Angelique Maute, Editorial Staff

I grew up in an Irish-Italian Roman Catholic household with a Marine Corps dad, so as you probably guessed I am a perfectly well balanced individual. I knew I wanted to pursue writing after I read Richard Wright’s Native Son – it was the first time that I could recall weeping as I read a book.  I followed it up with Edith Wharton’s Age of Innocence.  I was 13 and I was sold. I am amazed at how we are able to connect with people through their words, their stories – a medium where people can get lost in themselves and other people.  As I have discovered new writers, I am encouraged by what’s happening in the literary environment.  PBQ has enabled me to become a part of a world that is constantly changing – an exciting opportunity and a treasured gift.

Sun sign: Gemini. Favorite flick: These favorite questions are constantly changing for me. I can’t just have one “favorite” anything, and I think that they tend to stifle the imagination. With that said, I’ll say that my favorite movie today is Better Off Dead…oooh, maybe Say Anything…High Fidelity…Annie Hall. Favorite book: Asking this question of a literature person is quite sadistic really. The book that made me first think about writing when I was 13 or so was Richard Wright’s Native Son. Shoe size: A lady never tells, but I’m not a lady, so 9, but now that I have lost weight I can get into some 8 1/2s. Ever been arrested? Hmmm…I plead the 5th. Nickname: Nothing extraordinary here: “lique” and for a brief time in college “lush.” Cell phone provider? Sprint. Any pets? Nope. Favorite drink? I recently re-discovered "Jamba Juice" Do you use toothpicks? If pressed. Diner of choice: Canter’s in LA – da best Vegetarian or meat lover? Vegetarian – I am not practicing anymore, but I’m not a carnivore either – meat lover has the connotation that I might just start gnawing on a leg of lamb ala Henry VIII. Pet peeve? Judgmental people. Fondest memory? Meeting Bruce. When I was 5… I have no idea what I was thinking – I can’t remember childhood memories prior to 12, but I think I lived in North Carolina where I had a huge tree in my backyard that I liked to play on....Last night I…finished one of Louise Rennison’s books and I went nowhere. When I woke up this morning… I realized I shouldn’t procrastinate, and then I went back to sleep. Favorite food? Another favorite question! Well I am in California as I write this and I am gorging myself on authentic Mexican. Best time to call? If I like you, any time, although if you call prior to 5 a.m. there’s a chance I won’t answer. Secret ambition? To become an expatriate and live the rest of my life in a villa in Tuscany, or a secret agent.