Dr. Edward Avila: 20 questions
What is your spirit animal? It’s got to be the bat. I can’t see for sh%$, I like to eat, I love being in a community, and I don’t move around well in the winter.
What word describes you best? Learning and unfolding.
What three items would you want if you were stranded on an island? A city, my family, and a university in which to work.
Do you know any other languages other than English? Spanish, which is a lifelong learning project.
Favorite band or type of music? Bebop, Hip Hop, Baroque, and Indie Rock.
Dogs or cats? Dats. [I try to avoid false dilemmas.]
Do you play any instruments? Bass (and sometimes piano).
What is your favorite episode of Star Wars? The Empire Strikes Back.
Favorite holiday? Dia de los Muertos and May Day. You did say hollerday, right?
Who is your favorite member of The Beatles? John (George is a close second)
What would be your first move after winning the Minnesota lottery? Funding music and art programs in Mankato and surrounding communities.
Do you consider yourself more of a hunter or a gatherer? A gunter or hatherer, depending on the season and alignment of the planets.
What song would you sing in your audition for American Idol? John Cage’s 4’33’’
What is your preferred method for listening to music (vinyl, CD, digital, etc.)? Vinyl.
What’s your favorite course to teach? ENG 318: Transnational Latina/o Narratives: Migration, Space, and Identity.
Do you believe in Bigfoot? Only if s/he believes in me.
If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be? My two young daughters. I miss that perception of the world.
Which fictional character would you bring to life if any? What?!? They’re not real?!?
What is your favorite drink? Espresso in all its various and splendid forms.
What trend do you wish would come back? Which do you wish would be gone forever? Certainly not ’80s attire; been there and done that and hope I never have to experience that again (unless, perhaps, it’s a rebooted version of ’80s “goth,” but certainly not the mullet). I’d like to see public libraries opened the entire weekend, and not just for a few hours. I’d also like to see the San Diego Padres return to their classic brown unis. Lastly, I’d like to see older generations STOP talking trash about younger generations—go Millennials and Gen Z! I’m also appreciating the rise in resistance movements; much needed, timely, and inspirational.
