Humanities Young King: The Making of Martin Luther King Jr. by Lerone Martin, Religious Studies and African and African American Studies Books in brief Faculty Humanities Interdisciplinary Four H&S scholars named 2026 Guggenheim Fellows Jessica Riskin elected to American Philosophical Society Bringing global histories of gender, race, and citizenship to the AI age New book illuminates Martin Luther King, Jr.’s childhood Aracelis Girmay wins PEN America poetry prize Inside the new home of the Department of African and African American Studies Jorge Ruffinelli, leading scholar of Latin American literature and film, dies at 82 In this history class, the final project is a pop song Matthew D. Morrison wins Woody Guthrie, Irving Lowens book awards Diving into the mind of pioneering French biologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck The Power of Life: The Invention of Biology and the Revolutionary Science of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck by Jessica Riskin, History What does it mean to be reasonable? Being Reasonable: The Case for a Misunderstood Virtue by Krista Lawlor, Philosophy Thomas Mullaney named UNESCO chair Historian leads project to design new AI architecture for humanities research Caroline Winterer receives 2026 Lyman award Exploring the medieval roots of romance Beloved podcast 'Philosophy Talk' now available for free New English courses fuse creativity with literary criticism Jonathan Gienapp wins Order of the Coif book award Four things to know about ethnic studies in California high schools Gerald Gillespie, devoted professor of German and comparative literature, dies at 92 Historian chronicles one of the French Revolution’s most notorious figures Jean-Paul Marat: Prophet of Terror by Keith Baker, History Three H&S faculty become American Academy of Sciences and Letters members Exploring the Louvre heist with French culture expert Cécile Alduy Matthew Sommer awarded American Historical Association prize Stanford inaugurates new home of MLK Institute Ramón Saldívar receives MLA lifetime achievement award The Wayfinder by Adam Johnson, English Philip Roth: Stung by Life by Steven J. Zipperstein, History Capturing the brilliant, complicated life of Philip Roth Stanford Pulitzer winner’s new novel tells epic tale born from writing ‘every day for 10 years’ New undergraduate study options combine data science with humanities and arts New speaker forum to focus on building bridges across differences Photo by Misha Bruk for Stanford University King Institute embraces new home on Main Quad Joel Cabrita wins Aidoo-Snyder Book Prize Josiah Ober awarded 2025 Balzan Prize Nicholas Jenkins wins Northern California Book Award Three things to know about the recently released MLK records Blakey Vermeule named senior associate dean for the humanities and arts Oceanic humanities project envisions new wave in education Seven faculty members awarded 2024-25 H&S dean's teaching awards Michael Friedman, who studied the connections between philosophy and science, has died Historian Gordon H. Chang reflects on his varied career with new book War, Race, and Culture by Gordon H. Chang, History Stanford historian's book on immigration wins PEN America nonfiction award Nancy Huddleston Packer, award-winning writer who served as director of Creative Writing Program, has died Josiah Ober’s mission to revitalize democracy and civic education New course showcases humanities, social science offerings for undergrads Stanford initiative seeks to bring more languages online Lerone A .Martin wins James W. C. Pennington Award New book explores historical fiction’s role in the rise of Japanese nationalism before World War II Literature for the Masses by James Reichert, East Asian Languages and Cultures Lavinia’s Wondrous Portraits by Emanuele Lugli, Art and Art History Nicholas Jenkins wins Warren-Brooks Award William P. Mahrt, beloved scholar of early music, has died Chang-rae Lee elected to American Academy of Arts and Letters Stanford historian’s documentary coming to PBS in March Commemorating MLK’s 1967 speech at Stanford Margaret Cohen receives National Endowment for the Humanities grant Graciela Teresa de Pierris, historian of modern philosophy, dies at 74 New book explores poet W.H. Auden’s life between two world wars New Center for Poetics ‘supports and encourages the vitality of the field’ Debra Satz awarded Romanell-Phi Beta Kappa Professorship Why cancel culture doesn’t exist Teaching skills for challenging times Elizabeth Buchter Bernhardt-Kamil, longtime director of the Language Center, pioneering scholar, and beloved mentor, has died Historian Jonathan Gienapp challenges originalist interpretations of the Constitution Dafna Zur receives Korean Order of Culture Merit A ‘deep time revolution’ paved the way to American modernity, Stanford historian asserts How the New World Became Old: The Deep