Pirates in Early America

The representations of pirates in early America reveal deep truths about class, gender, and race in this place and time. Using scholarly work as well as the vast resources of the American Antiquarian Society, this course will examine how scholars and popularizers have approached this topic from various angles. Some focus on the individuals, famous or infamous, that dominate surviving documents. Some look at the young-male world of the pirate, focusing on sexuality, drinking, and political organization. For example, was there more equality on a pirate ship than on dry land?

Emily Dickinson's Music Book: A Live Performance of an American Poet’s Musical Life

After years of studying piano as a young woman in her family home in Amherst, Massachusetts, Emily Dickinson had her large collection of published sheet music bound into a keepsake book, a common practice at the time. Now part of the Dickinson Collection in the Houghton Library of Harvard University, this bound volume of 107 pieces includes the poet’s favorite instrumental piano music and vocal music, ranging from theme and variation sets to vernacular music.