Pax! Welcome to my blog.

My name is Andres Munoz, Jr. – Benedictine oblate, high school English teacher, gamer, and geek. I am a quiet and introverted guy, avid reader and writer, and connoiseur of good food.

The Teacher
I graduated from St. Joseph Academy in Brownsville, TX, received my BA in English from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and my MA in English from the University of Texas at Brownsville. I have been teaching high school English for over 12 years. My professional interests include medieval and renaissance literature, sci-fi/fantasy/gothic literature, graphic novels, gamification, and the use of technology and virtual environments in the classroom. I am also a writer, poet, and artist, and you will see some of my work here on the blog.

The Benedictine
On 7 October 2013, I was invested as a Benedictine Oblate of Saint Meinrad Archabbey. As an oblate, I try to live the Rule of St. Benedict in my daily life, as well as pray the Liturgy of the Hours and practice lectio divina. Oblates are closely connected with the abbey of their oblation, and as such are considered full members of the Benedictine family.

The Geek
Formerly a word of derision, geek is now a badge of distinction, and I am honored to have borne this badge my entire life. Geeks are known for enjoying a variety of cultural experiences that are usually labeled as “weird” by society: gaming, comic books, opera, cult television shows, and the specific genres of science fiction and fantasy. Star Wars, Dr. Who, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter are my forte. I am also a fan of British shows, such as Blackadder, The Vicar of Dibley, and Torchwood.

The Gamer
As a gamer, I am interested in MMORPGs, particularly World of Warcraft and Lord of the Rings Online. I am proud to belong to Cognitive Dissonance, a guild on the Sisters of Elune server composed of educators who believe in using games in the classroom, and I am the guild leader of Ink and Quill, a social guild on the same server that encourages writing about the game, both fiction and non-fiction. I am also an avid table-top gamer and enjoy a variety of games: Elder Sign, Munchkin, and Dungeons and Dragons are a few examples from my gaming repertoire.