(LENOX, Mass.) — Authors Sophie McManus and Stephanie Clifford will discuss the influence of Edith Wharton on their debut novels on the Terrace at The Mount, Wharton’s home, on Sunday, June 5, at 4pm. McManus’s “The Unfortunates” and Clifford’s “Everybody Rise” are both informed and inspired by Wharton’s 1905 novel, “The House of Mirth.”

McManus and Clifford’s books are the most recent in a series of novels by young writers who have found inspiration in Wharton’s brilliant use of language. In March, The Mount hosted Yvonne Puig as a writer-in-residence. Puig’s upcoming “A Wife of Noble Character” is yet another adaptation Wharton’s “House of Mirth.” Critique of the upper class is a common thread amongst these authors. “When working on ‘The Unfortunates,’ Wharton’s ability to write about the poison of privilege, and show how it ripples outward and affects us all – that really struck me,” notes Sophie McManus.

“(Wharton) was also bold, and way ahead of her time, in writing about driven and ambitious women,” explains Stephanie Clifford. “Edith Wharton has been such an inspiration to me — I don’t think my book, or my career as a novelist, would exist without her.”

“The House of Mirth is enduring, as both a tragic love story and a satire of the fashionably wealthy,” says Susan Wissler, executive director of The Mount. “I am thrilled to see contemporary authors updating Wharton’s story. Regardless of the number of retellings, Wharton’s work remains fresh and poignant every time.”

Sophie McManus is the author of “The Unfortunates,” which was a finalist for the 2015 Discover Award, the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize, the National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Prize, and named a notable book by The Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, Time, Paste, and Time Out (New York) among others. It also received a rave feature review in the New Yorker. Her work has appeared in American Short Fiction, O Magazine, Tin House, and elsewhere. She teaches writing in Brooklyn, New York.

Stephanie Clifford is a Loeb Award-winning journalist. As a New York Times reporter, Clifford covered courts, business and media. “Everybody Rise,” her first book, is a New York Times bestseller, with movie rights optioned by Fox 2000. A magna cum laude graduate of Harvard, she grew up in Seattle and lives in Brooklyn.

 

 

 

 

 

Event Details:

Inspired by Edith: A Discussion with Authors Stephanie Clifford and Sophie McManus

Sunday, June 5, 4pm

The Mount, Terrace

$8 for Mount Members, $10 for nonmembers

Visit The Mount to purchase or call 413-551-5100 for more information.

 

About The Mount:

The Mount is a National Historic Landmark and cultural center that celebrates the intellectual, artistic, and humanitarian legacy of Edith Wharton. We engage a diverse audience by providing context to Wharton’s life and achievements through our educational and public programs and the conservation and preservation of her historic estate and gardens.
Each year, The Mount is host to over 40,000 visitors. Daily tours of the property are offered May through October, with special events throughout the year. Annual summer programming includes a joint exhibit with SculptureNow, Wharton on Wednesdays, Music After Hours, and the celebrated Monday Lecture Series. Exhibitions explore themes from Wharton’s life and work.

The Mount is located at 2 Plunkett Street in Lenox, Mass. For more information visit The Mount or call 413-551-5100.