Joe Silvestri

If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to?
1978. Wouldn’t anyone want a second crack at their high school years? I wasn’t lucky enough to go to a school like Blake, but I know I could make my JV baseball team if I just had the guts to try out again!

Do you collect anything?
New England Patriots Super Bowl titles. Don’t hate me.

What is one thing you will never do again?
I’ll never, ever step foot in an amusement park virtual reality “ride” again. To this day I get dizzy and nauseous thinking about “The Simpsons” at the Universal Studios in Florida.

Would you rather explore a new planet or the deepest parts of the ocean and why?
Thumbs down on space. Thumbs up on oceans. It’s both eerie and thrilling to know there are many weird and creepy undiscovered underwater species right beneath us. Have you seen those giant squid?  Show me a space creature, and I could get interested in space.

What story does your family always tell about you?
Every Thanksgiving: My little sister fell through a frozen pond in our neighborhood when I was 11, and I jumped in to save her. I think everyone wonders how they would react in a life and death moment, so I’m glad to know I had a little hero in me.

What is one goal you’d like to accomplish during your lifetime?
Is it a goal if you are not actually working toward it? Probably not. Nevertheless, I would like to construct and publish a Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle. Words - yes. Clues - yes. Witty theme - no.

What book has influenced you greatly? How?
“Independence Day” by Richard Ford. Frank Bascombe, the main character, taught me that it is OK to sometimes just allow life to happen instead of trying to control every aspect of my existence.

What is your earliest childhood memory?
Town Beach, Westerly, Rhode, Island. “Brandy, you’re a fine girl” playing on the transistor radio. Sand in my PB&J.

What is your idea of a fruitful day?
Checklist complete.