News Article

New Yorker Gabriel Horowitz is nothing if not eclectic. Let’s Get to Know the guy who’ll be crushing The Ramones at karaoke wearing his Sabres team sweater.

Gabriel Horowitz

Place of birth:

Portland, Oregon; raised in Hornell, N.Y.

Family?

I am married to Juanita Bernal Benavides

Why did you choose A-State?

Public education made all the difference in my life. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work at a public university that offers an excellent education affordably.

What makes a good professor?

Someone who can connect with students, and then help them see something new, or how to do something better.

Who was your favorite teacher (and why)?

I liked the teachers that allowed for my way of being and thinking. (I was not always an easy student.)

Before I retire...

I want to change the way people think about nature.

What makes for a good student?

One who doesn’t see school as “school” but rather as an integral part of life.

My hobby is...

making cardboard furniture and writing music.

My passion is...

making something out of nothing.

What’s the value of a university education?

It is advantageous to understand our bewildering world a little better, and a university education helps create that understanding.

Your philosophy on education in seven words:

Help students recognize and appreciate their questions.

If you could teach another field, which one and why?

Comparative Literature/Philosophy. I am interested in philosophical questions about history and nature.

When I want to crush karaoke, my song is...

“I Wanna Be Sedated”

What is the one thing you wish you could teach everyone about your field?

J.L. Borges

My pro sports team is:

the Buffalo Sabres

What are you working on right now?

I am writing a book about how the idea of nature has changed over time, and how this relates to the invention of Latin American nation-states in the 19th century.

In college, I was known as:

the guy with long hair who skateboarded around campus.

What music is playing in your car?

Radio, WEVL out of Memphis when possible.

What is your favorite podcast?

This American Life

My favorite motion picture is:

La Strada directed by Federico Fellini

The last book I read for fun was:

The Cantebury Tales by Chaucer

My favorite trip was:

the year I spent studying abroad in Valparaiso, Chile.

If I could travel anywhere it would be:

to another planet.

Four people I’d take to coffee would be:

Doris Salcedo, Paul Krugman, Dave Chapelle, and the Cohen Brothers (that’s five, sorry).

My pet peeve is:

apathy.

My favorite meal is:

Thanksgiving dinner.

A perfect day is:

one spent with friends/family.

My spirit cartoon character is:

Bugs Bunny

What I like about Jonesboro is:

its climate, convenience, and its people.

Cats or dogs?

Cats

E-book or hardback?

Physical book

Beach or mountains?

A rocky beach

Dinner or supper?

Dinner

What is the one thing I’ve learned I’d tell my college self:

Nobody makes it on their own. Seek out the people who can actually help you in achieving your goals. Bob Dylan visited Woody Guthrie in the hospital and learned from him. Do that.