Symposium on Trans/Queer Approaches to Bibliography and Book History (Series of Events)

Date and Time

March 11 - March 13, 2025
All day

Location

Houghton Library, Harvard Yard, and other locations (RSVP, open to the public)

We are pleased to announce a series of events exploring trans and queer approaches to bibliography and book history, featuring scholars from Harvard and beyond. These events are co-sponsored by the Bibliographical Society of America, the RBS Mellon Fellowship in Critical Bibliography, the Long 18th-Century Colloquium in the English Department, and the Mahindra Humanities Center Seminar in Book History.

 

Tuesday, March 11
12:00 PM | Houghton Library
Long 18th-Century and Romanticism Graduate Colloquium
Session with Carlisle Yingst (Harvard PhD '23), presenting their research and leading an interactive guide to bibliographical research methods. Open to Harvard graduate students and colloquium members. To register, email ceyingst@g.harvard.edu.

Tuesday, March 11
5:30–7:30 PM | The Annual Philip and Frances Hofer Lecture, Houghton Library

Ana Parejo Vadillo,"Queerly Bound: Michael Field"

“Michael Field” was the joint pseudonym of Katharine Bradley (1846–1914) and her niece Edith Cooper (1862–1913). As a singular male poet, the women gained fame for the verse drama Callirrhoë (1884) and the magnificent book of verse Long Ago (1889). Bradley and Cooper regarded the poetry book as art, engaging with key book artists of the period to produce stunning editions that often appeared in Arts and Crafts exhibitions across Europe. Scholars have long commented that Bradley and Cooper were part of coteries of male writers and artists; however, in this talk, Vadillo demonstrates that they also worked with women artists with whom they queerly bound the poet Michael Field. More Information and RSVP

 

Wednesday, March 12
2:00–5:00 PM | Houghton Library & Printing Studio
Hands-on session for Harvard undergraduates, featuring special collections materials (2:00–3:30) and a printing demonstration (3:30–5:00). Sign up here: [https://form.jotform.com/250443900189052]

 

Thursday, March 13
6:00 PM | Thompson Room, Barker Center
Trans Bibliography: A Symposium
Featuring:

  • Brandi K. Adams (ASU) & Kadin Henningsen (UIUC) – Towards A Trans Bibliography of Early Modern English Drama: A Provocation*
  • J.D. Sargan (UGA) – Constellating Manuscripts’ Home: Community Formation in Anti-essentialist Manuscript Transmission Networks

 

Join us for this engaging series of events examining new approaches to bibliography, book history, and archival research.