Time Revolution in America by Caroline Winterer, History Stanford art historian uncovers portrait linked to famed female Renaissance painter H&S welcomes 19 new faculty members The Cancel Culture Panic by Adrian Daub, Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages Against Constitutional Originalism by Jonathan Gienapp, History For writer Molly Antopol, silences create room for fiction Rachel Jean-Baptiste receives National Endowment for the Humanities grant Philosopher Wendy Salkin tackles the ethics of speaking for others For poet Aracelis Girmay, poetry is a way of thinking through complexity Laws of the Spirit: Ritual, Mysticism, and the Commandments in Early Hasidism by Ariel Evan Mayse, Religious Studies A World Made by Travel: The Digital Grand Tour by Giovanna Ceserani, Classics Eve Clark named 2024 British Academy fellow Philip Morris made cigarettes at Auschwitz in the 1990s The Island: War and Belonging in Auden’s England by Nicholas Jenkins, English Kathryn Olivarius receives 2024 Dan David Prize Speaking for Others: The Ethics of Informal Political Representation by Wendy Salkin, Philosophy Alice Rayner, beloved theater professor, dies at 76 Iranian Studies program hosts chess champion and women's rights activist The Chinese Computer: A Global History of the Information Age by Thomas Mullaney, History Seven faculty members awarded 2023-24 H&S dean's teaching awards 80,000-plus characters, one keyboard: China’s fight to join the digital age Longtime student champion John Giammalva has died at 65 Wendy Salkin honored with Phi Beta Kappa teaching excellence award New gift will help Stanford reimagine Native American Studies through a 21st-century Indigenous lens In the Shadow of Liberty: The Invisible History of Immigrant Detention in the United States by Ana Raquel Minian, History Two Stanford scholars awarded Guggenheim Fellowship Joel Cabrita receives National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences book award Rachel Jean-Baptiste awarded 2024 David H. Pinkney Prize Learning the history of evolution and primatology Students will explore Taylor Swift’s lyrics as literature in new course Poetry scholar and critic Marjorie Perloff has died Kenneth Fields, longtime English professor and acclaimed poet, dies at 84 Measuring in the Renaissance by Emanuele Lugli, Art and Art History Kurt Weills Musiktheater: Vom Songspiel zur American Opera by Stephen Hinton, Music Milton Friedman: The Last Conservative by Jennifer Burns, History New Department of African and African American Studies marks historic moment at Stanford Stanford’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute celebrates the MLK holiday 2023: A year of books written by H&S faculty Multiracial Identities in Colonial French Africa: Race, Childhood, and Citizenship by Rachel Jean-Baptiste, History and Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies The War That Must Not Occur by Jean-Pierre Dupuy, Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages Peter Stansky wins 2023 Peter Davison Award How waste from the mining industry has perpetuated apartheid-like policies in South Africa Residual Governance: How South Africa Foretells Planetary Futures by Gabrielle Hecht, History Josiah Ober receives 2023 Barry Prize H&S welcomes 21 new faculty members Clayborne Carson honored with 2023 Freedom Award Shelley Fisher Fishkin receives 2023 American Studies Association lifetime achievement award Kathryn Olivarius awarded AHA Prize in American History Remembering Louise Glück The future of democracy rests on the civic bargain The Civic Bargain: How Democracy Survives co-authored by Josiah Ober, Political Science and Classics Understanding the disproportionate impacts of the Marrakech earthquake Body images: How tech can co-opt our physical selves—and how art can save us Post-Cinematic Bodies by Shane Denson, Art and Art History Oppenheimer and the pursuit of nuclear disarmament Detective stories don’t sell in China. The reason why has to do with Chinese concepts of justice New genealogy method helps fill gaps in African American ancestry Lyman P. Van Slyke, pioneering scholar of Chinese history, dies at 94 Stanford philosophy professor’s new book focuses on ‘gender feels’ over ‘gender identity’ A Certain Justice: Toward an Ecology of the Chinese Legal Imagination by Haiyan Lee, East Asian Languages and Cultures and Comparative Literature When I Waked, I Cried To Dream Again by A. Van Jordan, English What Even Is Gender? co-authored by R.A. Briggs, Philosophy Gordon H. Chang awarded 2023-24 research fellowship from The Huntington Aron Rodrigue made honorary citizen of Greek city of Didymoteicho Jean-Marie Apostolidès, literary scholar and dramatist, dies at 79 A. Van Jordan, professor of English, on poetry, movies, and Einstein The Greeks and the Rational: The Discovery of Practical Reason by Josiah Ober, Political