English
Susan Wolf Delivers 2025 Mala Soloman Kamm Lecture in Ethics
Philosopher Susan Wolf delivered the 2025 Mala & Soloman Kamm Lecture in Ethics to nearly 50 Harvard affiliates on Thursday, examining the relationship between responsibility, blame, and punishment.
Michael Pollan Talks Future of Psychedelics Research at Harvard Mahindra Humanities Center
Author Michael K. Pollan, a Harvard lecturer in English and professor of the practice in non-fiction, spoke about the future of research into the societal and cultural aspects of psychedelics during a Mahindra Humanities Center talk on Wednesday.
Elif Batuman ’99 Talks ‘The Idiot’ and Writing Process at Humanities Event
Hundreds gathered in Emerson Hall Thursday to hear American author Elif Batuman ’99, an award-winning novelist whose Pulitzer Prize-finalist novel "The Idiot" was based off her experience as a freshman at Harvard.
Laverne Cox, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Among Seven Recipients of W.E.B. Du Bois Medal at Sold-Out Ceremony
Harvard awarded seven individuals — including actress Laverne Cox and basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — the W.E.B. Du Bois Medal, the University’s highest honor in African American Studies on Thursday.
Creative Writing Collective Organizes South Asian Poetry Series
From the end of March through last week, the Harvard Creative Writing Collective held a series of poetry readings hosted by South Asian authors.
Despite Decrease in Concentrators, Students and Faculty Alike Defend the Humanities
Of the 18 concentrations in the Arts and Humanities division, 10 have experienced significant decreases in numbers of concentrators, six remained relatively steady, and two saw slight increases between 2015 and 2019.
English Department Discusses Emerging Issues in Literature in New Virtual Forum
Harvard’s English department has developed a new online forum to discuss emerging issues and trends within the field of literature as the COVID-19 pandemic stretches into the fall semester and keeps the University’s scholars apart.
Coronavirus Disrupts Writing, Research for Harvard Faculty on Leave
While the novel coronavirus pandemic has uprooted the lives of many faculty working on campus this year — forcing them to switch to remote teaching and ramp down laboratory research — it has also disrupted the work of many faculty currently on leave.
Why I Declared 2019: Humanities
To get some perspective on concentration declaration, we asked Flyby sophomores studying the humanities why they declared.
Fall Barker Center
Deciduous trees around campus are shedding their colorful leaves, marking the advent of colder temperatures.
Prof. Creates English Course for High School Students Through Harvard Extension School
Harvard American Literature professor Elisa New recently launched an online English course for high school students in 29 schools nationwide as part of her larger Poetry in America initiative.
Ju Yon Kim
Ju Yon Kim will be the only tenure-track professor specializing in Asian American Studies next fall.
Creative Writing Program Receives Record Number of Applications, Moves into Lamont
For the second year in a row, a record number of students applied to and enrolled in the English department’s creative writing workshops. This spring, the program includes 24 workshops — another all-time high — in both fiction and non-fiction disciplines.
Former NYT Editor Jill Abramson Accused of Plagiarism, Admits Citation Errors
Allegations of plagiarism embroiled former New York Times Executive Editor and Harvard lecturer Jill E. Abramson ’76, whose latest book, “Merchants of Truth,” came under scrutiny from journalists Wednesday.
International Graduate Students Petition Harvard for More Resources
The petition calls on Dench and GSAS administrators to hire ESL tutors at the school’s Writing Center, among other requests.
Harvard Converting Fourth Floor of Lamont Library Into Creative Writing Space
The fourth floor of Lamont Library is currently halfway through renovations and is on-track to reopen by the start of the spring 2019 term.
English Professor Jorie Graham to Receive National Prize for Poetry
The Library of Congress will award Harvard English professor Jorie Graham a national prize for poetry in December, the library announced last week.
Why I Declared: Humanities Edition
Last but certainly not least, Flyby sophomores planning studies in Humanities fields share their declaration process.
Marathon Reading of 'Frankenstein' Revisits Novel 200 Years Later
Houghton Library hosted a Halloween reading of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” in honor of the 200th anniversary of the book’s publication.
Creative Writing Program Offers Science Writing, 'Journalism in the Age of Trump'
The Creative Writing Program is expanding its course offerings this academic year, particularly to include a wider variety of nonfiction workshops.
Min Jin Lee
Min Jin Lee, who is the author of Free Food for Millionaires (2007) and Pachinko (2017), spoke about her publications and work at Emerson Hall.
McCarthy Hired as English, African and African American Studies Assistant Prof
"Jesse McCarthy stood out unequivocally as the hottest new star on the horizon,” the Chair of the African and African American Studies wrote of the new hire.
English Department Launches Peer-Led ‘Critical Pizza’ Talks
The weekly peer-led discussions are held over pizza. Organizers said they hope the informal environment will encourage more students to explore literary criticism.
Demand For Creative Writing Classes Reaches All-Time High
The English Department received a record number of applications to its creative writing program this academic year, according to the program’s director.
Professor Studies Book Exteriors
While most English professors are largely concerned with what’s inside a book, David J. Alworth studies a text’s exterior.