In his comedic one-man show, The Trouble with My Name, professor, author, and poet Javier Ávila explains the American Latino experience and what it’s like to become a minority. Covering everything from home remedies to military service to the awkwardness of being corrected on how to pronounce your own name, Ávila brings together the seriousness of racial prejudice and the need for cultural awareness with the lightness of laughter.
The Trouble with My Name discusses Javier Ávila’s American Latino experience and what it’s like to become a minority, covering everything from home remedies to military service to the awkwardness of being corrected on how to pronounce your own name.
Ávila’s career began in the Caribbean, where he taught English at the University of Puerto Rico for eight years before moving to Pennsylvania to work as an educator at Northampton Community College. His work with students earned him the 2015 Pennsylvania Professor of the Year Award, sponsored by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.
In addition to his accomplishments in academia, Ávila is a renowned poet and novelist whose literary excellence propelled him to international recognition. His bestselling novel Different became an award-winning motion picture titled Miente, which was screened in over a dozen countries.
His books of poetry, The Symmetry of Time and The Dead Man’s Position, earned him prestigious awards by the Pen Club and the Puerto Rico Institute of Culture, respectively.
He is also the author of three nationally recognized books—Broken Glass on the Carpet, The Professor in Ruins, and The Oldest Profession. Ávila’s books have been part of university curricula for years, and he is a frequent visitor to colleges to discuss his work, with an intention of motivating students to become better readers and writers.
The Trouble with My Name consolidates Ávila’s talents as a poet and professor, focusing on the autobiographical journey of a man who moves between cultures and provides a unique perspective of American Latinos who struggle to dispel misconceptions about their identity and place in the world.
Ávila’s presentation is sponsored by the IUP Center for Multicultural Student Leadership and Engagement.
Paid parking is available on campus, including in the parking garage, which is located near Leonard Hall. Free parking is available in the HUB parking lot after 5:00 p.m.