9 ▁in ▁Madrid ▁during ▁ 2 0 2 0 ▁coron av irus ▁pan demic ▁in ▁Spain , ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 8 3 . ▁ ▁Early ▁years ▁ ▁Z av ala ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁ 2 7 ▁December ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁in ▁P once , ▁Puerto ▁Rico . ▁She ▁graduated ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Puerto ▁Rico ▁with ▁a ▁B . A . ▁in ▁literature ▁and ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Sal aman ca ▁with ▁a ▁" L ic enci atura " ▁degree ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁" Do ctor ▁en ▁Fil osof ía ▁y ▁Let ras " ▁( Ph . D .). ▁ ▁There , ▁she ▁was ▁influenced ▁by ▁Spain ' s ▁Fernando ▁L áz aro ▁Car re ter . ▁ ▁Career ▁Z av ala ▁taught ▁in ▁Puerto ▁Rico , ▁México , ▁United ▁States , ▁Netherlands , ▁Italy , ▁Germany , ▁and ▁Spain . ▁In ▁Spain ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁UN ES CO ▁fellow ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁Pom pe u ▁Fab ra ▁in ▁Barcelona , ▁and ▁a ▁Ram ón ▁LL ul ▁fellow ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Mall or ca . ▁ ▁Z av ala ▁taught ▁in ▁many ▁univers ities ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁including ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Minnesota . ▁ ▁She ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁literary ▁critic ▁and ▁ess ay ist . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁she ▁wrote ▁her ▁master pie ce , ▁" K ili agon ía ", ▁a ▁P once ▁city ▁novel . ▁Her ▁second ▁novel ▁was ▁" No ct urn a , ▁mas ▁no ▁fun esta