Miller's Resignation Could Harm Gay, Lesbian Studies

Gay and lesbian studies at Harvard will suffer from professor of English and American Literature and Language D.A. Miller's departure for Columbia University in the fall, students and faculty said yesterday.

One leader of the Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Students Association (BGLSA) said Miller's leaving will detract from Harvard's already weak course offerings in gay and lesbian studies.

"I think Harvard is already considered not very strong in gay and lesbian studies," said Dennis K. Lin '93- '94, co-chair of the BGLSA. "I think his leaving will just add to that."

Miller's replacement will not necessarily be a specialist in gay and lesbian studies. English Department Chair Leo Damrosch said the department will try to replace Miller with someone knowledgeable in in 19th and 50th century literature.

"The search process is inordinately complicated," Damrosch said. "We already knew that the 19th and 20th centuries both are areas that we need to expand. Even if he had not gone, we would have needed to strengthen the modern periods."

Lin also said the BGLSA's hopes for a committee on gay and lesbian studies, dashed by President Neil L. Rudenstinein the fall, were battered once again by therecent news of Miller's move.

"At the beginning of the year, we had beengoing around asking about the possible gay andlesbian studies committee," Lin said. "WhatRudenstine said was that they simply cannot createa committee unless there is a sufficient number ofcourses on this particular subject. With peoplelike Professor Miller leaving, it will seriouslyreduce the number of courses offered."

Although the BGLSA has not demonstrated againstthe lack of professors involved in gay and lesbianstudies, Lin said the possibility for protest inthe next year or two does exist.

"Even though we haven't taken it to protestyet, we believe there is a lack of gay and lesbianfaculty members who teach gay and lesbian courseson campus," In said. "I think the momentum is notthere yet, but I think in a year, or two therewill be protests if nothing is done."

Another member of the BGLSA said that althoughhe agrees with few of Miller's ideas, he stillbelieves that Harvard will undergo a loss whenMiller leaves.

"Even though I disagree with basicallyeverything D.A. Miller does, I think he'sincredibly valuable to gay studies because he hasto good eye," said William Tate Dougherty '94.

"He's not afraid to go through and explainliterature and literary criticism from aspecifically gay reference point," said Dougherty,who is writing a thesis on topics in gay andlesbian studies.

Dougherty speculated that Miller's decision toleave was prompted by Harvard's attitude towardgay and lesbian studies.

"The fact that he's leaving says a lot aboutHarvard's toleration of gay studies," Doughertysaid. "He's not happy here and I think that thefact that he's not happy here and that he doesn'tfeel comfortable here has led to his going toColumbia where more gay men feel comfortable,"said Dougherty, who transferred to Harvard fromColumbia.

One student said that Miller's transfer wouldhave not only an academic but a social effect onthe College.

"He's one of the few people who is reallyteaching courses that deal directly withhomosexuality and its place in literature,history, pop culture and how we look at socialconstructs," said Rachel B. Tiven '96.

"It's a loss academically, but it's also a losssocially for us because it's certainly to theadvantage of not just non-straight students butall students that there be visible out facultymembers," she said.

The chair of the English department alsoregretted Miller's leaving.

"It's a very big loss," said Damrosch."Graduate students in particular have come thereto work with him. He's a very bright guy."

Damrosch added, however, that Miller was notbrought to Harvard because of his work in thefield of gay and lesbian studies.

"He was the product of a search for someone innineteenth-century and modern fiction," Damroschsaid. "People who knew him undoubtedly knew thathe was interested in gay studies, but it wasn't aquestion of recruiting him to do that.Increasingly, his courses have expressed thatinterest, but that has been a completely personaldecision."

A colleague of Miller's in the EnglishDepartment said his leaving would seriously affectthe areas of study at Harvard.

"I think it will have a very dramatic effect onliterary studies and gay studies," said Barbara E.Johnson, professor of English and comparativeliterature. "I think David is a unique,extraordinarily talented interpreter ofliterature. I think it's really too bad.

"At the beginning of the year, we had beengoing around asking about the possible gay andlesbian studies committee," Lin said. "WhatRudenstine said was that they simply cannot createa committee unless there is a sufficient number ofcourses on this particular subject. With peoplelike Professor Miller leaving, it will seriouslyreduce the number of courses offered."

Although the BGLSA has not demonstrated againstthe lack of professors involved in gay and lesbianstudies, Lin said the possibility for protest inthe next year or two does exist.

"Even though we haven't taken it to protestyet, we believe there is a lack of gay and lesbianfaculty members who teach gay and lesbian courseson campus," In said. "I think the momentum is notthere yet, but I think in a year, or two therewill be protests if nothing is done."

Another member of the BGLSA said that althoughhe agrees with few of Miller's ideas, he stillbelieves that Harvard will undergo a loss whenMiller leaves.

"Even though I disagree with basicallyeverything D.A. Miller does, I think he'sincredibly valuable to gay studies because he hasto good eye," said William Tate Dougherty '94.

"He's not afraid to go through and explainliterature and literary criticism from aspecifically gay reference point," said Dougherty,who is writing a thesis on topics in gay andlesbian studies.

Dougherty speculated that Miller's decision toleave was prompted by Harvard's attitude towardgay and lesbian studies.

"The fact that he's leaving says a lot aboutHarvard's toleration of gay studies," Doughertysaid. "He's not happy here and I think that thefact that he's not happy here and that he doesn'tfeel comfortable here has led to his going toColumbia where more gay men feel comfortable,"said Dougherty, who transferred to Harvard fromColumbia.

One student said that Miller's transfer wouldhave not only an academic but a social effect onthe College.

"He's one of the few people who is reallyteaching courses that deal directly withhomosexuality and its place in literature,history, pop culture and how we look at socialconstructs," said Rachel B. Tiven '96.

"It's a loss academically, but it's also a losssocially for us because it's certainly to theadvantage of not just non-straight students butall students that there be visible out facultymembers," she said.

The chair of the English department alsoregretted Miller's leaving.

"It's a very big loss," said Damrosch."Graduate students in particular have come thereto work with him. He's a very bright guy."

Damrosch added, however, that Miller was notbrought to Harvard because of his work in thefield of gay and lesbian studies.

"He was the product of a search for someone innineteenth-century and modern fiction," Damroschsaid. "People who knew him undoubtedly knew thathe was interested in gay studies, but it wasn't aquestion of recruiting him to do that.Increasingly, his courses have expressed thatinterest, but that has been a completely personaldecision."

A colleague of Miller's in the EnglishDepartment said his leaving would seriously affectthe areas of study at Harvard.

"I think it will have a very dramatic effect onliterary studies and gay studies," said Barbara E.Johnson, professor of English and comparativeliterature. "I think David is a unique,extraordinarily talented interpreter ofliterature. I think it's really too bad.