stardom, examining her defiance of industry gatekeepers, resilience in the face of backlash and personal struggle, and lasting impact on music, culture and philanthropy. Sponsored by Linda Saul-Sena and Mark Sena.

CARLA KAPLAN

When: 4 p.m. July 27 and 11 a.m. July 28

What: Carla Kaplan discusses “Troublemaker: The Fierce, Unruly Life of Jessica Mitford,” a biography of the British aristocrat who reinvented herself as a radical activist, American Communist and legendary muckraking journalist. Through humor, passion and meticulous research, Kaplan traces Mitford’s transformation from privileged rebel to fearless antifascist whose groundbreaking journalism reshaped American culture.

JEFF CHANG

When: 4 p.m. Aug. 3 and 11 a.m. Aug. 4

What: Writer and cultural historian Jeff Chang discusses “Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America,” a deeply researched biography that moves beyond myth to reveal the complex man behind the global icon. Drawing on personal archives, interviews and photographs, Chang explores how Bruce Lee’s life and work challenged Hollywood, reshaped American culture and helped define Asian American identity.

AMANDA VAILL

When: 4 p.m. Aug. 10 and 11 a.m. Aug. 11

What: Amanda Vaill discusses “Pride & Pleasure: The Schuyler Sisters in an Age of Revolution,” a dual biography of Angelica and Elizabeth Schuyler that reexamines America’s founding era through the lives of two formidable women. Drawing on archival research and previously unpublished letters, Vaill traces ambition, influence, love and loss as the sisters navigated power in a world shaped by revolution.

NICHOLAS BOGGS

When: 4 p.m. Aug. 17 and 11 a.m. Aug. 18

What: Nicholas Boggs discusses “Baldwin: A Love Story,” the first major biography of James Baldwin in three decades. Using newly uncovered archival material and interviews, Boggs explores the intimate relationships — mentors, lovers, collaborators and muses — that sustained Baldwin’s life and shaped his writing, following him across continents as he transformed lived experience into enduring literary and political power.

PETER S. CANELLOS

When: 4 p.m. Aug. 24 and 11 a.m. Aug. 25

What: Journalist Peter S. Canellos discusses “Revenge for the Sixties: Sam Alito and the Triumph of the Conservative Legal Movement,” the first biography of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. The book traces Alito’s path from a working-class immigrant family to the center of a powerful conservative legal movement, examining the convictions and political forces behind landmark decisions, including the ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade.

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IN CONVERSATION WITH ANDRE BERNARD

JODI KANTOR

When: 5 p.m. July 16

What: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jodi Kantor, who, in 2017, with Megan Twohey, broke the story of allegations against Harvey Weinstein, will discuss her #Metoo and Supreme Court reporting, as well as her new book, “How to Start: Discovering Your Life’s Work.”

MAX BOOT

When: 5 p.m. July 30

What: Historian and foreign policy analyst Max Boot discusses his career writing about war, power and American foreign policy, as well as his most recent book, “Reagan: His Life and Legend.”

DAVID H. PETRAEUS

When: 5 p.m. Aug. 6

What: Retired U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus will discuss global security, modern warfare and leadership, drawing on a career that included commanding U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan and serving as director of the CIA. He also will talk about his book “Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Gaza,” co-authored with Andrew Roberts.

KIRAN DESAI

When: 5 p.m. Aug. 13

What: Booker Prize-winning novelist Kiran Desai will explore the creative process behind her novel “The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny,” a story that follows two young people navigating country, class, race and history. She is the bestselling author of “Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard” and “The Inheritance of Loss,” which won both the Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award.

LAWRENCE WRIGHT

When: 5 p.m. Aug. 20

What: Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist Lawrence Wright discusses his career and his body of work investigating extremism, religion and power. He reflects on books including “The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11,” as well as his work as a novelist, playwright and screenwriter.