Welcome to our Blue Ridge Conference faculty five post for this week! Today we’ll learn more about Cyle Young, Aaron Gansky, and Jesse Florea, all of whom hold more than one position (writer, agent, publisher, editor, teacher…)

Cyle Young

1. Even when I’m tired I do the “Hippy Hop”… My niece told me this. I’m not sure exactly what it means… but I know it means that I’m awesome! Best translation, I’m still positive and fun when I’m tired.
2. My mother and family call me “the Hurricane.” They say every time I come into town, it’s a flurry of activity and I’m, “go, go, go” all the time! They’re worn out when I leave.
3. I LOVE to play “matchmaker,” and I have a very successful track record of my matches ending in marriages. I can give Yenta from Fiddler on the Roof a run for her money.
4. I once accidentally stole Bethany Jett’s cell phone at BRMCWC. As kindred spirits, we had the same phone and case, so I quickly determined that we were “phone sisters.” No, I’m not a woman, but phone sisters just sounds so much better than phone siblings.
5. I have a large collection of amazing board games, and I think there is no better way to spend an evening than around a pot of fondue with friends.

Aaron Gansky

1. I once played guitar in a pretty aggressive rock band. I did rhythm guitar (not good enough for lead), wrote a ton of the music, and nearly all of the lyrics, but I didn’t sing (to the thrill of every crowd). We were pretty big for a time and even entertained record offers from some pretty big-time companies. But before we could sign, I chose family and novels over music.
2. I’m a level one judge for Magic: the Gathering–the premiere fantasy-themed strategy trading card game. The game is a Mensa Select Seal bearer. While it can be confusing, it’s still fun, and they pay me in product, so that’s nice.
3. I’m a notoriously bad speller, and I like to capitalize random words a la Emily Dickinson (whose name I misspelled on my first try).  If it weren’t for the critical eye of one Bethany Kaczmarek, I would have embarrassed myself many times over. God bless editors who are smarter than I.
4. I’ve been told I do a good Christopher Walken impersonation, and I still advocate for a “Talk Like Christopher Walken Day.” If we can have a “Talk Like a Pirate Day,” we should have a “Talk Like Christopher Walken” day.
5. Perfect evening? Staying at home, taking in a movie with the family, and then early bed time. I’m a man of simple tastes.

Jesse Florea

1. I’ve been in charge of morning devotions for my department during such a large majority of my 23 years at Focus on the Family that I earned the title “Devo Nazi.”
2. English was my worst subject in school. In second grade, I threw a spelling test that I had failed out of a bus window.
3. The Will Ferrell movies I enjoy most are the PG-rated ones. If you haven’t seen Kicking & Screaming, you’re missing out.
4. Because I grew up in a single-parent home, I taught my little brother how to ride a bike and tie his shoes.
5. I’ve climbed more than half of Colorado’s fifty-three 14,000-foot mountains with my son.

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