
Stanford Law School’s 2025 summer faculty reading list
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Looking for a good book or two to dig into during the summer? Law School faculty offer some of their favorite reads.

New book examines how historical fiction fueled rise of Japanese nationalism before WWII
News
As nationalism grows both domestically and abroad, Literature for the Masses explores how Japanese popular culture from a hundred years ago resembles that of the 21st century.

New Center for Poetics ‘supports and encourages the vitality of the field’
Research
Building upon a workshop established in 2007, the center will enable a broad range of new activities, including events honoring Stanford luminaries in poetics.

Stanford undergraduate helps tell the story of an Afghan girl’s fight for education
News
Malaina Kapoor, an international relations student, has co-written a book chronicling how a young Afghan woman defied the Taliban and found freedom by educating herself.

Steinbeck’s experimentalism explored
News
English Professor Gavin Jones’ new book examines John Steinbeck’s experimentalism, contending that the author’s portrayals of climate change and wealth inequality make him an important literary voice for today.

Oceans examined through historical and literary lenses
News
With a publication date coinciding with Earth Day, a new, six-volume set edited by Stanford English Professor Margaret Cohen explores the cultural history of Earth’s oceans from antiquity to the modern era.

Students explore oceanography and Steinbeck in Monterey
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Students living at and visiting Hopkins Marine Station in Monterey examine the cross-disciplinary friendship and collaboration between author John Steinbeck and scientist Ed Ricketts.

Origins of dragons, trolls and witches
News
In a new class, called Medieval Fantasy Literature, students examined the origins of dragons, witches and other fantastical creatures by reading a series of ancient works.

Renowned French philosopher Michel Serres dies at 88
Obituary
A member of the prestigious Académie Française, Michel Serres taught at Stanford’s Department of French and Italian for nearly 30 years. He died June 1 at 88.

Prolific Stanford author and poet John L’Heureux has died at 84
Obituary
John L’Heureux directed the highly regarded Stanford Creative Writing Program and the Wallace Stegner Creative Writing Fellowship program, where his proteges included, among many others, National Medal of Arts recipients.