Allan Stoekl

Allan Stoekl is a Professor of French and Comparative Literature at The Pennsylvania State University's Department of French and Francophone Studies, part of the College of the Liberal Arts. He has held visiting positions at Johns Hopkins and Westminster University (London). His research focuses on 20th/21st-century French literature, sustainability theory, energy use, and cinema studies.

Education: PhD in Comparative Literature from SUNY-Buffalo (1980).

Research explores intersections of energy use, philosophy, and cultural theory, notably analyzing Georges Bataille’s prescient energy critiques. Current projects include re-evaluating urban theory through sustainable frameworks. He has published widely on topics like oil depletion, ecological urbanism, and post-apocalyptic sustainability.

Teaching includes advanced courses on French literature, poetry, cinema auteurs, and energy studies. His work bridges literary analysis with urgent contemporary issues like climate change and urban sustainability.