Books
Christine Coulson Speaks on Writing and Art Museums at Beacon Hill Books
Coulson’s work is sure to invite readers to keep this idea in mind and reconsider how museums tell stories about their art.
So You Want to Read Rom-Coms
Many rom-com works have compelling characters, well executed plots, and are a perfect form of escapism from the reader’s exhausting day of work or studying.
‘Organ Meats’ Review: Spilling the Guts of Girlhood
Bursting with dog-headed women and women-headed dogs, banana ghosts, and wishes tied into realization with red thread, “Organ Meats” is paradoxical, yet beautiful.
Artist Profile: ‘cari can read’ on BookTube and the Joy of Reading
In an interview with The Harvard Crimson, Cakes discussed how she entered the book space, social media’s effects on the publishing sphere, and advice for young professionals looking to pursue what they love.
‘Rouge’ Review: Reasoning with Our Reflection
Awad’s book will ensnare those caught under the same spells under which Belle falls, but overall the book lacks a certain sense of enchantment that would bring it to the level of perfection that a character like Belle would seek.
‘Astor’ Review: A Metamorphosis of an American Dynasty
This nonfiction work successfully incorporates historic accounts with archival details and secondary commentaries, bringing its characters to life and unraveling the intergenerational metamorphosis of the Astor family.
Harvard Authors Spotlight: Pulitzer Prize-Winning Writer, Tracy K. Smith ’94
In her newest memoir “To Free the Captives: A Plea for the American Soul,” Tracy K. Smith ’94 delves into the past through the lens of her family history with lyrical and moving language.
From the Boston Book Festival: Tan Twan Eng on Defiance and the Power of Stories
At the 2023 Boston Book Festival on Oct. 14, Tan sat down for a conversation with Rachel Cantor and Virginia Pye on “Defiance: Literary Imagination and the Power of Stories.”
Horror, She Wrote: Five Centuries of Haunting Reads by, for, and about Stubborn Women
Through Gothic literature, women writers have developed and dominated horror storytelling since the 18th Century to discuss social issues or to write complex female characters without focusing on romance and men — a literary phenomenon that continues today.
From the Boston Book Festival: ‘If Not Now, When?’ Panelists Address the Power and Potential of Jewish Literature
Throughout the hour-long talk, the speakers explored the ways their identities have influenced their work and probed the fundamental questions about family, autonomy, representation, and justice that lie at the hearts of their novels.
Coco Krumme at the Harvard Bookstore: Reapproaching Optimization with First Principles
While Krumme realizes there is no way to truly opt out of or substitute optimization, she asks the readers to confront and question this norm.
‘Only a Voice’ Review: An Accessible, but Incomplete Investigation into Modernity
In this collection of essays, Scialabba is able to infuse character into his steady prose.
From the Boston Book Festival: Rick Riordan on Heroism
The keynote lecture ultimately illustrated Riordan’s connection to the reader and the profound impact his work has had on the lives of those who have had the privilege of journeying through his pages.
‘In the Form of a Question’ Review: Exploring An Unbounded Life of Curiosity
While fans of Schneider and “Jeopardy!” may find additional significance in the work, her raw, poignant explorations of her trans identity, sexuality, and attention-deficit disorder are compelling even to those who have never watched the game show.
Can Craft Become a Commodity? The Complicated Relationship Between Books and AI
In a work produced jointly by a human and a computer model, how much of the intellectual property belongs to the human, how much to the model, and how much to the model’s programmer?
From the Boston Book Festival: ‘Deconstruction of Myth’ Panelists Refresh Myths for the Present
From religious mythology to national myths about institutions and identities, Wilson, Jin, and Moore boldly reexamined and refreshed established histories.
‘Sometimes and Across’: Exploring the Power of Words in the Midst of Child Detention with Valeria Luiselli
On Oct. 2 in the Barker Center’s Thompson Room, Valeria Luiselli presented the lecture “Sometimes and Across: Notes on Writing Under Surveillance.”
From the Boston Book Festival: Chloe Gong on Writing About Messy Adults and Critiquing Colonialism
Delivering the YA keynote lecture, Gong spoke about all of her published works, the power of YA fiction, and her creative processes.
‘Family Meal’ Review: A Cluttered but Compelling Insight into Relationships
Though hindered by its desire to cover too many social issues at once, “Family Meal” gets the chaotic ingredients of human relationships and (mis)communication just right.
Harvard Authors Spotlight: Valerie Werder
It is rare to find a novelist who encourages copying of her work. Valerie Werder breaks this mold, and many others.
‘The Iliad’ Review: Emily Wilson Revives the Ancient Sensations
By translating not only the Greek text but also the cultural context, Wilson makes this ancient tale readable, enjoyable, and, most importantly, relatable.
‘The Fragile Threads of Power’ Review: A Slow, Absorbing Fantasy
“The Fragile Threads of Power” picks up where “A Conjuring of Light” left off, depicting the struggles of characters old and new as they deal with rising political unrest and novel threats, both magical and interpersonal.
‘A Man of Two Faces’ Review: Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Unique Take on The Memoir
Nguyen’s iconic prose and deep understanding of the self creates a touching read, but the memoir’s irregular form and wandering focus ultimately distract from its unique take on memory.
Donald Revell Sees an Enchanted World at Harvard’s Fall Poetry Symposium
“For me, prayer and beautiful language just seem to be the same thing,” Revell said. “Both are events of attention.”
‘The Pole’ Review: Two Troubled Hearts in a Constant Tug-of-War
“The Pole” utilizes modern conventions of love and longing to explore the depth of human relationships and the many infuriating miscommunications that arise when great feeling is present.