One of my favorite parts of taking new courses each semester is expanding my library. 

Some of my smaller English seminar courses have felt more like a dynamic book club than a structured class, which I have loved. Through both in class discussions and the opportunity to explore various literature, I’ve met people who are equally excited about reading. Throughout my past three years at Harvard, here are some of my favorite books that I’ve read or been introduced to through Harvard courses.

English 145A: Jane Austen Fiction and Fans

The first class on the list is English 145A: Jane Austen Fiction and Fans taught by Professor Deidre Lynch. This was a class that I ended up enrolling in at quite the last minute. The only Austen novel I had read before taking the course was Pride and Prejudice and although I had enjoyed reading it, I wasn’t confident in my ability to take an entire course on Austen. I ended up enrolling in the course because of the amazing things I heard from people who previously took the course and because so many of my friends were also thinking of taking it. So far, my favorite novels from the course have been: Mansfield Park and Pride and Prejudice. 

Through the course, I was able to approach Pride and Prejudice in a new way, understanding the history around how the novel was written, 19th century Britain, and women’s norms during Austen’s time. My favorite part of the course has to be our discussion section where we meet in smaller groups of around 15 people to discuss larger questions and themes around the novels. It’s been exciting to hear other people’s reactions to each novel – sometimes they differ drastically from my own and sometimes I find myself vigorously nodding along with their thoughts.

English 20

English 20 was the first English course that I took at Harvard during my sophomore fall semester. It’s the class that made me fall in love with the English department (and coincidentally taught by the same professor who is now teaching the Jane Austen course!) My top two novels from this course were: Poems by Elizabeth Bishop and A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf. It was my first time reading works by Bishop and Woolf and I found myself loving these two incredible writers.

English 90AE: The Art of Minor Feelings

English 90AE: The Art of Minor Feelings was the first Asian & Asian American literature specific course that I took. It was a small seminar with around 14 people taught by Professor Sophia Mao. The course explored themes of voice, identity, feelings through the lens of Asian literature. My two favorite readings from the course were Sour Heart by Jenny Zhang and Severance by Ling Ma. Both readings focus on an individual’s journey with their identity and immigrant experience. Although Severance is more of a science fiction novel while Sour Heart reads more as a coming of age story, both feature introspective women characters that made me analyze my own experience as an Asian American alongside their own. 

English 90AH: Asian American Theatre and Performance

Finally, I would love to highlight English 90AH: Asian American Theatre and Performance taught by Professor Ju-Yon Kim. This course was also a small seminar and the most memorable part of the course had to be our final presentations – groups chose a scene from a play that we read throughout the course and acted it out in front of the class. We had so many funny moments throughout the preparation and presentation. The class as a whole also got extremely close as we all prepared for these scene presentations together. Additionally, we got to take field trips to watch plays in person (my favorite was Kim’s Convenience), which was a wonderful way to get introduced to the theatre community in Boston. 

My two favorite plays from the course include Straight White Men by Young Jean Lee and Lidless by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig. Funny enough, these were the two plays that were chosen across the three groups to be presented for the final scene presentation. Straight White Men reads as a comedy that acts as a commentary on identity and privilege. Notably, with this play’s production on Broadway, Young Jean Lee became the first Asian American woman to have a play produced on Broadway! Lidless was a far heavier play dealing with guilt and moral responsibility. Both plays expanded my scope of the world of plays and theatre as a whole.

Overall, Harvard and the English Department at Harvard have introduced me to a variety of works that I may not have come in contact with otherwise. As I continue to take courses here, I’m excited to add to my growing library.