Meet the Editors: Patricia Damocles

It’s time for another addition to our Meet the Editors series with someone who has already made a presence on this blog. This week we are introducing Patricia Damocles, our Asst. Poetry Editor; Asst. Layout Editor; Communications & Media Editor. Please visit her music blog: Putting Tracks on the Map with Trish. 

Patricia is a junior at Lewis University majoring in English Language Arts and Secondary Education with a minor in Creative Writing. She is a transfer student from Benedictine University who previously studied Writing & Publishing in the journalism field. Aside from being an editor for Jet Fuel, Patricia is a member of Sigma Tau Delta, a tutor at the university’s Writing Center, and a sales associate at LOFT Outlet. What she strives to achieve as a Jet Fuel editor is to give passionate, aspiring writers a platform to express themselves. As someone who has had the opportunity to be published in a previous issue, she is aware of how empowering it is to have her voice acknowledged in the world of literature. In her free time, she enjoys reading poetry and short stories, and also making memories with her friends, family, and cats. Some of her favorite writers include Maya Angelou, E.E. Cummings, T.S. Eliot, and Langston Hughes.

Below is our Q&A with Patricia Damocles:

Who are you and what is your role in the Jet Fuel Review?

My name is Patricia Damocles and I am an assistant layout editor, assistant poetry editor, and the Communications & Media editor of Jet Fuel Review. I also contribute to the Jet Fuel Review blog.

What book might we find on your nightstand right now?

I am currently reading The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories.

If you had the chance to co-write with one author, who would you choose? Why?

I would love to co-write with Merlinda Bobis. Growing up, she was such an inspiration to me because she was also a Filipino writer. “Driving to Katoomba” and “This Is Where It Begins” are my favorite poems by her. It would be an invaluable experience if I were to write with someone who is comfortable with integrating snapshots of Filipino culture and feminist language in her work.

Describe your perfect reading atmosphere.

I usually like having some background noise that consists of Lo-fi hip hop or jazz instrumentals while I have a book at hand. I enjoy reading in comfortable and secluded areas because it gives me a space where there is nothing to distract me from the text.

What might your personal library look like?

My taste in literature ranges from mystery and thriller novels, books pertaining to Asian history, feminist poetry, and the expected compositions of the English canon.

If you could “re-make” a poorly written movie that was based on a book, what movie would it be?

I would probably re-make Alice in Wonderland (2010). Though I admire Tim Burton as a director, I felt like this film adaptation did not align with Lewis Carroll’s fantastic work. The Burtonesque twist employed onto Carroll’s Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland was overwhelming and flashy.

What piece of literature can you reread over and over again?

I could reread any short story that Edgar Allan Poe has written, particularly “The Tell-Tale Heart.”

Give us a quote from your favorite (or any) book/movie.

“Identity is the history that has gone into bone and blood and reshaped the flesh. Identity is not what we were but what we have become, what we are at this moment.” –Nick Joaquín, Culture and History

If you were invited to have coffee with any fictional character, who would you most like to meet? Why?

I would enjoy having a conversation with Prufrock from T.S. Eliot’s poem, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” especially since it would be the perfect time to ask him how he has measured out his life with coffee spoons. I feel like having a psychoanalytically-driven talk with Prufrock would inspire me to have a more introspective perspective on my existence once we’ve broached the topic of alienation.

Share your top five favorite pieces of writing (anything included, be it movies, books, etc.).

Books:

1. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
2. Fish-Hair Woman by Merlinda Bobis
3. Cujo by Stephen King
4. Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
5. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Albums:

1. Channel ORANGE – Frank Ocean
2. Souled Out – Jhené Aiko
3. Take Care – Drake
4. Continuum  – John Mayer
5. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West