Books & Literary Life
Literary criticism, author interviews, and book culture from within and beyond Harvard.
How Adam Ehrlich Sachs Writes Absurd and Beautiful Fiction
The Gretel and the Great War author on how the Lampoon derailed his science career—and set him on a literary path.
by Eric Olson
In “Little Fires Everywhere,” a Custody Battle Ignites the Comfortable Suburbs
Celeste Ng’s nimble second novel traces a cross-cultural drama in her Midwestern hometown.
In Danielle Allen’s “Cuz,” Caught Between Two Justice Systems
Allen’s new book excoriates both the justice system and a parallel universe of gang rule.
A Life of Adventure and Delight
Akhil Sharma is less interested in ideology in itself than in politics as a backdrop to emotional conflict.
Seeing the the Invisible World of Microbes
On Earth, microbes run the show.
Excerpt from “Forged in Crisis,” by Nancy Koehn
The Business School’s Nancy Koehn analyzes the personal stakes that propel leaders.
Malka Older’s global sci-fi
Sci-fi meets the political thriller.
Recent books with Harvard connections
John Kenneth Galbraith’s letters, Linda Greenhouse, color in art, and more
Stephen Greenblatt on Adam and Eve
Stephen Greenblatt explores the myths and meanings of Adam and Eve.
Chapter and verse quotation-citation correspondence site
Correspondence on not-so-famous lost words
Embroidered book cover at Houghton Library honors Charles II
Embroidery fit for a prince