Hello editors! Fall is here and is time to break out those jackets! We are near the end of our meet the editor series and this week we have Andrea Holm.
Andrea Holm is a senior at Lewis University. She is majoring in Psychology and double minoring in Sociology and Professional writing. Her goal is to get a PhD in clinical psychology and become a mental health doctor. She is a member of the Lewis University women’s cross country and track and field team, participating in middle distance events. This is her first year working for Jet Fuel Review, and she has chosen to help out as a fiction editor, as well as, copy editor. Outside the world of Lewis, she spends time riding 
her four horses as it is a very therapeutic hobby and something she is passionate about.
Who are you and what is your role in the Jet Fuel Review?
I am Andrea Holm, I am a senior at Lewis University. I am majoring in Psychology and double minoring in sociology and professional writing. I am a member of the women’s cross country and track and field team at Lewis. I spend the little free time I have riding my horses. My role In Jet Fuel Review is Fiction and copy editor.
What book might we find on your nightstand right now?
You will find zero books on my night stand right now, besides my text books for all the classes I am taking right now. Some of the required texts include: “Raisin in the Sun,” by Lorraine Hansberry, “Last Chance in Texas,” by John Hubner, and “the Metamorphosis,” by Franz Kafka. It is difficult to find time to read for leisure during the school year, but these are some of the books I will be reading throughout the course of the semester.
If you had the chance to co-write with one author, who would you choose? Why?
If I had the chance to co-write with one author, I would choose Emma Donoghue. This is because, I really enjoyed her novel, “Room,” which has been turned into a movie (the movie was awesome too). Donoghue, is very talented as a fiction writer, yet what I enjoy most is that the fiction is still applicable to real life events. Donoghue, travels between England, Ireland, and Canada so co-writing with her would allow me to visit parts of the world I have never seen, as well as, parts of the world where English originated. Although, I have never met Donoghue her bright red hair gives me the impression that she is spunky and spontaneous and would be a pleasure to work with!
Describe your perfect reading atmosphere.
The perfect reading atmosphere to me, would be somewhere quiet! I prefer to read in my bed cocooned within all my blankets and pillows, that way once my eyes get tired from reading I am already prepared for a nap. I like when the lights are dim and so that I can light every Yankee candle in my room, putting off the fragrance of fresh baked vanilla cupcakes.
What might your personal library look like?
My personal library is somewhat bare, as my friends and I do a lot of book swapping. When I was younger, I had every Judy B. Jones book there was written by Barbara Park. After I read every single one of those, I moved on to horse books since I was a child obsessed with horses. I read every book in the series of “Thoroughbred. When I got older, I started reading a lot of mystery novels such as “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” “Room,” and “If I stay.” Aside from the mystery novels I have gotten into non-fiction, because I enjoy living vicariously through other people’s lives who are more interesting than me such as the main character in the novel “Unbroken,” by Barbara Park.
If you could “re-make” a poorly written movie that was based on a book, what movie would it be?
If I could “re-make” a poorly written movie, that was based on a book I would choose the movie “Unbroken,” because the book describes so vividly the conditions that prisoners of war (POWs) experienced during World War II and the movie does a poor job of illustrating that, it makes it appear as if the POWs were living the good life when they were actually neglected, abused, starved, and left for death. Furthermore, the movie leaves out some of the most important facts on how Louis Zamporini became a famous Olympian! The movie does not even mention what it was that set him apart from other runners, and why he was so special to the world of running. Thus, if I were to “re-make” the movie I would give this war hero/survivor the credit that is due and really expand upon his accomplishments as an athlete.
What piece of literature can you reread over and over again?
I am not sure if this counts, but I can reread inspiration quotes over and over again. I feel that inspirational quotes can be applied to all different moods and hardships that one faces and it is always encouraging to read a quote and gain some hope or strength from it. I feel that if you read a quote more than once, you get more out of it the more you read it. You start to believe it to be true, the more you read it. You think back to it in times of despair, or unsettlement.
Give us a quote from your favorite (or any) book/movie.
“The future was uncertain, absolutely, and there were many hurdles, twists, and turns to come, but as long as I kept moving forward, one foot in front of the other, the voices of fear and shame, the messages from those who wanted me to believe that I wasn’t good enough, would be stilled.” Chris Gardner, The Pursuit of Happyness
If you were invited to have coffee with any fictional character, who would you most like to meet? Why?
If I were invited to have coffee with any fictional character it would be Catnis Everdeen from The Hunger Games series, because she is one of the first real women roles encompassing power, strength, defiance, and resilience. I am a sociology minor, and I strongly believe in equal rights, feminism, justice, etc. Everdeen definitely appeals to my sociology side as she questions the society she lives in and takes a stand to the control of the dictator and brings power to the people. I just think she is a bad ass and would be a great coffee date, maybe she could also braid my hair and teach me how to shoot a bow-n-arrow too!
Share your top five favorite pieces of writing (anything included, be it movies, books, etc.).
- 12-years a slave
- Pursuit of Happyness
- Grey’s Anatomy (currently on season 3)
- Interstellar
- The Martian
Join us next week for another editor!
