Literary Luminaries of the Berkshires:

This engaging literary geography explores how the Massachusetts Berkshires have served as a creative sanctuary and inspiration source for generations of American writers. From Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's era to contemporary authors like Joan Ackermann, the region's landscapes and communities directly shaped celebrated works, with William Cullen Bryant finding poetic muse in the Green River and Patricia Highsmith gathering authentic local details for The Talented Mr. Ripley from a Lenox undertaker.

Drew masterfully connects place to prose, revealing how specific Berkshire locales fueled literary imaginations, whether as direct settings like Adams in Charles Pierce Burton's juvenile novels or as a restorative haven for figures like Edith Wharton. This book is a compelling read for literature enthusiasts, history buffs, and travelers alike, offering a unique, place-based lens through which to understand the genesis of American classics and the enduring allure of this storied region for the creative mind.