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The Dean of Arts and Sciences and the European Cultural Studies program hosted the Spring Lemon Cake Lecture series featuring Gary Saul Morson, the Frances Hooper Professor of the Arts and Humanities at Northwestern University, in the Shiffman Humanities Center this past Wednesday. Approximately 30 people were in attendance.
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The lecture, which was divided into 14 brief sections, highlighted the importance and use of wit.  
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According to Morson, wit has evolved into a genre as legitimate as any other, displaying style, intelligence and agility. 
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Morson said, "Witticism depends on timing. Miss the moment, and the witticism misfires."
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He emphasized the role of "presentness" within the various contexts of wit. "The sort of intelligence displayed by a successful witticism testifies to the importance of presentness in both senses of the term."
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"The witticism," Morson continued, "responds to a specific situation, at which the wit is present at the present moment."
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Wit also demands an audience, as well as a story, according to Morson. 
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Throughout his speech, Morson focused on some historical examples of wittiness, gathering samples from the works of Oscar Wilde, the Marx Brothers and Ambrose Bierce. 
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Morson went on to discuss the sport of wit and various types of wit, but the resonating theme at the end of the lecture was that wit solely depends on the moment. 
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Immediately following the lecture, lemon cake was served and a question-and-answer session with Professor Morson began. 
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In an interview with the Justice, Prof. Steve Dowden (GRALL), one of the organizers of the event, spoke a bit on the nature of the Lemon Cake Lecture series.  "We have a Lemon Cake Lecture every spring and we try to bring important scholars for Brandeis students to hear."
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"Wit is a universal topic," Dowden continued, "it's a lot of fun, and good for laughter, and we all had a good laugh."
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When asked by the Justice why he believes it important to keep wit alive, Morson replied, "It is important to be able to shift one's perspective to see points of view other than your own."
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John Nunes '13, spoke with the Justice about the overall impression he received from Morson's lecture. "Though I was only able to catch the tail end of Professor Morson's lecture, I was impressed with the scope of his knowledge and his ability to navigate the complex ideas and sources about which he spoke."