Berkshire County Historical Mark Centennial of 'Billy Budd, Sailor'
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire County Historical Society will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the publication of Herman Melville's "Billy Budd, Sailor" with a series of events and programs throughout 2024.
According to a press release, the novella was written during the last five years of Melville's life, but remained unknown until 1918 when Melville's first biographer Raymond M. Weaver was shown the handwritten manuscript by Melville's granddaughter, Eleanor Melville Metcalf. She had discovered the manuscript after her grandmother's death in 1906 in a tin breadbox that Lizzy Melville had hidden in the attic. Published in 1924, "Billy Budd" is considered a masterpiece second only to "Moby-Dick." "Billy Budd, Sailor" was written at Melville's 26th Street home in Manhattan. The novella posthumously brought Melville out of obscurity, ensuring his place among America's literary giants.
"Billy Budd in the Bread Box: The Story of Herman Melville & Eleanor, a children's chapter book," written by BCHS Writer-In-Residence Emeritus, Jana Laiz and published in 2017, recounts the relationship between Melville and his granddaughter Eleanor during his writing of the novella and its eventual placement and discovery in the breadbox. In January of this year, the Billy Budd celebration began with fourth grade students from Williams Elementary School in Pittsfield reading the book and participating in a six-week residency with Laiz, writing their own stories based on historic objects from the BCHS collection as prompts.
On April 7 beginning at noon, Hot Plate Brewing Co. will host a mini marathon reading of "Billy Budd, Sailor." The community is invited to participate by registering to read from the book for fifteen-minute slots; register by using the BOOK NOW button at berkshirehistory.org. To mark the occasion, Sarah Real, Hot Plate owner and head brewer, has created an English IPA, named the Handsome Sailor.
"We are pleased to be kicking off our celebration with our good friends at Hot Plate," said Lesley Herzberg BCHS Executive Director. "Thanks to the generous support of the Feigenbaum Foundation, we will be offering a number of programs throughout the year."
Events include:
- A performance presented by Berkshire Opera Festival of selections from the opera "Billy Budd." This 1951 opera is scored by Benjamin Britten with a libretto by authors E. M. Forster and Eric Crozier.
- An audio recording by Academy Award nominated actor Paul Giamatti of a new audio book based on the original 1924 manuscript.
- An exhibit in the Melville Room at the Berkshire Athenaeum exploring Billy Budd, with highlights including the desk from Melville's New York apartment and the actual breadbox in which the manuscript was found.
- A staged reading for children and families of the play adaptation by Travis Daly of Laiz's Billy Budd In The Breadbox.
- A screening of the 1962 film, Billy Budd, directed and produced by Peter Ustinov.
