Nostalgias of the Future: The Materiality of Memory in Solaris and New York 2140

Poster for the sixth annual Svetlana Boym Memorial Lecture: David Damrosch, Ernest Bernbaum Professor of Comparative Literature at Harvard, speaking on “Nostalgias of the Future: The Materiality of Memory in Solaris and New York 2140.” Event on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at 5 PM in Harvard Hall 101, Cambridge; hosted by Harvard’s Departments of Comparative Literature and Slavic Literatures and Languages, open to all.

Date and Time

April 21, 2026
05:00PM - 06:30PM EDT

Location

Room 101, Harvard Hall

Harvard Yard
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

The Department of Comparative Literature and the Department of Slavic Literatures and Languages cordially invite you to the sixth annual Svetlana Boym Memorial Lecture.

Speaker | David Damrosch
Ernest Bernbaum Professor of Comparative Literature

Nostalgias of the Future: The Materiality of Memory in Solaris and New York 2140

In The Future of Nostalgia, Svetlana Boym writes that “at first glance, nostalgia is a longing for a place, but actually it is a yearning for a different time – the time of our childhood.” Science fiction adds a new temporal dimension, a prospective nostalgia set in a distant future. This talk will compare Russian and American nostalgias as seen in the varied ways objects carry memory in Andrei Tarkovsky’s Solaris and Kim Stanley Robinson’s New York 2140.

Event open to all

For more information: https://complit.fas.harvard.edu/lecture/svetlana-boym-memorial-lecture-2026/

https://complit.fas.harvard.edu/video/2026-svetlana-boym-memorial-lecture-david-damrosch/

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Accessibility

Harvard University welcomes individuals with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you would like to request accommodations or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact the Slavic Department at 617-495-4065 or slavic@fas.harvard.edu in advance of your participation or visit. Requests for Sign Language interpreters and/or CART providers should be made at least two weeks in advance, if possible. Please note that the university will make every effort to secure services, but that services are subject to availability.