Accomplished Contributors

The editors take great pleasure in recognizing three contributors to Harvard Magazine during the past year, awarding each $1,000 for their...

The editors take great pleasure in recognizing three contributors to Harvard Magazine during the past year, awarding each $1,000 for their distinguished service to readers.

Adam Kirsch
Courtesy Adam Kirsch
Serge Bloch
Courtesy Serge Bloch

The McCord Writing Prize, named for David T.W. McCord '21, A.M. '22, L.H.D. '56, recalls the lively prose and verse he wrote at this magazine and at the Harvard College Fund. This year's prize honors contributing editor Adam Kirsch '97, book critic of the New York Sun and author of the forthcoming book The Wounded Surgeon, a study of modern American poetry, for "The Brahmin Rebel" (May-June) and "The Hack as Genius" (November-December). Kirsch's fluidly crafted essay-reports, on Robert Lowell and Dr. Samuel Johnson, respectively, set a very high standard for absorbing, informative, and engaging assessments of these towering figures in American and English letters.

Illustrator Serge Bloch created a memorably simple and humorous cover and accompanying art for the March-April feature on exercise. It takes great discipline and vision to achieve such clarity and wit; we look forward to presenting more of Bloch's work in future issues.

Jim Harrison
Photograph by Jennifer Beaumont

It seems inescapable, and entirely fitting, that we again cite contributing editor Jim Harrison for his photography for the magazine. As he has done so often in the past, Harrison created compelling portraits for the May-June feature on diet and nutrition, and completed countless other assignments with a fresh and vivid eye. He does so again in this issue, in the feature on nanoscience (see "Thinking Small").

 

Most popular

An animal’s journey from grief to love shows how much humans need each other, too.

Meet Harvard’s 2026 Student Commencement Speakers

Two undergraduates and a Ph.D. candidate will address the graduating class on May 28.

Ronny Chieng Tells Harvard to ‘Destroy AI’ as Graduates Cheer

The comedian and The Daily Show host gave the keynote address for Class Day 2026.

Explore More From Current Issue

Massachusetts Hall at Harvard Red brick building with a large clock on top, surrounded by green trees.

With a grade inflation vote and in the courts, the University argued that it’s taking steps to change.

Black and white photo of Joseph Murray in a white lab coat sitting in an office.

Nobel Prize recipient Joseph E. Murray dedicated much of his career to organ transplant surgery.

An open book with a film strip emerging, trailing popcorn and a dancer silhouette.

Readers Respond to Our Adaptations Survey

We asked people to share their favorite art adaptations. Here’s what they said.