First in our Meet the Editors series for fall is Sam! Sam is a junior at Lewis University majoring in English with a concentration in Writing. While studying at Lewis, she hopes to expand her creative and professional writing skills. When she isn’t at school, she works part time at her local Menards. She also enjoys painting, going on walks, listening to music, and watching movies and tv. Recently, she has been binge watching The Office (US), Gilmore Girls, and The Bear. Sam’s favorite color is green, her favorite animal is a moose, and her favorite boyband is One Direction. She looks forward to all that is to come in her time with the Jet Fuel Review team!
Who are you and what is your role in the Jet Fuel Review?
My Name is Sam Poyner and I am a new editor for Jet Fuel Review. I will be reviewing the poetry submissions this semester!
What book might we find on your nightstand right now?
You would find Normal People by Sally Rooney, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, and It by Stephen King. I’ve read both Normal People and The Perks of Being a Wallflower twice, but I still have around four hundred pages left to read in It.
If you had the chance to co-write with one author, who would you choose? Why?
I would choose to co-write with Sally Rooney. I was introduced to her storytelling through the show Normal People and was stoked to hear that the series was based on a book. So, after I finished the series, I bought the book and loved how she made such complex characters without the plot being too busy. Her style is unlike any author I’ve ever read, as she doesn’t use quotations for her character dialogue. In doing this, the differing perspectives among the characters could be explored with greater depth as they try to understand one another, which was very enjoyable to navigate as a reader.
Describe your perfect reading atmosphere.
My perfect reading atmosphere would be outside, on a porch swing, at the beginning of fall. I would have a bunch of blankets for maximum comfort and a cup of hot chocolate to drink. The leaves on the trees would be orange, with the weather hitting around sixty-five degrees (perfect for sweatpants and a hoodie,) and there would be deer playing in the field next to my house.
What might your personal library look like?
Currently, my personal library is a small white bookshelf in the loft of my house. I have my book collection organized in color order, aside from the books on my bedside table. Hopefully, in the future, I can move my collection to a bigger bookcase (and maybe have a ladder attached like the shelves at Barnes & Noble).
If you could “re-make” a poorly written movie that was based on a book, what movie would it be?
I would remake the Twilight saga, but I would replace Taylor Lautner with Steve Carell in character as Michael Scott. Would this make the saga any better? Maybe! Maybe not!
What piece of literature can you reread over and over again?
I know Normal People may seem like the obvious answer to this question, but I would go with The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. The book and film have been one of my favorites since I was a kid, and I keep a copy of the book in the backseat of my car.
Give us a quote from your favorite (or any) book/movie.
“I’d choose you any day of the week and twice on Sunday.” – A Few Good Men
If you were invited to have coffee with any fictional character, who would you most like to meet? Why?
I would choose Peter Parker (Spiderman), but instead of coffee, we would get chicken enchilada soup from Chilis. I would like to meet him since he is my favorite superhero, but I’d also like to be a shoulder to cry on due to the events of the last movie…
Share your top five favorite pieces of writing (anything included, be it movies, books, etc.).
I’ve talked about a lot of my favorite books and movies, so I’ll list five favorite songs. “Fine Line” by Harry Styles, “Hotel California” by The Eagles, “Silver Springs” by Fleetwood Mac, “Waiting Room” by Phoebe Bridgers and “Betty” by Taylor Swift.