Arts & Culture
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Brief bursts of wisdom
Aphorism lover and historian James Geary reflects on how ancient literary art form fits into age of social media
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Live fast, die young, inspire Shakespeare
Stephen Greenblatt finds a tragic strain in the life and work of Christopher Marlowe
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Steve McQueen could lecture you, but he’s got other plans
‘I think the audience needs more, and I feel I need to give more,’ says award-winning filmmaker — presenter of this year’s Norton talks
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Marking 100 years of Norton Lectures
Panelists reflect on ‘incredible value’ of annual series as ‘megaphone’ for artists and scholars
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How fashion police have been walking beat for centuries
Houghton Library exhibit highlights the policing of women’s fashion since the 17th century.
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Seeing what you see
New faculty Cécile Fromont is a visual problem solver
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Trash becomes treasure, becomes art
Allston artist Konstantin Simun’s sculptures are inspired by his environment. His work is on display at the Harvard Ed Portal’s Crossings Gallery.
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From Swahili to Bemba to Twi
With more than 25 languages offered each semester, the African Language Program at Harvard is the world’s foremost.
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Ensler puts her life on stage
Playwright and activist Eve Ensler returns to the A.R.T. with a one-woman show, exploring how her work with women brutalized by sexual violence in the Congo helped her fight uterine cancer.
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Photographing Native American cultures
“Seeds of Culture: The Portraits and Stories of Native American Women” is on view through May 28 at the Johnson-Kulukundis Family Gallery. The exhibit features 25 photos of Native American women, with interviews, written narratives, music, and song.
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Creative, cultured, and diverse
The annual Arts First festival showcased many forms of imaginative expression and creativity across Harvard.
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The architect as artist
In honor of his creative achievements, architect Frank Gehry received the Harvard Arts Medal in a ceremony that marked the kickoff to Arts First, Harvard’s four-day celebration of student and faculty creativity.
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Guarding the dazzle of the past
The Gazette visited the Weissman Preservation Center to see how conservators preserve Harvard’s rare and unique collections.
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Taking his thesis on the road
Michael Meo, who will graduate from the Harvard Graduate School of Design in May, led 22 people of all ages and abilities on a grueling 1,000-mile bicycle trek through the Mexican desert, which became the subject of his master’s thesis.
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Comic genius
Cartoonist and visiting lecturer Peter Kuper spoke to the Gazette about comics as an art form, and some of the comic materials in Harvard’s collections.
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A true giant
On the 400th anniversary of Miguel de Cervantes’ death, the Gazette sat down with Professor Mary Gaylord to talk about the lasting influence of “Don Quixote.”
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A way with other words
Sexism, racism, and even neglect can stand in the way of a great writer receiving a Nobel Prize. But of all the barriers, it is language that remains the most…
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An A.R.T. season to provoke, immerse, entertain
The American Repertory Theater’s new season takes aim at some important topics, including class, gender identity, turning points in Irish and Argentinian history, and the crisis facing American education.
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For Ana Tijoux, hip-hop is home
Growing up, Ana Tijoux didn’t know where to call home. As the France-born-and-bred daughter of Chilean parents living in political exile, she felt conflicted about her identity — until she…
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Speaking up through Shakespeare
An exhibit at Houghton Library marking the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death includes artifacts that recognize the acting and activism of black Shakespearean actors.
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Singer sensation
Legendary tenor and opera director Plácido Domingo was masterful in a charming conversation called “Giving Voice” at Sanders Theatre.
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‘Humanity’ through a telephone by way of a telescope
A large-scale, audio-video installation uses the Fukushima nuclear disaster as a starting point to examine the fragility of humanity. “Ah humanity!” was created by Harvard artists Ernst Karel, Véréna Paravel, and Lucien Castaing-Taylor.
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Plácido Domingo shares his secrets
Legendary tenor and opera director Plácido Domingo will be celebrated in a conversation called “Giving Voice” on April 14 at Sanders Theatre.
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Real talk
Playwright and director Ifeoma Fafunwa brings the hopes and challenges of Nigerian women to Harvard with “Hear Word!,” making its U.S. premiere at the Harvard Dance Center this weekend.
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The art of the moment
Vijay Iyer, the Franklin D. and Florence Rosenblatt Professor of the Arts, gathered four friends and colleagues for “Bending Toward Justice: Improvisation, Freedom, and the Arts,” a panel discussion on how dance, music, and their improvisational tendencies influence the world.
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Translating nine pounds of poetry
Sinologist Stephen Owen devoted eight years to the first complete English translation of the great Chinese poet Du Fu.
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Sacred words
Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Marilynne Robinson gave a lecture called “The Divine” at Memorial Church.
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Patterson receives Anisfield-Wolf Book Award
Orlando Patterson, the John Cowles Professor of Sociology at Harvard University, has received the Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the 2016 Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards.
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The ace of bass
Noted jazzman Rufus Reid is teaching Harvard students, and will share his wisdom and musicianship with the public. There will be two events open to the public — on April 6 and 9.
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Beyond poetry
Thomas Wisniewski, a Ph.D. candidate in comparative literature at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and a 2016 Harvard Horizons Scholar, seeks to reintegrate the neglected field of prose metrics into literary studies.
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Searching for paradise
Chilean poet Raúl Zurita will deliver a bilingual reading as the Robert F. Kennedy Visiting Professor in Latin American Studies.
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‘The Global Philosopher’
Harvard Business School (HBS) and BBC Radio 4 have worked together to produce the first episode of “The Global Philosopher,” a program hosted by Harvard political philosopher Michael J. Sandel.
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‘Average’ gets his ire up
Todd Rose, lecturer in education, debunks the myth of the “typical” learner in his new book, “The End of Average.”
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Jazz made visible
“The Art of Jazz: Form/Performance/Notes” explores the interaction between jazz and the visual arts.
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Professor’s book selected for Canto Classics series
Harvard professor and Weatherhead faculty associate Robert Bates’ book “When Things Fell Apart: State Failure in Late-Century Africa” has been selected for inclusion in the Canto Classics series by Cambridge Univerity Press.
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Always a critic
The New York Times’ chief film critic, A.O. Scott, visits Harvard to discuss his new book, “Better Living Through Criticism,” on Thursday.