Humanities

Explore the intellectual and creative pursuits within philosophy, history, literature, and the fine arts at Harvard.

The Year a Beat Poet Squatted at Harvard

In 1954, Gregory Corso moved into Eliot House. How he stayed there is a literary legend.

by Constantine Archimedes Valhouli

Harvard Commencement speakers Spielberg, Faust, more

Commencement oratory from Steven Spielberg, Drew Faust, and others

The Harvard Giza Project rebuilds a 4,500-year-old Egyptian throne

“Experimental archaeology” at the Harvard Semitic Museum

by Marina N. Bolotnikova

Houghton Library Celebrates the Quatercentenary of Shakespeare's Death

Celebrating four centuries of Shakespeare at Harvard

by Olivia Munk

Harvard public health dean, museum director, more

A new dean for public health, a new director for the art museums, and more

Stephen Owen translates the complete works of Chinese poet Du Fu into English

Conant University Professor Stephen Owen spent 10 years translating the poet’s 1,400 surviving poems.

by Jonathan Shaw

Harvard alumna teaches humanities at West Point

Elizabeth D. Samet ’91 melds literature and leadership in her classes for the cadets.

by John S. Rosenberg

Jerome Groopman guides Harvard students to insights from narratives of illness

The students in Jerome Groopman’s “Insights from Narratives of Illness” wrestle with the profound.

by Lydialyle Gibson

Susan Dunn reviews Jefferson biography by Annette Gordon-Reed and Peter S. Onuf

Thomas Jefferson's “fractal” view of American self-governance

by Susan Dunn

The Poetry of John Milton

The poetry of John Milton