Books & Literary Life
Literary criticism, author interviews, and book culture from within and beyond Harvard.
For This Poet, AI is a Writing Partner
Sasha Stiles trained a chatbot on her manuscripts. Now, her poems rewrite themselves.
Stephen Greenblatt on Adam and Eve
Stephen Greenblatt explores the myths and meanings of Adam and Eve.
Library of Congress names Harvard alumna Tracy K. Smith as new Poet Laureate
The announcement comes at a busy time for the writer, who is at work on two operas and will soon publish her fifth verse collection, Wade in the Water.
"Poetry, Voiced": diving into the sound archive of the Woodberry Poetry Room
In the Woodberry Poetry Room, a landmark audio collection waits to be heard.
Tahmima Anam's "The Bones of Grace" excavates history and family
Tahmima Anam’s Bengal trilogy finds a resting place.
Open Book: An excerpt from “Pedagogues and Protestors” by Conrad Edick Wright
The diary of a “unexceptional collegian”—attending class, or not
Joan C. Williams on "class cluelessness"—a book review by Andrea Louise Campbell
A review of Joan Williams’s powerful book on the resentments reshaping American politics
Recent books with Harvard connections
Beach reading, the West, segregation, gardening with children, and more
Chapter and verse quotation-citation correspondence site
Correspondence on not-so-famous lost words
In “Renga for Obama,” an exquisite corpse and a literary wake
Harvard Review editor Major Jackson, RI ’07, linked 200 poets in this verse tribute to the president.
Terence Davies captures Emily Dickinson's life and spirit in "A Quiet Passion"
In his film A Quiet Passion, Terence Davies illuminates Emily Dickinson’s daily life and eternal poetry.