Ervin Nieves
He's a fan of jumbo shrimp
Ervin Nieves
- Age: Older than 30 (says telling his true age is a phobia)
- Lives in: Coralville
- Occupation: Literature and writing instructor
- Favorite thing: Sharing a warm conversation with another person
As a teacher and writer, Ervin Nieves knows that humor can be a tool to convey truths about life.
“If life is real, one spends a healthy part of it laughing at its oddities,” the University of Iowa instructor said. “These funny moments in life are what makes us feel alive.”
The thing that gives him the most joy is conversing with others and noticing the smallest of oddities. Oxymorons like, “I thought I was wrong, but I was mistaken,” and “jumbo shrimp,” jump out at him constantly.
A native of Paterson, N.J., Nieves came to Iowa to earn his Ph.D.
“Before that I didn’t know much about Iowa except it had corn,” he said.
He’s currently converting his dissertation into a book for the University of Texas Press and is teaching foundation courses in the Tippie School of Business.
“I find humor is important in breaking the ice with students and can insightfully convey truths about life,” he said.
So far, writing fiction and screenplays has been just a hobby for Nieves, but he hopes to publish his work. He’s also a practitioner of Shaolin kung fu and enjoys a variety of music.
“I also learn a lot from students in those moments when they share anecdotal insights using their own humor,” he said. “A lesson learned through a chuckle sticks in one’s brain.”
— Jon Klinkowitz
