The city of Tempe joined a worldwide effort this weekend to make Earth “greener” by making it darker, while an ASU English professor illuminated a group of students with literary readings.

On Saturday, cities in more than 88 countries participated in the effort to conserve natural resources from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time.

Participating communities were asked to turn off all lights and electrical appliances in the event, known as Earth Hour.

ASU’s Off-Campus and Computer Student Services (OCCSS) hosted an event for Earth Hour in which guest speaker and English professor Neal Lester read some of his favorite written pieces.

In the OCCSS Student Lounge’s candlelit back room, Lester participated in a “Literary Extravaganza” in which attendees listened to readings and discussed ways to save energy in their own homes.

A sought-after speaker and discussion facilitator, Lester has an extensive record of publication, lectures, editorships and public interviews, according to his biography on the University Web site.

During the course of Lester’s 20-year career, the Arizona Humanities Council named him a “Distinguished Public Scholar” in 2001, among other accolades.

DeDe Grogan, organizer of the event, said the evening began with a simple quiz about Earth Hour and its origin.

The audience learned that Australia was the first country to take place in the now worldwide event, which was created by the World Wildlife Federation.

The first Earth Hour took place in 2007 in Sydney, where 2.2 million people were reported to have participated.

Lester, who teaches a class about the relevance of African American children’s literature, expressed the importance of remembering the child in all of us, especially when the world is in an energy crisis.

“All of us were once children and have not necessarily become adults,” Lester said.

In Lester’s Earth Day readings, he wanted to “give a sense of how he experiences the world,” Grogan said.

During the event, Lester read excerpts from several written works, including his personal favorite, a poem titled “Life Is Fine” by Langston Hughes.

Reach the reporter at kelsey.groetken@asu.edu.