Despite the fact that Harper's primary expertise lies in 20th century literature, Brandeis's Gilmore maintains that the young scholar has a unique ability also to bring early literature, particularly slave narratives, to life.

"He opened up an important part of the American literary past for the students," says Gilmore. "He has a very powerful way of finding something in the past that connects with the present."

Harvard's reputation for being rough on junior faculty is well-known, and before Harper came to Cambridge many people he talked to said they couldn't believe he was considering the move. But the university is not the only thing that makes him slightly uneasy.

Harper grew up in Detroit and attended the University of Michigan, a drastically different environment for Blacks than Boston, according to Harper. "I think it's tough to be a Black person in Boston," says Harper. "When I first came here I hated it. I'd never seen a place so racist."

The problem with the Boston area, he says, is the relative invisibility of its Black middle class. Time has tempered his distaste for the city, but it is still not a place he loves.

"It still boggles my mind that you can walk down Newbury St. or through Harvard Square and still see relatively few Black people," he says.

Still, despite his experience in Boston and Harvard's reputation, Harper remains eager to teach and study in what he considers his calling.

"That's the reason I what into this line of work," he says. "There is no other field you can think in such abstract ways and gets paid to do it."