Harvard Book Store May 26 event

Harvard Book Store said on Sunday that Maria Tatar will appear at its Cambridge store on May 26 to discuss her new book, “Arachnomania: Spiders and the Cultural Work They Do for Us.” The event is scheduled for 7 p.m. at 1256 Massachusetts Ave., according to listings from the bookstore, Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences Division of Science and Princeton University Press. The bookstore’s social-media post said the program will include readings and a question-and-answer session. Harvard’s science division said the event is free and does not require registration. ### Who is speaking, and who is joining her? Maria Tatar is listed by Harvard Book Store and Harvard’s Division of Science as the featured speaker for the May 26 program. The event pages identify her as the John L. Loeb Research Professor of Folklore and Mythology and Germanic Languages and Literatures, emerita, at Harvard University. Charlie Tyson is slated to join Tatar in conversation, according to the Harvard science event listing and related event postings. (harvard.com) The Harvard Square Business Association listing identifies Tyson as a junior fellow at Harvard. ### What exactly is the May 26 event? The May 26 appearance is part of the Harvard Science Book Talks series, according to Harvard Book Store’s event calendar and Harvard’s Division of Science. (harvard.com) Those listings say the bookstore, the Harvard University Division of Science and Harvard Library are presenting the event together. Harvard Book Store’s post said the evening will include readings and a Q&A. (science.fas.harvard.edu) Princeton University Press lists the event under Tatar’s appearances for “Arachnomania,” giving the time as 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Eastern, while Harvard Book Store and Harvard’s science division list the event in the 7 p.m. hour. ### What does “Arachnomania” cover? (harvard.com) “Arachnomania: Spiders and the Cultural Work They Do for Us” examines spiders in literature, myth, art and popular culture, according to the Harvard Book Store book page. That page says Tatar writes that spiders have become “our totem animals, our significant others, and our curved mirrors,” and describes webs as metaphors for social connection in a fragile ecosystem. (press.princeton.edu) Harvard’s Division of Science event page says the book asks readers to look at spiders as figures that provoke both fascination and disgust. Princeton University Press lists the same title among its current releases and links the book to Tatar’s bookstore event in Cambridge. ### Where is the event being held, and do people need tickets? Harvard Book Store lists the event as in-store at 1256 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (harvard.com) The store’s homepage and event calendar both show the May 26 program on the upcoming schedule. Harvard’s Division of Science says the event is free and that no registration is required. Eventbrite also lists Harvard Book Store’s broader event program, but the Harvard and bookstore pages provide the clearest admission details for this appearance. (science.fas.harvard.edu) ### Where is the official listing for updates? Harvard Book Store’s event page carries the in-store listing for Maria Tatar, and Harvard’s Harvard Science Book Talks page includes the same May 26 appearance. (harvard.com) Princeton University Press also maintains an author-event page for the Cambridge stop. Tuesday, May 26, is the next dated milestone in the listing. Harvard Book Store’s calendar shows Tatar at 7 p.m. at the Cambridge store, with Charlie Tyson named as the conversation partner in Harvard’s science listing. (science.fas.harvard.edu) (harvard.com 1) (harvard.com 2)