Gabriel Saxton-Ruiz is a new faculty member in Humanistic Studies and Spanish. We thought you might like to know a little more about your professor and colleague, so we asked him a few questions about himself.
Where did you go to college?
Virginia Tech; University of Tennessee
Who was your favorite professor and why?
Luis Cano – he has a wonderful sense of humor, and was not afraid of including Science Fiction/Hard-boiled Detective Novels in “serious” PhD seminars.
You have a PhD in what field?
Modern Foreign Languages (major: Spanish; 2nd concentration: French Studies; 3rd concentration: Applied Linguistics)
What did you do your research on?
Contemporary Peruvian Narrative and Political Violence
What are your current research interests?
I will be presenting a paper (tentatively titled) “Political science fiction in the plays of Juan Rivera Saavedra,” at the Jornadas Internacionales de Teatro en Puebla, Mexico next July. I am also interested in translating some recent Peruvian novels/short stories.
What courses do you teach?
Spanish Language, Culture and Literature courses
How would you describe your teaching style?
I enjoy classes that are interactive. I prefer having my students express themselves and relate the texts they read to their own reality. I try not to lecture for an hour and fifteen minutes.
What do you like to do for fun?
I love to play and watch soccer…I support Club Deportivo Universidad César Vallejo (Peru). Music – I was a College Radio DJ and worked at a record store…but I don’t wear Kurt Rambis glasses. Cooking – I am the cook in the house – I tend to prepare lots of Peruvian and Spanish dishes. Family – I love spending time with my wife and kids.
What was the last good book you read?
La paz de los vencidos by Jorge Eduardo Benavides (Tree of Smoke translated by Denis Johnson).
If we looked at your playlist what would we find?
- Thirteen – Big Star
- God Loves You, Michael Chang – Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele
- Ando Meio Desligado – Os Mutantes
- Shoot You Down – Stone Roses
- Ain’t Got No/I Got Life – Nina Simone
- The Concept – Teenage Fanclub
- Here Comes Your Man – Pixies
- Town Called Malice – The Jam
- If We Can Land a Man on the Moon, Surely I Can Win Your Heart – Beulah
- Candy – Morphine
- Northern Sky – Nick Drake
- The Journey To Serra da Estrela – The Phenomenal Handclap Band
- I’m So Tired Of Being Alone – Al Green
- Staring At The Sun – TV On The Radio
- This Life Makes Me Wonder – Delroy Wilson
- Lo que ves es lo que hay – Rubín y los Subtitulados
- Anything by the Beatles, Beach Boys, Stevie Wonder and Paco de Lucía…
