Since 1993, the Summer Author Series has brought award-winning biographers to The Mount. This year’s Series explores lives and ideas that have challenged convention. From unsung heroes to innovators, these talks invite us to reflect on how acts of courage—large and small—have challenged assumptions and expanded our collective imagination.
2026 PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • NEW YORK TIMES EDITOR’S CHOICE • FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD IN BIOGRAPHY • LONGLISTED FOR THE PLUTARCH AWARD FOR BEST BIOGRAPHY
In Pride and Pleasure, Amanda Vaill reconsiders America’s Founding Era through the intertwined lives of Angelica and Elizabeth Schuyler, two women as formidable as—and in some respects stronger than—the men they loved, married, and mothered. Drawing on rich archival research and never-before-published letters, Vaill evokes a world of revolution and refinement, ambition and sacrifice, tracing Angelica’s glittering pursuit of influence across Europe and Eliza’s creative partnership with her husband, Alexander Hamilton, which endured scandal and tragedy and extended beyond his untimely death. And she explores the triangular relationship between the sisters and Hamilton — of whom Angelica wrote to Eliza: “I love your husband very much, and if you were as generous as the old Romans you would lend him to me for a little while.” With the sweep of a nineteenth-century novel and the insight of modern history, this dual biography reveals how these extraordinary sisters navigated power, love, and loss, quietly giving shape to the nation taking form around them.
IMPORTANT EVENT INFORMATION:
- This one-hour talk takes place in The Mount’s Event Tent, an open-air, 400-seat tent adjacent to the parking lot. Please be mindful of the weather and plan accordingly.
- In the event of extreme weather, such as excessive heat or severe thunderstorms, this program may be moved indoors to The Mount’s Stable Auditorium, which has a limited capacity. All ticket holders will be notified by email at least two hours before the scheduled start time if a venue change is necessary. General admission tickets are valid for outdoor events only. If the program is moved indoors, General Admission tickets will be automatically canceled, and a full refund will be issued.
- If you have concerns about the weather, we recommend selecting the Rain or Shine Ticket option (a $5 add-on) at the time of purchase. Rain or Shine Tickets guarantee admission, whether the program takes place outdoors or is moved indoors.
- Seating for all programs at The Mount is first-come, first-served. If you have seating preferences, we recommend arriving fifteen minutes early.
- Accessible seating is available. To discuss arrangements, please contact us by phone: 413-551-5111 x5; or email: programs@edithwharton.org. For more information about accessibility, review The Mount’s accessibility webpage.
- A book signing will follow this talk. Books can be purchased at the event from The Mount Gift & Bookstore or in advance via Bookshop.org
- Questions? Email: programs@edithwharton.org; or phone: 413-551-5111 x2
Amanda Vaill is the author of Pride and Pleasure, Hotel Florida, Somewhere, and the bestselling Everybody Was So Young, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. She is an Emmy-nominated screenwriter, and her journalism and criticism have appeared in many publications, including The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, Town & Country, and New York. A past fellow of the Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, NYU’s Center for Ballet and the Arts, and the Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library, she lives in New York City.
