Robert Oakes

Robert Oakes writes books about ghosts and leads tours in haunted places. He has published three books, The Ghostly Tales of the Berkshires (2023), Ghosts of Northwestern New Jersey (2022), and Ghosts of the Berkshires (2020). He is currently at work on his next book, Ghosts of Northeastern New Jersey. His books and tours explore regional ghost lore and the stories of those who have experienced hauntings and other strange encounters. Since 2010, Robert has led popular immersive ghost storytelling experiences at historic locations in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, including Ventfort Hall, Edith Wharton’s The Mount, and Herman Melville’s Arrowhead. He has also given talks and readings for both children and adults at many libraries, schools, and cultural centers. His latest talk, Strange Fancies, explores the supernatural influences on the imagination of writers Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Another talk, called Among the Primeval Shadows, is a deep dive into the ghost stories of author Edith Wharton. Robert was featured on the October 2025 edition of the Risk! storyteller podcast in which he shared a story of his own ghost encounter. He has also appeared on Syfy’s Ghost Hunters, Jeff Belanger’s New England Legends series on PBS, and The Apple Seed: Tellers and Stories on BYUradio and has been featured in The Boston Globe, The Berkshire Eagle, and numerous other media outlets. Robert earned his master’s degree from the Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English and has taught elementary, middle, and high school English, as well as adult writing workshops.