Tim Perper was one of the most influential sexologists of his time, but, strange as it may sound, most of those he influenced did not even know his name, let alone the impact he had on them and their work. Fairly early in my tenure as the Editor of the Journal of Sex Research (JSR), I became acquainted with Tim and asked him to review a manuscript that had been submitted for publication consideration. Little did I know then how often I, and subsequently other JSR editors, would draw on his wide-ranging knowledge and his ability to provide insightful feedback about both the substance of manuscripts and the quality of presentation. That first review led to others. Over the next 30 or so years Tim provided dozens of reviews, and the content of those reviews often dramatically influenced the publication decision and/or the quality of the published articles. Given the “blind” reviewing process, however, rarely did the authors know the source of the suggestions that influenced their work: thus his relative anonymity. Tim eventually served as an Associate Editor and the Book Review Editor for JSR during my tenure, and in those roles his impact may have been more visible.
Cynthia Graham, current Editor of JSR, said that Tim had been a regular reviewer for the journal since she started her term as Editor in 2009. Cynthia commented, “Although I never met Tim, I felt as if I knew him, as he frequently emailed me about manuscript reviews he was working on. His emails were unfailingly positive and supportive. He reviewed many manuscripts for JSR, and his reviews were consistently first-rate: critical but constructive and always timely.”
But who was Timothy Perper? There are many, many answers. He grew up in Greenwich Village, obtaining his undergraduate degree in biology and genetics from CCNY (1961) and his doctorate from CUNY (1969). He worked briefly in the pharmaceutical industry (1969–1972) before joining the biology faculty at Rutgers New Brunswick in the 1970s (1972–1979). It was during that time when he became fascinated by how couples meet and decide whether they are attracted to each other. In 1980 he obtained a grant from the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation to study conversations and “pick-ups” in singles bars and turned, full-time, to being an independent researcher, working from home and sometimes with his wife, Martha Cornog, a librarian and writer. The result was his influential book, Sex Signals: The Biology of Love (1985). In this work he identified a body language sequence typical of courtship: approach-talk-turn-touch-synchronization. This work revealed, to me at least, the core of Tim's scientific approach to understanding the complexity of human sexuality. He was a biologist by training, but he was much more: a cultural anthropologist, a social psychologist, an historian (he was delighted to find that the Roman poet Ovid spotted the courtship sequence over 2,000 years ago), and a mathematician, to name but a few of his many areas of expertise. He brought all of these perspectives to the table of knowledge. As the late historian Vern Bullough would have said: He was a sexologist.
Some years later, upon learning that Japanese manga comics depict courtship and sexuality differently than did most American comics at the time, Perper began to study and write about manga and anime in Mangatopia (2011), Graphic Novels Beyond the Basics (2009), and in essays and reviews online and in journals and anthologies. “Anime and manga represent living evidence of what nonwestern, erotophilic, and female-positive sexuality can look like” he wrote in the newsletter Contemporary Sexuality (2005). “Manga and anime provide ways to connect with young people and initiate conversations about sexuality.” He also served as book review editor for the Journal of Sex Education and Therapy, and Mechademia: An Annual Forum for Anime, Manga, and the Fan Arts. He reviewed manuscripts for Sexuality and Culture with no less attention to detail than for JSR.
In addition, Perper wrote quirky fiction, some published in Analog and in Oziana, the literary annual of the International Wizard of Oz Club. He delighted in creating cunning, oddball comebacks to spam emails and devising humorous word play. In recent years, his special love was creating the adventure/comedy webcomic The Adventures of Princess Adele of Utopia (www.princessadele.com) in collaboration with Martha and artist Jamar Nicholas. Martha recalled that Tim never tired of watching people flirt in singles bars. He enjoyed South Street-area bars (in Philadelphia), where he was sometimes known as “Uncle Tim” and “Dr. Pepper.”
But who was Tim Perper? In preparing this remembrance I asked a number of our colleagues from diverse backgrounds with diverse perspectives to address that question by filling in the blank in the following statement. “Tim Perper was ___.” I asked for a word or two, or a phrase that captured their insight into the multi-dimensional and complex character of the man. It was not possible, of course, for most people to answer in a word or two, just as it was not possible for Tim to address complex issues in a word or two. It was the complexity that intrigued him and that made him so special. Nonetheless, most respondents did try to capture the essence briefly.
David Pincus offered “In a word, I would say ‘lovely.'” He went on to say that “his work was elegant as it was practical, and simple as it was profound. His persona is like a small winking star shining in the nighttime sky.” Also, “his positive and playful spirit was so contagious.”
