Around Town
Living Among the Dead in the Old Burying Ground
Efforts to preserve the Old Burying Ground’s historical and aesthetic legacy have given rise to an entirely new set of questions: Who gets memorialized after death, and why? What makes us devote money and manpower to the upkeep of a graveyard so old that no surviving descendants are left to visit? And what does all of it say about us now?
skull and crossbones grave
The tombstones are remnants of Puritan-era craftsmanship that the Fannins take pride in preserving. Many of them are painstakingly carved with images of the “death’s head” — a foreboding, winged skull, etched alongside phrases like “memento mori” (remember you must die) and “fugit hora” (the hour flies).
Easter Graveyard
Volunteers are busy scattering rainbow plastic eggs for the annual Easter egg hunt.
Old Burying Ground
The Old Burying Ground, the oldest surviving graveyard in Cambridge, is a fixture of Harvard Square. Over the past two decades, efforts to maintain the cemetery have drawn together a wide swath of Cambridge residents, historians, scholars, and preservationists.
Bow & Arrow
“We have poured so much care and attention and seen it blossom beyond our wildest dreams in many ways,” Biderman says, explaining “how hard it is to consider that the press might not have a future.”
Haimo and Pastreich B+W Print
Henry N. Haimo ’24 (left) and Julia K. Pastreich ’25 (right) prepare a black and white print at the Bow & Arrow Press in Adams House.
Printing Preparation
“When I saw that all the type was correct and the ink was done correctly, it just culminated,” Cheriyan says. She recalls “just seeing” the poster and “reflecting on the past year, and all the moments that I've been in the press.”
Inside Bow & Arrow Press’ Final Days in Adams House
Through hours long visits to the Bow & Arrow Press, we discover a vibrant and passionate community in celebration and sadness. It is the week of the Press’ 45th anniversary — it is also the week that the Press learns of its imminent closure.
The Universal Design Playground — A Space for Children of All Abilities to Play
With its grand opening in December 2021, the playground is the first in Cambridge to fully incorporate Universal Design — the concept that an entire play structure should be accessible for all.
Bow and Arrow Print
A print the writers helped make on the last print run of Bow & Arrow Press. The black manicule points to its former location at the intersection of Bow Street and Arrow Street.
Tommy Orange Visits Harvard Art Museums to Talk About New Novel, Indigenous Identity
Walking into Menschel Hall at the Harvard Art Museums last Thursday, listeners expect to hear a lecture from best-selling author Tommy Orange. Instead, Orange reveals excerpts from his upcoming book, “Wandering Stars,” set to be released in spring 2024.
Candice Lin, Memory (Study #2),
Candice Lin, "Memory (Study #2)," 2016. Installation view: Symbionts: Contemporary Artists and the Biosphere, MIT List Visual Arts Center, Cambridge, 2022. Photo: Dario Lasagni
Gut Flora
"Gut Flora (Cerebrobacillus)," "Gut Flora (Lactogalaxius)," "Gut Flora (Glossococcus)," 2022. Installation view: Symbionts: Contemporary Artists and the Biosphere, MIT List Visual Arts Center, Cambridge, 2022. All works courtesy of the artist. Photo: Dario Lasagni
The Jukebox that Shares Stories, Not Songs
These stories are part of Jukebox, a participatory art project created by Elisa H. Hamilton, who describes herself as a “socially engaged multimedia artist.” Hamilton intends for the project to create a hub for sharing and saving Cambridge residents’ stories, especially those of the city’s residents of color.
Snowman cupcakes
Snowman cupcakes from the first round of the event, decorated by the winning team.
Baking the World a Happier Place
Bake it Till You Make it LLC, a “community based organization dedicated to destigmatizing mental illness, normalizing mental health conversation and promoting authentic healing and recovery,” seeks to connect people through food.
Dayna Altman
Dayna P. Altman, mental health advocate and the founder of Bake it Till You Make it, at her recent Nailed It decorating event in Somerville.