Behind the Pages

The centuries-old art of bookbinding has kept the volumes of Widener library in good health for years. But what else can the restorative craft do in the age of the e-book?

The art of bookbinding works with both manual creation and restoration.

This Week's Arts Cover: Tom A. Lehrer '46

Tom A. Lehrer '46, the piano-playing musical comedian and the subject of this week's Arts cover, is also a Harvard man. Naturally, then, he likes a good highbrow reference—and he's especially fond of giving shout-outs to German-language composers. For those of you not primed on your lieder, here's a playlist of pieces for piano and voice by the composers Lehrer referenced.

From A Distance

Comedian and teacher Tom Lehrer’s influence goes beyond the invention of the Jell-O shot and the composition of “Fight Fiercely, Harvard.” More than fifty years after his matriculation in Cambridge, Lehrer remains an icon of satirical music.

From a 2 Chainz track to “The Elements Song,” the legacy of Tom A. Lehrer ’46

Lehrer and company performing in front of Richard Lippold's "World Tree" statue.

Beyond Therapy

Torture, stillbirth, and crises of faith are all landmarks of playwright Christopher Durang’s dark terrain. But a shift has occurred at the heart of his work.

How to Make the Man

"I really do embrace the character and think about the character from the inside out—I’m never just designing a pretty garment.”

Giving You the Best I've Got

For The Chicken Slacks, Wednesdays have meant the same thing for the past seven years: the day before the Thursday night gig at the Cantab Lounge.

The In Crowd

Gallery owners seek to represent artists in the best light possible, not only to make a sale but to help them succeed after their collection leaves the gallery.

In Defense of Bad Tattoos

Last week’s cover focuses on the intersection of tattoo artists and their human canvases. Despite the cultural and aesthetic importance ...

Bespoken For

In the past, the default of dress was set a bit higher than where standards rest today. However, the art form of tailoring is kept safe and well in the hands of a few talented artisans.

Despite the Pain

The allure and the complication at the heart of the tattoo is this: the canvas talks back.

This Week's Arts Cover: Stanislaw Baranczak

This week’s Crimson Arts cover story is about Polish poet and Harvard professor Stanislaw Baranczak. The piece focuses on Baranczak’s ...

Polish poet Stanislaw Baranczak and his wife.

Even When No One is Looking

Poet Stanislaw Baranczak had no desire to shoulder his country’s burden. What he wanted was to write free from the confines of communist censorship.

Art Awry

A woman’s dead husband, whose powdery face streches six feet wide, smiles eerily from the corner of the room. There’s no getting around it: this painting is bad

Bacchanalian Designs

The SOCH renovations raise questions about what influences where Harvard students choose to spend the dark hours of their Saturday nights.

Retelling Harvard

In “Penelope,” the absurdity of college experience can be conveyed only through parody.

Excerpting Senior Writers

Crimson Arts bids these seniors the best and offers a glimpse into their work with selected excerpts.

Sage of Innocence

Getting to the truth of Whit Stillman's films is necessary to understanding some of the best contemporary films and to saving him from a critical mischaracterization.

Going on the Record

Private collections fill museums but collecting arts and letters poses unique problems.

Speaking with Shadow

William Kentridge believes that art provides a path to knowledge that skirts academic logic.

Objects of Desire

Curators do oversee the finer points of their exhibits but their role encompasses much more.