Exhibit

Sentences

Prison Writing Through the Ages
Decorative manuscript initial shows two people behind a barred prison window
Boethius, Anicii Severini Boecii, manuscript (between 1400 and 1425)
Credit: MS Lat 178, Houghton Library, Harvard University
Book cover displays a fallen man and the name of the author, Primo Levi
Primo Levi, Se Questo è un Uomo (1947)
Credit: IC9.L5785.947s (C), Houghton Library, Harvard University
Book cover displays prison window with bars
Words From the House of the Dead: Prison Writings from Soledad (1971)
Credit: AL 410.67, Widener Library, Harvard University
An open book with text hand-written between the printed lines.
Wole Soyinka, Prison Diaries (papers 1966–1996)
Credit: MS Thr 427, Houghton Library, Harvard University
Decorative manuscript initial shows two people behind a barred prison window Book cover displays a fallen man and the name of the author, Primo Levi Book cover displays prison window with bars An open book with text hand-written between the printed lines.

May 8, 2023 through Aug 11, 2023

Open to the public

Location

Edison and Newman Room, Floor 1
Houghton Library
Harvard Yard
Cambridge, MA 02138
See All Hours
Directions to Houghton Library

Sentences includes works by nearly fifty authors who wrote from prison, or who recounted their experiences of imprisonment after regaining their freedom, including

  • Boethius
  • Dietrich Bonhoeffer
  • Angela Davis
  • Fyodor Dostoyevsky
  • Rosa Luxemburg
  • Malcolm X
  • Wole Soyinka
  • Oscar Wilde

Spanning poetry, fiction, drama, philosophy, history, and autobiography, the prison writings in this exhibition provide a glimpse into how individuals react to their incarceration and powerfully demonstrate some of the socio-political and economic forces that marginalize, disenfranchise, and criminalize people, their communities, and their beliefs.

Curated by Peter X. Accardo, Houghton Librarian for Scholarly and Public Programs.

Planning to visit?

Houghton exhibitions are open to all visitors; face coverings are recommended. Please see Harvard Library's Visitor Access Page for the most up-to-date information about visiting the library.

Join us for a tour!

Join exhibition curator Peter Accardo for a special guided tour of Sentences. This 45-minute tour will include a discussion of the exhibition's themes, highlights of the items on display, and ample time for participant questions. Follow the links below to register in advance.

Persons with disabilities who would like to request accommodations or have questions about physical access may contact Houghton Library's Administrative Coordinator Le Huong Huynh at lehuong_huynh@harvard.edu or at 617-495-2443 at least 48 hours in advance of the tour.