Monique Balbuena
Assistant Professor of Literature
Hometown: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Education: B.A. and M.A from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Ph.D. in comparative literature from the University of California at Berkeley.
On teaching: I want my students to go beyond playing by the book. I want them to take risks, be daring, and become excited about learning. In class I like to have a very high level of discussion, for my students to have fun without detracting from serious thinking, for them to explore their intellectual curiosity and grow.
Dream course to teach: I'd like to teach The Literature and History of Tango.
Research: Currently writing a book titled Diasporic Sephardic Identities: A Transnational Poetics of Jewish Languages. I'm especially interested in the literature of Sephardic Jewish communities written in Ladino, and I'm also a poet.
Languages: Portuguese (my mother's language), Spanish (my father's language), French, Hebrew, Ladino, plus a little Italian and Arabic.
Hobbies: I come from a place where we dance. Swimming and running.
On the rain: You get used to it.
Your study spot on campus: Café Roma for grading papers, study carrel at the library.
Favorite Eugene food find: Prince Pückler's Gourmet Ice Cream.
Essential rain gear: Rain gear for biking.
On training for an Olympic-length triathlon: You don't have to win the whole thing to feel like you won. You are competing against your own personal record. I started as an athlete late in life and did my first marathon in 2001. Exercising keeps me sane. If I just did my intellectual work, I would go crazy.
Essential morning beverage: Café au lait at Café Roma.
Best place to take a walk or hike: Hendricks Park.
Transport of choice to campus: Bike.
One thing every UO student needs: Critical sense.
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