By Clover Lallier
If you ever wander into the Humanities building at 8 p.m. on a Tuesday, you may hear laughter coming from above you in Room 2031. At Literature Society meetings, students gather to discuss their favorite books, movies, plays, video games and even music lyrics.
Meetings focus on different genres and themes that are present in novels, with specific theme nights for queer authors or authors of color.
Madeline Laurens (right) and Abby Stinar (left) arguing over Jane Austen. (Photo by Clover Lallier)
“It’s a very chill environment for people to just discuss their interests,” said Carly Brennan, the president of the Literature Society. “The people who were and still are a part of the club are some of the most welcoming people I’ve ever met.”
Literature Society is one of the oldest organizations on campus. Kathleen McCormick, former professor of literature and pedagogy, founded the club 25 years ago. After McCormick retired, Gaura Narayan, assistant professor of literature, took over as the advisor until Paul Megna, assistant professor of literature, became the club’s advisor four years ago. Because of the club’s rich history, there are plenty of fun traditions to look forward to this year.
“I love being the faculty liaison to Literature Society, but I can't take too much credit for its thriving, since the society's leadership takes care of planning and facilitating all meetings,” said Megna. “I am particularly grateful that Literature Society oversees one of Purchase College's most longstanding and beloved annual events, Night of Many Tongues, which features speakers performing excerpts of literature in languages other than English. It's wonderful that Literature Society makes a space outside of the classroom for literature-related events like this.”
The Lit Gala is a fun, elegant costume party hosted by the Literature Society at the end of November. The theme is fairy court, which the club members voted on during the first meeting of the semester.
Fairy court is a cross between high fantasy and regency-era fashion. Then there is the annual Lit Lantern Legends meeting on Oct. 29, with a costume contest and a reading of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” as well as other spooky poetry or short stories.
Trent Romanelli (left), Natalie Cragle (sitting), and President Carly Brennan on Sapphic Literature Night. (Photo by Clover Lallier)
As the club has evolved over the past few years, the focus has shifted from surviving to thriving. “When I first joined, we were just trying to make it through the semester,” said Katherine Kelley, the club’s treasurer in her senior year. “Now, I think we really care about
making a space.”
The executive board is focused on creating a welcoming environment for students to discuss what they are enthusiastic about.
“Our goal this year is to allow our club members to have a bit more say about what activities and theme nights they would like to see throughout the semester,” said Brennan.
The club emphasizes listening to the club members, to make meetings as engaging and fun as possible. “We’ve also set up more spaces for people, especially freshmen to connect outside of club meetings,” said Brennan.
As for club members, the Literature Society maintains a tight-knit community of people with similar interests, which only aids in the inviting atmosphere of the club.
“I love writing and reading and talking about writing and reading so I wanted to join a community of people like me in that regard,” said Alix Seidman, a transfer student who attended the first Literature Society meeting. “I’m definitely coming back!"
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