Chapter & Verse

Sheila Berg would like a source for a quotation she heard at the time of John Kennedy Jr.'s death that spoke of sand and pebbles...

Sheila Berg would like a source for a quotation she heard at the time of John Kennedy Jr.'s death that spoke of sand and pebbles on the beach and Truro.

Ann Mantell seeks a Sylvia Townsend Warner story that ends, "If Nannie Blount had had her will of me, I should have watched this hell-fire sunset with different eyes. As it was, I saw it as being exactly like the pain in my throat."

"The magical mouse" (November-December). Dorothy Helfand identified the slightly misquoted opening lines of this poem by Kenneth Patchen, published in Orchards, Thrones, and Caravans (1952) and reprinted in The Collected Poems of Kenneth Patchen (1967).

"A fragrance...happy living things" (November-December). John C. Murray was the first of many readers to identify the two couplets that appear toward the conclusion of Edna St. Vincent Millay's early poem "Renascence."

"Tell me....Show me....Involve me...." (November-December). Julie Reiff reported that an Internet search turned up Cole's Quotables, which identified the proverb--without attribution--as Chinese, not Native American, in origin.

Most popular

Mark Carney on the Limits of Soft Power

At the 2026 Davos summit, the Canadian prime minister echoes Harvard’s Joseph Nye.

Why Men Are Falling Behind in Education, Employment, and Health

Can new approaches to education address a growing gender gap?

Harvard Board of Overseers Candidates Describe Priorities

Alumni will vote for the University governing board in April and May.

Explore More From Current Issue

A busy hallway with diverse people carrying items, engaging in conversation and activities.

Yesterday’s News

A co-ed experiment that changed dorm life forever

Four young people sitting around a table playing a card game, with a chalkboard in the background.

On Weekends, These Harvard Math Professors Teach the Smaller Set

At Cambridge Math Circle, faculty and alumni share puzzles, riddles, and joy.

A man skiing intensely in the snow, with two spectators in the background.

Introductions: Dan Cnossen

A conversation with the former Navy SEAL and gold-medal-winning Paralympic skier