by The conflict between Israel and Hamas and US politics in the election year are not the only context highlighted here. The academy seems to be in the grip of a multidimensional crisis that goes beyond ideology and also beyond Harvard. Higher education is plagued by opaque admissions policies; runaway tuition costs; administrative bloat; grade inflation; helicopter parents; cancel culture. The list goes on. An assiduous scholar could relate these phenomena to recent events at Harvard Yard. An enterprising writer could weave the whole thing into a gripping college novel, something worthy of Paul Beatty or Mary McCarthy.
Instead, for now, we will have to make do with Dr. Gay’s resignation letter, emailed to students, faculty, alumni, and others with the subject line “Personal News,” and the message from the Harvard Corporation (the organization secret rector of the university). ) about his departure.
What is most striking about these texts (each of which is just over 600 words, all carefully measured and few memorable) is their rigorous avoidance of context. There is no mention of Congress, or Gaza, or anything that could really explain what happened. “We live in difficult and worrying times,” he said. The corporation’s letter states, “and formidable challenges await us.” The nature of the problem is virtually unmentioned, in keeping with a general commitment to abstraction, as if bland, non-specific language could remove the difficulty. Only when the letters point out what the corporation calls the “disgusting and in some cases racist virtriol” that Dr. Gay faced as Harvard’s first black president do they register something of the rawness and rage of contemporary reality.
Otherwise, the only concrete reference (virtually the only proper name) in both letters is Harvard. Dr. Gay opens hers with an affirmation of her “deep love for Harvard,” as the corporation expresses the unfailing respect Harvard has for itself. Perhaps that’s to be expected from an institution reeling from a public relations catastrophe; its diligent defense of its fallen president – as “a leader, a teacher, a scholar, a mentor and an inspiration to many” – is also in keeping with the demands of the moment and the genre.
The curious thing, however, is that Harvard, which forces its undergraduates to master expository writing In his first year, he can’t find the language to defend himself. The corporation does not apologize or explain. Instead, he raises his hands in prayer: “May our community, with its long history of growth through change and storms, find new ways to confront those challenges together and affirm Harvard’s commitment to generating knowledge, seeking the truth and contribute through scholarships and education for a better world.”
