“Man-eating orchids” (March-April). Bernard Witlieb suggested as a possible answer the short story “The Flowering of the Strange Orchid,” by H.G. Wells, in which a man breeds an orchid that overpowers him with its scent and sucks his blood until it is discovered in the act and destroyed by his housekeeper.
Send inquiries and answers to Chapter and Verse, Harvard Magazine, 7 Ware Street, Cambridge 02138, or via email to chapterandverse@harvardmag.com.
The Gretel and the Great War author on how the Lampoon derailed his science career—and set him on a literary path.
In 1954, Gregory Corso moved into Eliot House. How he stayed there is a literary legend.
The popular Harvard English professor published Under Water this spring.
Tell us about how social media impacts your daily life.
Long-discussed reorganization includes layoffs and the end of the Dudley Community.
A roundup of University news from the summer of 2026
