ERIE, Pa. — Teaching writing made George Looney a better writer.
“Teaching literature and the art of writing — in addition to allowing me to talk about what I love — immerses me over and over in that struggle for meaning, which is what I try to create with my own writing,” he said. “It keeps those muscles stretched and toned and agile.”
As distinguished professor of English and creative writing at Penn State Behrend, where he taught for 27 years, Looney authored a novel, a novella, two collections of stories and 15 poetry collections, five of which won national awards.
In 2025, he edited “The Ceremony of Opening the Mouth: The Poetry and Prose of Douglas Smith.” The book collected the work of his best friend, who died in 2018.
This summer, Looney retired from his teaching role. He plans to keep writing, however. A new collection of poetry, “Things Still Worth Trying to Do,” will be published later this year. Another collaborative collection is in the works.
In the Q&A below, Looney reflects on his writing, his time in the classroom, and his long tenure as editor of Lake Effect, Behrend’s student-run literary journal.
Q: What drew you to the written word, and to poetry in particular?
Looney: When I was earning my BFA in art, I took some writing classes and began a lifelong love of literature. At some point, It became clear to me that what I most needed to express was coming out through my writing, so I stopped applying to MFA programs in art and applied to MFA programs in poetry.
Though my training in art has certainly influenced my writing, my art is now my writing.
Q: In a culture saturated with social media and video, why has poetry persisted?
Looney: It involves the reader in an active and engaged way. Poetry offers us the possibility of meaning, if we are willing to be engaged in its formation and go after it. Poetry makes us realize that meaning has to be earned.
Q: You helped launch Lake Effect, the college’s student-run literary journal. What does working on the journal teach students about publishing?
Looney: It provides practical experience with the publishing world in a real-life fashion. It also gives students experience with thinking about how a poem or story or essay is an artifact from another — and a valuable — perspective.
Q: Do you plan to keep writing in retirement?
Looney: I am still writing, and I suspect that will never fully end.