Book Talk with Barbara Viniar

Join Barbara Viniar for an author talk and book signing:

Little Bird

Tuesday, October 28, 2025
2:00 p.m. Eastern
In-person at BCC and via Zoom
Free and open to the public.

Barbara Viniar will discuss her debut novel, Little Bird. Set in early 20th century New York City, Little Bird is the story of a young Russian girl who is betrothed to a wealthy cousin in America to help her family escape the violence against the Jews. A classic immigrant story, she survives a perilous journey only to face the inevitable culture clashes that ensue. From obedient daughter to dutiful wife, she fights for the right to make her own choices, encountering love and loss before her ultimate triumph. Viniar will discuss the inspiration for the story, her writing process, and her publication decisions. Books available for signing at the end of the talk! 

Barbara Viniar was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. She started her career as an administrator in higher education while teaching women’s studies and literature part time and writing her doctoral dissertation on “Women’s Moral Development in Contemporary Fiction.” Viniar served as president of BCC from 1994-2003, where she was instrumental in the founding of BILL, the precursor to OLLI. From 2003- 2008, she directed the Institute for Community College Development, a national leadership program at Cornell University, after which she assumed the presidency of Chesapeake College on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. After retiring in 2018, Viniar returned to the Berkshires and turned to blogging and writing a daily Haiku. During COVID, a chance discovery about her grandmother compelled her to imagine the story that became her debut novel, Little Bird, which was published by Sibylline Press in August 2025. She is currently working on her second novel.