Christopher Looby, a University of California, Los Angeles professor, made some bold claims about the connection of literature and sexuality Thursday.
"Without literature there would be no sexuality," Looby said at the beginning of an hour-long speech he gave at 2:30 p.m. in the Jury Space in the Stuckeman Family Building.
Before the speech, called "Queer Timing," Jessica Saddler (freshman-psychology) said she didn't know much about the topic, but wanted to learn something new.
"It's interesting to hear other people speak and to hear their perspectives," she said.
Looby, dressed in jeans, a velvet jacket, and a grey and purple tie, spoke about literature and sexuality, specifically referencing Charles Warren Stoddard's For the Pleasure of his Company, which critiques marriage, gender roles and sexual identity.
The Jury Space room is a large, open space framed by tall glass windows; it made Looby feel more exposed than he usually does when reading a work in progress, he joked.
That open space led to some noise issues when in the middle of the speech Penn State President Graham Spanier passed the room on his way out of a joint department meeting of the Architectural and Landscape and Architecture departments, followed by a crowd of people.
Looby paused, took his jacket off and put a microphone on so he could be heard.
The speech attracted about 40 people and ended with a 45-minute question-and-answer session.
Even though Saddler has never read Stoddard's book, listening to the speech made her feel as though she's informed about it now, she said.
"At first the concepts seemed a little far-fetched," she said, but as soon as he explained it, it made sense to her.
Looby speaks at events like this a few times a year, he said, adding he enjoys public speaking.
"It's a privilege to have people listen and give you feedback," he said.
Though he once lived in Philadelphia, this was his first time at Penn State.
He said he loves Los Angeles but appreciates the contrast the "leafy greenness" of Penn State provides.
Looby's speech is the first in a series of six speeches presented by the Department of English and the Center for American Literary Studies.
Eric Norton (graduate-American literature) and Brian Neff (graduate-American literature) organized the series along with faculty members.
The theme of the series is "exploring the social, historical, and literary potential of imagination in America," according to an e-mail written by Neff.
