Books & Literary Life

Literary criticism, author interviews, and book culture from within and beyond Harvard.

Three climbers seated on a snowy summit, surrounded by clouds, appearing contemplative.

These Harvard Mountaineers Braved Denali’s Wall of Ice

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

by Lydialyle Gibson

Gail Collins

Gail Collins, at Radcliffe, tells when everything changed

The New York Times columnist speaks on the rapid revolution wrought by feminism.

Jill Lepore

Harvardians Short-listed for 2013 National Book Awards

Professor Jill Lepore and three alumni are recognized.

<i>If I Knew Then</i> contains vignettes from nearly 100 alumni of the HBS class of 1963, writing about topics on which they were asked to reflect: Careers, Marriage & Family, Business, Leadership, Wealth, Growing Older, Charity & Spirituality, Happiness & Success, Turning Points, and Life's Lessons.

Harvard Business School's Class of 1963 reflects on life and business

HBS’s Class of 1963 reflects on the occasion of their fiftieth reunion.

Landon Richard, age 4, feeds Cosmo, a one-month-old goat. Cosmo is on the staff of Animal Craze, a local traveling farm.

A petting zoo at Harvard, a true Harvard/Yale man, and "Lies You Wanted to Hear"

Petting zoo on the Plaza, a Harvard/Yale man, and a late-blooming novelist

Mallow, the work of Pierre Joseph Buc’hoz

Dumbarton Oaks garden collection publishes flower book

A rare collection of blooms housed at Dumbarton Oaks

by Craig Lambert

Correspondence on not-so-famous lost words

Correspondence on not-so-famous lost words

Derek Bok of Harvard on U.S. higher education, reviewed by Richard Morrill

Derek Bok’s new book on higher education in America, reviewed by Richard Morrill

by Richard L. Morrill

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg and his law clerk, the young Alan Dershowitz, in 1963&mdash;a pivotal intersection in the history of capital punishment

Recent books on inequality in Australia, Harvard math, life after law, and more

Recent books with Harvard connections

George Scialabba at Caf&eacute; Pamplona in Cambridge

Book reviewer George Scialabba practices a radical craft

“One of America’s best all-round intellects” scrutinizes books.

by Craig Lambert

Frontispiece (1772) for <i>Encyclop&eacute;die</i>, edited by Denis Diderot: Truth, bathed in light, is unveiled by Philosophy and Reason

Excerpt from "Fire and Light" by James MacGregor Burns

James MacGregor Burns, Ph.D. ’47, on intellect, governance, and the Enlightenment