Ira Reiss described Tim as “a free thinking, very intelligent person—a cognitive human being. His work on flirting was a methodological gift of considerable value.” Jon Smith wrote, “I specifically remember telling my Women's Studies advisor about Tim's work on sexuality and anime/manga, and why it was a basis for me to explore anime from a sex-positive feminist perspective.” Roberto Refinetti, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief of Sexuality & Culture, commented that “Tim Perper was a pleasure to work with—always very helpful, always willing to review difficult articles, always level-headed, always providing valuable constructive criticism.” Bill Benson wrote “When I was researching my book on music, Tim drew my attention to the work of Walter Freeman, a neurobiologist at Berkeley. Tim was interested in complex dynamics and chaos, as was Freeman. So was I, but I didn't have the technical background Tim had, so I would turn to him to discuss such matters, interactional synchrony—which he'd observed in his courtship research—in particular. Tim was eager to share his expertise and quite skillful in doing so. He knew how to explain technical matters to someone lacking the math. That is an important and valuable skill, though not sufficiently appreciated. Without Tim's help some of my work would have been more difficult, if not impossible. Thank you Tim Perper!”
Patricia Aletky said Tim “was a brilliant, free-thinking individual who never took himself too seriously and kept his sense of humor. This loss goes beyond his specific works; he had a spirit of inquiry and willingness to ask the tough, sometimes unpopular questions and thus was a role model for all social scientists.” Patti Britton “thought of Tim as a major brainiac!” She went on to speak of his “keen mind,” and “his generosity of spirit.” “He was a good soul,” one of the “originals.” Carol Cassell remembered him as “a passionate man about life and a scholar who deeply cared about getting science right. He had the unique ability to separate the scientific wheat from the opinion chaff. I loved his comments on listservs—witty and always cutting edge.” Gina Ogden saw Tim “as brilliant and quirky.”
Howard Ruppel, who served as the Executive Director of SSSS during much of the time when Tim was most active in the field, and his wife Barbara, thought of Tim as a “Renaissance Man.” Howard wrote “When I think of Timothy Perper and the intellectual complexity that characterized his life and professional work, the narrow single-minded approach that characterizes so much of modern intellectual thought DOES NOT fit for him. His work (Sex Signals) artfully blends his biological curiosity about courtship with anthropological and social psychological perspectives that result in a totally new way of thinking and examining the courtship process in America. Some of the most memorable moments concerning this part of his work were the presentations that Tim and Martha made at professional meetings following the publication of the book. They would role play two strangers in a singles bar in which the male has just made eye contact with the female. The dance that followed was pure ballet! We will never forget it.” The Ruppels also mentioned another dimension of their relationship with Tim that will resonate with others who knew him well: fascinating conversation over “food and drink.” He was not one to engage in light-duty, stand-up chitchat, but in-depth discussion was his forté—at the bar, or over a plate of shrimp or oysters.
Martha characterizes Tim as a “mentor, polymath, and comedian. As a mentor, Tim would counsel at length and with intensity any person who crossed his path, or react to any issue. For several years he worked doggedly to improve a number of Wikipedia entries relating to sexuality or manga, a more daunting and combative process than probably recognized.” Polymath: “Tim didn't just read and publish in the sexuality journals or present at sexuality conferences. He was active also in the Society of Chaos Theory in the Life Sciences and the American Anthropological Association. He read avidly language journals, did math problems in bed at night for fun, and at one point taught himself to design and wire sound-generation circuits.” Comedian: “Tim wrote quite a quantity of short, humorous pieces, some jokes and quips, and short stories (some of which I hope to publish soon). He could always make me howl with laughter with jokes and funny faces.”
But who was Tim Perper? As I read the comments of those invited to reflect on the question, I often smiled and nodded to myself, having experienced those facets of his persona in my interactions with him as well. But I felt something was missing; some trait that was part of my experience not yet captured by the others. As I pondered, it finally came to me. Tim was challenging. I don't mean that he was intimidating, although he could be that too, but, rather, that he challenged me (and I know others also). He challenged me to think more clearly; to write more precisely; to be a better scientist; to be a better editor. Details mattered to Tim. I will never forget a simple example. During a public discussion that followed a conference presentation, I used the word “less” (in reference to what I do not recall). He immediately called to my attention that I meant “fewer,” not “less.” “Woe is I” as the grammarian Patricia O'Connor said years ago. He was, of course, correct. Little things do matter, and he had a way of being able to point out those “little things” in a manner (usually) that did not offend. That said, he did love to engage in the good debate as well, and he did not easily tolerate fools.
Tim Perper was all of these things and more! His influence will live on, and he will be missed.
Notes
1Clive M. Davis, PhD, served as Editor of The Journal of Sex Research from 1977–1987.