Science and Classics Bedouin Bureaucrats: Mobility and Property in the Ottoman Empire by Nora Elizabeth Barakat, History Shared and Institutional Agency: Toward a Planning Theory of Human Practical Organization by Michael E. Bratman, Philosophy Thirteen Stanford faculty members elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Kathryn Olivarius receives 2023 Frederick Jackson Turner Award Kathryn Gin Lum wins 2023 Merle Curti Intellectual History Award Three Stanford scholars awarded Guggenheim Fellowships The Gospel of J. Edgar Hoover: How the FBI Aided and Abetted the Rise of White Christian Nationalism by Lerone A. Martin, Religious Studies The Forest: A Fable of America in the 1830s by Alexander Nemerov, Art and Art History Words in My World series by Nandi Sims, Linguistics Written Out: The Silencing of Regina Gelana Twala by Joel Cabrita, History The Socialist Patriot: George Orwell and War by Peter Stansky, History R. Lanier Anderson elected board chair of American Philosophical Association Matthew Sommer awarded $60,000 grant from NEH The power of love at first sight Peter Duus, an authority on the modern Japanese nation, dies at 88 Stanford's Lerone A. Martin on his new book about J. Edgar Hoover and White Christian nationalism With five new appointments, Creative Writing Program undergoing ‘amazing transformation’ Stanford historian explores how expulsions became widespread in medieval Europe In Their Own Words: Why do we care about literary characters? Harumi Befu, professor emeritus of anthropology, dies at 92 Writers drew attention to how they listened to ‘common people’ in 19th-century Russian Empire, according to Stanford scholar Rowan Dorin awarded 2022 Mary L. Dudziak Digital Legal History Prize Richard Roberts elected honorary fellow of American Society for Legal History Q&A: New book probes blackness in ancient Greek literature and art Geospatial technology to be used for analysis of Holocaust testimonies, travel writing Three Stanford faculty members elected to the British Academy Stanford professor of music unravels centuries-old authorship mystery Brexit was 10,000 years in the making, Stanford historian says in new book Professor Kathryn Olivarius on disease and discrimination in the antebellum South Reducing gun violence: Stanford scholars tackle the issue Understanding the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine Mark Granovetter receives 2021 Frontiers of Knowledge Award Stanford Professor Richard Saller examines economic growth and innovation during the Roman Empire Genomic analysis supports ancient Muwekma Ohlone connection Diversity in the discipline of history Tanner Lectures at Stanford take on ‘human groupishness’ in the evolution of societal patriarchy Four questions for Emanuele Lugli Stanford professor provides new meaning to medieval manuscripts Stanford Professor W. Bliss Carnochan dies How graphic novels can accelerate critical thinking, capture nuance and complexity of history Ato Quayson receives 2021 Robert Penn Warren-Cleanth Brooks Award for Literary Scholarship and Criticism Stanford appoints Deborah Cullinan vice president for the arts Q&A: New ethics and society review addresses ethical and societal impacts of proposed research Stanford professor’s new book examines cultural and social effects of Bangalore’s transformation after economic liberalization Lerone A. Martin on what we know—and don’t know—about Martin Luther King, Jr. and why access to information about him is more important than ever What history can tell us about 2021 Stanford English professor George Hardin Brown has died Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Secret to K-pop, K-drama success Stanford scholars expand digital database with historic records from the Nuremberg Trial Conversations about race between Black and white friends can feel risky, but are valuable Lerone A. Martin appointed new MLK Institute director Fellows program continues its support for Humanities and Sciences graduate students Gabriella Safran Appointed H&S Senior Associate Dean of Humanities and Arts Two IDEAL faculty hires in the School of Humanities and Sciences Steinbeck’s experimentalism explored Deadly railroad project in Congo reveals colonial-era abuses What’s next for Afghanistan? Stanford professor of religious studies Van A. Harvey has died Justice across ages Celebrating 25 years of research and teaching for race and ethnic studies Sterling Award winners honor their mentors Ancestry tests affect race self-identification Researchers call for bias-free artificial intelligence Scholars reflect on contributions of Asian Americans during heritage month Oceans examined through historical and literary lenses English professor receives award from American Academy of Arts and Letters Tracing the colonial origins of conflict diamonds Stanford professor’s 1995 "New Yorker" essay adapted into movie