Harvard Law School Dean Martha Minow's summer reading list

Harvard Law School Dean Martha Minow discusses what's on her reading list, as well as the line between professional and pleasure reading, and her family's literary history.

In a Q-and-A with the Boston Globe this week, Harvard Law School Dean Martha Minow discusses her summer reading list: it includes novels by Allegra Goodman ’89 and Gish Jen ’77, RF ’02; a biography of Louis Brandeis; short stories by Alice Munro; and a book about the refusal to forgive.

Minow also tells the Globe that everyone in her family, including her daughter, who just graduated from high school, has written a book. And she says she finds works of fiction just as important for her work as a law professor as books about legal issues: "I don't draw a sharp line between professional and personal reading. The novels are often as relevant to my professional life as the nonfiction. I find everything relevant to everything."

You might also like

How Stories Help Us Cope with Climate Change

The growing genre of climate fiction offers a way to process reality—and our anxieties.

These Harvard Mountaineers Braved Denali’s Wall of Ice

John Graham’s Denali Diary documents a dangerous and historic climb.

Open Book: A New Nuclear Age

Harvard historian Serhii Plokhy’s latest book looks at the rising danger of a new arms race.

Most popular

The True Cost of Grade Inflation at Harvard

How an abundance of A’s created “the most stressed-out world of all.”

Harvard’s Epstein Probe Widened

The University investigates ties to donors, following revelations in newly released files.

What Bonobos Teach Us About Female Power and Cooperation

A Harvard scientist expands our understanding of our closest living relatives.

Explore More From Current Issue

A person climbs a curved ladder against a colorful background and four vertical ladders.

Harvard’s Productivity Trap

What happened to doing things for the sake of enjoyment?

A black primate hanging lazily on a branch in a lush green forest.

What Bonobos Teach Us About Female Power and Cooperation

A Harvard scientist expands our understanding of our closest living relatives.

A diverse group of individuals standing on stage, wearing matching shirts and smiling.

How a Harvard and Lesley Group Broke Choir Singing Wide Open

Cambridge Common Voices draws on principles of universal design.