Judges' Comments

"Abstracting Realism: Dreams of a New City in Whistler's Nocturne in Blue and Silver," is an exquisite paper. In it, Emily Moss chose a painting in the Harvard Art Museums and did independent research to enrich her reading of the art in the context of its time. Her writing is elegant, her thinking complex, and her inspiration impressive. This essay speaks to the delights of reading a multi-disciplinary piece of writing. 

Caroline George's paper, "The Reality of Fiction," presents an arresting re-seeing of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper." George demonstrates an agile close reading of a familiar text. In her subtle discussion of Gilman's blurring of the "boundaries between fact and fiction," George gives the reader a refreshing look at the continuing and complex relationship between the writer of fiction and the world around her. 

The judges selected Helen Andersen's essay, "Building the House of Cards: The Role of the Internet in the Growth of the Asexual Community,” because of its thoughtful and innovative interplay between scholarly research and individual point of view. Not only did the writer display an impressive command over the material, but Helen also integrated a deft and insightful search of the available history on the topic. Throughout the essay, Helen showed distinctive and exemplary qualities as writer: a strong sense of audience, an awareness of the larger discourse around the issue, and a deep individual stake in the essay.