Biography conveys magic of Frankenthaler’s 1950s work Honesty in statistical models Citizenship course piloted English Professor Chang-rae Lee exercises a new muscle in his latest novel Stanford historian Jack Rakove on second Trump impeachment President Biden’s busy first day Scholarship and research of Stanford faculty influenced by life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Stanford scholars react to Capitol Hill takeover Breaking barriers: Madame Vice President Kamala Harris Women’s agency expressed through dance in Hindi cinema Conversing with infants may affect their brain circuitry Most popular American movies depict an unhealthy diet Religious clashes in India sparked scholar’s interest in peace British historians shaped ideas of empire Prior contested elections in U.S. offer cautionary tale Long-time manager for Stanford’s Center for East Asian Languages and Cultures dies Stanford economists Paul Milgrom and Robert Wilson win the Nobel in economic sciences Poet and Stanford visiting professor Louise Glück wins Nobel Prize in literature Makoto Ueda, Stanford Japanese literature professor emeritus, dies at 89 Homicide victims from Black and Hispanic neighborhoods devalued Ethics, Society and Technology Hub embeds ethics in teaching and research Stanford faculty address complex challenges to U.S. democracy Clayborne Carson: Looking back at a legacy History Professor Emeritus Mark Mancall dies The 19th Amendment is a milestone, not endpoint, for women’s rights in America Paul Seaver, leading historian of early modern England, dies at 88 Hagia Sophia’s continuing legacy What makes a Rodin ‘a Rodin’? Stanford scholar explains the famed sculptor’s process Why Confederate monuments are coming down now Stanford writing lecturers and students find their virtual footing Online courses about inequality, social justice How the meaning of the Declaration of Independence changed over time Humanities at Home Learning from the history of vaccines, disease ‘Poverty alleviation’ and ‘needy?’ Why words can do more harm than good when offering help Psychological research has a racism problem, Stanford scholar says Two Stanford philosophy professors honored by American Philosophical Association From Ancient Greece to Hollywood Seven factors contributing to American racism Race and mass criminalization in the U.S. Leaderless protest is a strength and weakness Humanities Core has new integrated global focus Tuning in to philosophy, humanities during the pandemic Combating black plague was just as much about politics as it was science Stanford historian Ana Minian is elected a Carnegie Fellow Changing Human Experience grants explore society’s most challenging problems English professor elected to the Learned Society of Wales World War II’s contradictory lessons How pandemics catalyze social and economic change Renowned poet Professor Eavan Boland dies at 75 The Stories That Have Shaped Ato Quayson's Life and Research Theater and COVID-19 Stanford Students Choose the Humanities Five Stanford scholars awarded Guggenheim Fellowships Fighting isolation with the art of design and computer music New outbreak, familiar anxieties Automated speech recognition less accurate for blacks Historian’s high school research paper transformed her life What is love? Consequences of perceiving God as a white man Stalin did not want an Iron Curtain to descend Makerspaces at Stanford Philosophy Professor Kenneth Taylor dies at 65 Immigrants don’t move state-to-state in search of health benefits AI and gene-editing pioneers to discuss ethics Sex and gender analysis improves science Walter Vincenti, interdisciplinary engineer, dead at 102 The five best policies to promote innovation – and one policy to avoid Summertime at Stanford – a time for two rising seniors to do gender-related research How immigration in Seattle is driving urban change The power of language: How words shape people, culture Understanding ourselves and our past Back to school Race influences professional investors’ judgments Origins of dragons, trolls and witches Grad student awarded $10K to create multimedia project with San Francisco homeless Literature Professor Roland Greene named director of Stanford Humanities Center Developing skills for humanities research A Hollywood treasure trove at Stanford When Americans forgot about the Declaration of Independence U.S. foreign policy to restrict abortion funding results in more abortions Reflecting on the Stonewall riots of 50 years ago Goodbye, Clean Power Plan: Understanding the new energy rule Renowned French philosopher Michel Serres dies at 88 A commitment to her Native American roots leads Stanford’s Aliyah Chavez to a journalism career Documenting mass grave relocation in China NBA legend visits campus How gangs use social media Prolific Stanford author and poet John L’Heureux has died at 84 Cantor, Stanford incubating