BCC honors students working at Herman Melville's Arrowhead to create new written works
PITTSFIELD, MA — The Berkshire County Historical Society (BCHS) has named Berkshire
Community College (BCC) Honors Program students Jennifer Blair, Benjamin Eshun and Amelia Coco Gilardi as the Melville Fellows for 2026. The fellowship program, a partnership between BCHS
and the BCC Honors Program, annually awards outstanding BCC students with the opportunity
to work at Herman Melville's Arrowhead to create one or more pieces of original writing
inspired by Arrowhead's surroundings and the BCHS collection.
Arrowhead's Writer-in-Residence Emeritus Jana Laiz spearheads the program, working
in groups and individually with each Fellow from January to May. Fellows will read
their original works at a public event in May.
"I am excited to work with these talented, passionate young writers in this very meaningful
space, mentoring them and helping them hone their craft," Laiz said.
"Arrowhead inspired some of Melville's greatest writings," said BCHS Executive Director
Lesley Herzberg. "We are pleased to share the source of his inspiration with such
a talented group of young writers."
Chris Laney, BCC Honors Program Coordinator, said, "Collaborating with BCHS and offering students
the rare chance to learn and write at Arrowhead exemplifies the kind of thing I love
most about the Honors Program."
The Fellows, in their own words
Jennifer Blair lives in Adams with her fiancé. For her 50th birthday, she treated
herself to a solo trip to Scotland — and she enrolled in classes at BCC. With a major
in liberal arts, she expects to graduate in spring 2027.
"When I heard about the Melville Fellowship, something inside me lit up. The thought
of writing in Herman Melville's office, with the writer in residence as a mentor,
was the stuff dreams are made of. I had a moment of disbelief when I received the
email stating I had been awarded one of the three coveted positions, and it's been
an incredible experience ever since! Having the opportunity to write in Herman Melville's
study is something I never expected to be able to do, and Jana is wonderful. She gives
us thought-provoking prompts, we play writing games, and we test our boundaries. Jana
pushes us to step out of that comfort zone and to watch for technical errors, all
the while being kind and encouraging. I am soaking up her constructive feedback. I
am honored to have been chosen for this fellowship and to be a part of such a supportive
and fun group of writers."
Benjamin Eshun is in the nursing program at the College, and he plans to graduate
with his Spring cohort. He says his experience at Arrowhead has been "both educational
and emotionally uplifting. I take it as a welcome break from academia — stepping away
from nursing readings and chemistry calculations. With Jana and my colleagues, I've
found a supportive community for my writing. Reading my work aloud to like-minded
peers and receiving their feedback has been a truly healing experience. I look forward
to completing this fellowship successfully and sharing my work."
Amelia Coco Gilardi is a senior at Lenox Memorial Middle and High School, as well
as a dual-enrollment student at BCC, and will graduate this spring with an associate
degree in liberal arts.
"Writing as a Melville Fellow has been a magical experience. Getting to experience
the rich history of Arrowhead, surrounded by the immense beauty of the land, is a
dream come true. I grew up right down the street from Arrowhead, and it feels unreal
to write and share stories in a place that I have spent so long admiring from afar.
I feel connected to not just Melville, but to all the fellows that have written here
in the past, and it is an honor and a privilege to join the long line of writers that
have worked in this space before me. From Jana's thoughtful guidance and mentorship,
to working with my incredible cohort, I feel truly blessed to have this opportunity
and to share this experience with such creative and talented individuals."
About the Berkshire County Historical Society
The Berkshire County Historical Society is a non-profit corporation dedicated to collecting,
preserving, and disseminating the history of Berkshire County in western Massachusetts.
In addition, the Berkshire County Historical Society is committed to the preservation
and interpretation of Arrowhead, home of author Herman Melville, designated a National
Historic Landmark. The Berkshire County Historical Society provides tours of Arrowhead,
and programming dedicated to the history of western Massachusetts and the life and
writings of Herman Melville.
About the Berkshire Honors Scholar Program
The Honors Program at BCC provides a creative and challenging student-driven experience,
designed for highly-motivated students who want to realize their full potential pursuing
the highest level of academic achievement possible at BCC. Students in the program
take a range of challenging and engaging honors courses and have the opportunity to
participate in activities such as the Melville Fellowship. Students who successfully
complete three honors courses can graduate from the college as Honors Scholars, and
they are then guaranteed acceptance into statewide Commonwealth Honors Colleges and
Programs, such as the UMass Honors College.
