Celebration Begins With Arts

Faculty, alumni and students gathered last night for "An Evening of Literature and Music" to celebrate today's inauguration of Neil L. Rudenstine as the 26th president of Harvard University.

Boylston Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory Seamus Heaney served as the master of ceremonies before the more than 1000 guests who filled Sanders Theatre.

Heaney said the program was Rudenstine's way of showing the arts are "a vital part of our civilization."

The Irish poet heaped words of praise on Rudenstine's abilities and said the Renaissance scholar wanted to strengthen the bonds between education and the arts.

"Whatever mutual support there is between educational purpose and artistic purpose is in need of reaffirmation," Heaney said.

Heaney read from a selection of his own poetry, including a piece that he composed for the celebration of Harvard's 350th anniversary.

"A spirit moved/John Harvard walked the Yard/The books stand open/And the gates unbarred," Heaney recited.

Princeton University professor and Pulitzer Prize-Winner Toni Morrison followed Heaney and read selections from her novels Beloved, Tar Baby and The Bluest Eye.

Before her readings Heaney praised Morrison and her work.

"Toni Morrison is one of those writers whose first person singular contains multitudes," Heaney said.

Novelist Mario Vargas Llosa, who made an unsuccessful bid for the presidency of Peru in 1990, read a long excerpt from his novel The Greenhouse.

The story chronicled the building of a night club in a small Peruvian town and its wild success despite the sermons of the local priest.

Adrienne Rich '51 received the strongest applause of the evening. The Stanford University professor, flanked by large bouquets of sunflowers, read several short poems and a longer selection from her poem "An Atlas of the Difficult World."

Nobel laureate Saul Bellow read from a story he wrote about a 17-year-old boy in Chicago.

Before his reading, which had audience members chuckling, Bellow joked that the audience was getting restless.

"It is about time for the seventh inning stretch," Bellow said. "But I am strengthened by last week's Senate hearings, where people sat longer than they will have to tonight."

The evening culminated with a performance by premier cellist Yo-Yo Ma '76.

Ma played Bach's Suite No. 5 in C minor for the unaccompanied cello.

Audience Reaction

Audience members lauded the performances and said that the evening was a great kick-off to the inauguration events.

"It was splendid, absolutely marvelous," said Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles.

Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III said that the evening showed an "extraordinary range of talents" and was an opportunity to showcase what the University is supposed to be about.

"It is a sign of things to come," Epps said.