Ashley Castillo
Hello, everyone, and welcome to another installment of “Meet the Editors.” Today we feature Ashley Castillo, the Layout Editor and Assistant Arts & Design Editor for the Jet Fuel Review. Ashley is a senior at Lewis University, and an English Major, with a minor in Art. She spends her time learning about different cultures and language, writing about her surroundings, and tutoring at the Lewis Writing Center. She is currently the president of Sigma Tau Delta’s Rho Lambda chapter, the International English Honors Society, and looks forward to expanding community’s interest in literature and writing. We asked Ashley some questions, which were developed by Melissa Carrington, and here’s what she had to say!
1. Who are you and what is your role in Jet Fuel Review?
My name is Ashley Castillo, and I am the Layout Editor and Arts & Design Assistant Editor.
2. What book might we find on your nightstand right now?
Right now, the only book on my nightstand is American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I am not too fond of reading before bed since I tend to forget what I just read due to sleepiness or simply being tired, but I try to read a few pages every morning when my mind is fresh.
3. If you had the chance to co-write with one author, who would you choose? Why?
I would have to say Haruki Murakami due to his interesting style of telling stories.
4. Describe your perfect reading atmosphere.
My perfect writing atmosphere is in a comfy chair with a blanket by a window. If there is hot cocoa and classical music in the background, that would be a bonus.
5. What might your personal library look like?
My personal library is relatively unorganized and riddled with random trinkets and art supplies. The only things that have designated places in it are resource books and my most read novels. These have to be the closest to my desk at all times.
6. If you could “re-make” a poorly written movie that was based on a book, what movie would it be?
I do not have a poorly written movie based on a book that I would like to re-make. However, if I could, I would make a second movie for a children’s book titled Howl’s Moving Castle by Diane Wynne Jones. There is a movie by Hayao Miyazaki that is very loosely based on this book, and while I love this movie, I would like to see a more closely related movie to the book.
7. What piece of literature can you read over and over again?
There are quite a few pieces of literature that I could read over and over again. Two of these pieces would the A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner and The Giver by Lois Lowry.
8. Give us a quote from your favorite (or any) book/movie.
“The worst part of holding the memories it not the pain. It’s the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.” – The Giver
9. If you were invited to have coffee with any fictional character, who would you most like to meet? Why?
I would like to have coffee with Beowulf in his late age. I think it would be interesting to see his growth and mental process in his old age – see what he thought of his younger self and all that happened.
10. Share your top five favorite pieces of writing (anything included)
In no particular order:
- The Giver by Lois Lowry
- Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
- The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe
- Drown by Junot Diaz
- A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner
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There you have it! I hope you enjoyed getting to know Ashley! We should have another one of these posts for you soon. In the meantime, you can check out our previous question-and-answer sessions right here.
– Jet Fuel Blog Editor, Mary Egan
