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by John S. Dickson (Author)
Melville's Inspiration
The Berkshires have long attracted artists and writers, drawn to the mountains, rivers, forests, and lakes of Western Massachusetts. Herman Melville first came here as a young boy but was so inspired by the surroundings that he returned to live here for thirteen years during one of the most productive writing periods of his life. He finished his masterpiece, Moby-Dick, in his first year, seated in his study with a view of Mount Greylock. "His first love," is the way his cousin described his relationship to his adopted home. Here, he wandered on foot and horseback to all corners of the county, tapping into the Berkshires in his art. The places he explored are sprinkled through the pages in his stories. John Dickson, a volunteer guide both at Arrowhead and in the Berkshire woods, reveals the connections between Melville's writing and the beauty of the landscape that inspired him.
Author Biography
For more than a decade, John S. Dickson has been a volunteer at Arrowhead, Herman Melville's home in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He has served on the board of the Berkshire County Historical Society and is chair of the Pittsfield Historic Commission. He moved to the Berkshires following a career in the U.S. Foreign Service. A graduate in history from Princeton University and the University of Massachusetts, he is the author of Berkshire County's Industrial Heritage (Arcadia Publishing, 2017) and History Shock: When History Collides with Foreign Affairs.
