Contributing writer

Ciana J. King

Latest Content


A Centuries-Old Papier-Mâché Octopus Swims Northwest, Finds a “A Second Life”

After decades of collecting dust in a Harvard Museum of Natural History classroom, a life-size papier-mâché model of an octopus has found a new home. With each of its looping tentacles stretching out about eight feet, it lies suspended above a grand staircase in the spacious, modern, glassy foyer of Harvard’s Northwest Building, home to labs, classrooms, and offices for Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.


To Be a Good Neighbor

At biweekly meetings, City Life/Vida Urbana members convene with residents and Project No One Leaves, a canvassing group led by Harvard Law School students, to address housing-related issues in the Boston area.


Fleeting Connections with George D. Vaill, the Free Advice Guy

Vaill says the questions people ask range from lighthearted to weighty. He’s often asked things like, “What are you doing here?” “How should I handle my blind date tonight?” “How do I find a boy?” “Should I change my major?”


A Win-Win for Harvard Square Homeless Shelter

Only a week after the Covid-19 shutdown on March 17, 2020, the city of Cambridge started a restaurant shelter meals program, partnering with local food establishments to provide meals to people experiencing homelessness throughout the public health crisis. The program has expanded from eight sites around the city of Cambridge to 17 meal locations, one of which is HSHS.