During the 2024-25 academic year, the Department of Comparative Literature at Harvard celebrated its departmental anniversary—and Paraphrasis is launching a series of summer special episodes to commemorate the occasion. In our last edition of the series, guest host Esther K. Heller sits down with two Harvard University in Comparative Literature alumni, Prof. Andrea Bachner who graduated in 2007 and Dr. Michael O’Krent who graduated this spring (2025). Together, they reflect on their experiences in the Comparative Literature department at Harvard, examine how the field has evolved, and explore what lies ahead for the next generation of comparatists.

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