Since 1993, the Summer Author Series has brought award-winning authors to The Mount. This year’s theme is trailblazers. The eight-week series will highlight the stories of groundbreaking visionaries—scientists, activists, thought leaders, and artists who have broken barriers and reshaped the world. 

On August 18 & 19, author Amy Reading presents The World She Edited: Katharine S. White at The New Yorker (Mariner Books, 2024), a 2025 Pulitzer Prize finalist in biography. In the summer of 1925, Katharine S. White walked into The New Yorker’s midtown office and she left with a job as an editor. Over the next thirty-six years, White would transform the publication into a literary powerhouse, building the magazine’s prestigious legacy and transforming the 20th-century literary landscape—particularly for women writers. Based on years of scrupulous research, The World She Edited is a rare and deeply intimate portrait exploring the ways that White nurtured a momentous amount of literary talent that propelled writers to great literary heights. In the process, she reinvented to role of editor, transforming it into a relationship that not only improved a writer’s work but also their life. Through White’s incredible tenure at The New Yorker and her famous marriage to E.B. White, author Amy Reading reveals White’s influence on our understanding of literary culture, history, and community.  

Amy Reading is the author of The World She Edited: Katharine S. White at The New Yorker, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography, and The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con (2012). Her work has been supported by fellowships from the National Endowment of the Humanities and the New York Public Library, among others. She lives in upstate New York, where she serves on the board of her local independent bookstore, Buffalo Street Books. Her name is an aptronym.

*New to 2025 – an exclusive opportunity for Mount Members!*
The new Rain or Shine Club Pass guarantees a seat at all eight Summer Author Series talks, regardless of weather. Information can be found here. The Rain or Shine Club pass is only available during Members’ pre-sale, through May 11, so pick yours up soon!

TICKETS ON SALE:

General Admission:
$27 – Mount Members
$32 – Non-Members

*New* Rain or Shine Ticket:
$37 – Mount Members
$42 – Non-Members

Individual Rain or Shine Tickets guarantee admission to a program regardless of weather conditions. For a modest increase in the ticket cost, you are guaranteed a seat at events that need to be moved indoors to The Mount’s Stable Auditorium. General Admission tickets are available for each event as well; however, in the event of inclement weather — excessive heat or severe thunderstorms — you are not guaranteed a seat. General Admission tickets will be canceled and refunded if weather conditions prohibit us from hosting an event outside.

Interested in becoming a Member? Join today.

• This one-hour talk takes place in The Mount’s Event Tent, an open-air, two-pole tent adjacent to the parking lot. Please be mindful of the weather and plan accordingly!
• In the event of extreme weather — excessive heat or severe thunderstorms — In Conversation talks may be moved indoors to The Mount’s Stable Auditorium. *New to 2025* The Mount is offering Rain or Shine Tickets, which guarantee admission to this program regardless of location! All ticketholders will be notified via email of a venue change at 2:00 pm the day of the program. Those with standard admission tickets will have their orders automatically canceled and receive full refunds within seven business days.
• 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! Please phone us in advance to discuss arrangements: 413-551-5111; ext #2
• A book signing will follow this talk. Books can be purchased from The Mount Bookstore at the event or online from Bookshop.org.

Questions? Email: programs@edithwharton.org

This program is sponsored by:

What accessibility accommodations does The Mount offer? The Mount is a Massachusetts Cultural Council UP designated organization welcoming participants of all disabilities. Please contact us by phone: 413-551-5100 or by email: info@edithwharton.org to discuss accommodations needed to participate fully in this event. Golf carts will be available to shuttle those with mobility concerns between the parking lot and event venue. View The Mount’s Health and Safety Guidelines.