Mr. Tavolacci is a new(er) addition to Whitney Young’s teaching staff. He is currently halfway through his second year of teaching English III and A.P. Comp.

Q: What do you listen to?

A: I listen to tons of folk music, and right now I’m really into Tommy Jarrell; he’s a great banjo player from Low Gap, North Carolina. But I also listen to rap to a lot. I’ve been listening to Sean Price, he died not too long ago, so I picked up some of his albums.

Q: What are you reading?

A: Right now I’m reading The Man with the Golden Arm, by Nelson Algren. I’m one day in, but I’ve been meaning to read it for a few years now, so I’m pretty excited. Nelson Algren is a Chicago author, and this book is actually set in the city, around where I live.

Q: What are you watching?

A: I’ve been watching a shameless amount of Shameless; I actually am ashamed. I was super stoked about all of the Oscar wins, so I rewatched Mad Max. That movie is totally gnar-bone. I watched Gangs of New York last night, Daniel Day Lewis is terrifying, I highly recommend it.

Q:  What do you do when you’re not cultivating bright young minds?

A: My best friend Mike and I like to work on carpentry projects and other art installations. When the weather heats up, we like to go to the park and throw around the football or play some soccer. When I’m by myself I like to bike around the city with a camera. I like to explore new areas, try new restaurants and get different perspectives.  

Q:  What are your plans for the future?

A: I want to work at Whitney Young until I retire in forty years. But until then, I would love to start up a Chicago Literature class as an elective course. We would read Algren’s novels, some early Hemingway, Studs Terkel, Carl Sandburg, Stuart Dybek, Common and even some Kanye.