Kahlil Joseph’s BLKNWS Reassessing how to ‘waste not’ Climate change has worsened global economic inequality Potential for congressional action on climate change Newest American Academy of Arts and Sciences members Move responsibly and think about things Giving voice to Chinese railroad workers Spring quarter 2019 guest artists Stanford student’s ancestor helped build the Central Pacific Railroad Strengths and weaknesses of the Green New Deal What happens to claim-prone physicians? Brexit through the lens of British history Stanford’s African and African American Studies program turns 50 Bridging technology and the public interest Partition of 1947 continues to haunt India, Pakistan, Stanford scholar says Ancient myths reveal early fantasies about artificial life New faculty draw on diverse subjects and backgrounds to open eyes, challenge students Easing tensions on Korean Peninsula Stanford scholar examines origins of romance British novelist Zadie Smith to speak at Stanford New exhibit showcases Chinese propaganda posters New Stanford Libraries exhibition highlights rare artifacts important to Stanford research The Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II: ‘Where do we go from here?’ Stanford historian traces military’s influence on modern American nutrition What’s next for Brexit? Scholars examine cyber warfare in new book Historian Harold Kahn dead at 88 Stanford senior named 2019–20 Churchill Scholar Stanford scholar examines the roots of human rights Stanford scholar explores the history of gay rights in Germany 7 books to add to your winter reading list Lab explores universal basic income Square one for U.S. nuclear waste management program Historical parallels between the press and the president Thousands of Stanford students register to vote ahead of midterm election Gun safety is a top issue for California voters Americans are not financially prepared for old age, study finds New Stanford research reexamines U.S. Constitution’s story Stanford exhibition Hand and Eye celebrates East Asian ceramic traditions Exploring art and design in Australia New way to find relatives from forensic DNA Literary scholar Herbert Lindenberger dies at 89 Cantor, Stanford Libraries make Warhol photography archives publicly available Understanding the science of art materials Cash, carbon, crude: how to make oil fields bury emissions Sculpture installed at Stanford University’s Denning House anchors new art collection Resurfacing a tabloid from the Vietnam War Stanford scholar discusses Buddhism and its origins A global trade war may produce a recession in the U.S., Stanford economist says Understanding people’s obsession with crystals Solving the mystery of an unusual medieval text Grad student takes to the road to explore how low-income communities could benefit from new tax law New National Ocean Policy: Implications for oceans and business Stanford students experience Korean peninsula politics firsthand Poll: Women and independent voters critical for the midterm election Art capstone course for science students Numbers about inequality don’t speak for themselves Philosopher Debra Satz named dean of Stanford’s School of Humanities and Sciences What’s next for net neutrality How artificial intelligence is changing science Analyzing undocumented Mexican migration in U.S. during 1970s War drove 18th-century Industrial Revolution in Great Britain Exploring what an interruption is in conversation Stanford scholar talks about the crisis in Syria – and how to resolve it Separating fact from myth of 1903 anti-Jewish riot Global threats to companies are complex, but solutions exist for dealing with ‘political risk’ Three Stanford scholars awarded Guggenheim Fellowships Stanford’s spring quarter guest artists Algorithms reveal changes in stereotypes Archive features powerful photos before, after King’s death Biracial youth’s political views, self-identification examined Building the case for a California foreign policy Gender equality stalls in the U.S., Stanford report finds New online course tackles culture, history of American college athletics What could a U.S. climate policy look like? Why Medicare and Social Security keep growing Stanford scholar celebrates Western culture’s open-access tradition Master class in dance Low-income immigrants face barriers to U.S. citizenship Technology and nature are historically interconnected New approach to reducing gender inequality at work Humanities research in the digital age At Stanford in Washington, arts are inside and outside the classroom Stanford’s innovative program advancing the arts of the American West returns Female researchers pay more attention to sex and gender in medicine High-stakes exams can put female students at a disadvantage Dissecting effects of 1960s anti-poverty programs on present U.S. Q&A with Robert Waymouth on the future of plastics Load more news
