Every week during the month of May, as part of Novel Novice Twilight’s 1st Anniversary Celebrations, we’re featuring a fan of the week. These are fans who’ve been with us a long time & have shown significant contributions to the site as a fan.

This week, we’d like to introduce you to Iris Messenger. Not only does she comment regularly here at NNT, she’s also a frequent contributor to our fan fiction challenges. She was even our 1st place winner in the August Challenge! Now, here’s your chance to get to know her a little better.

Briefly, tell us a little about yourself!
I’m a nerdfighting-violin-playing-singing-failing-at-cartwheels-just-learned-how-to-touch-my-toes-punctuation-abusing-insane starving artist person. My internet alter-ego is Iris Messenger, and I can be found listening 24/7 to Muse or Regina Spektor. I enjoy dancing in the rain (as long as it’s summer), and failing at all organized sports. Joss Whedon = win.
’nuff said.

When did you first read Twilight? How did you originally hear about the book?
I first saw Twilight about … oh … about three years ago on a bookshelf. I picked it up, read the inside flap, and put it down, absolutely sure it wasn’t my kind of book. I wikipedia’d the plot a year later, and then read it on the request of the local library, where I was volunteering at the time. I did not expect to fall in love with the book and consume the rest of the series in record time. I think it took me … three days to finish all three books, give or take a little time.

What about Twilight do you like so much? Why are you a fan?
I like Twilight — and am a fan of it — because it’s almost like a fairy-tale … and you don’t see many of those these days. A story that boils down to two people falling in love and dealing with it.

Tell us about how Twilight plays a role in your life.
Twilight indirectly plays a large role in my life. I am an aspiring web/graphic designer, and I wouldn’t have discovered how much I loved setting up websites and making graphics without my experience in the Twilight fanfiction universe. The books themselves are a comfort sort of thing at this point, a story that I know and love back to front and can take anywhere and be assured of a good read when all else fails.

What have you learned from your experience reading Twilight and being part of the fan community?
Oh gosh … what a question! I’ve learned to read a book before judging it (I was originally a doubter!), I’ve learned how something like a few good books can really bring people together in a big way. I’d never really experienced it before, having been on the younger end of the Harry Potter phenomenon.

What’s your favorite Twilight-related memory or experience?
My favorite Twilight related memory … hmmm … I think my favorite Twi-Memory was when my friend, sister and I were in the car having whole conversations entirely quoting the Twilight series. It really drove my Mom, who hadn’t read the books yet, insane!

Besides Twilight, what are your other interests & hobbies?
I’m really a very musical person. I’ve been playing classical violin for ten years, Cape Breton fiddling for three years, and singing for as long as I can remember. I’m a musical theater geek, a nerdfighter, I love creating graphic art (image manipulation), writing is quite a big hobby as well.

Since we love encouraging people to read at Novel Novice, share your personal book recommendation (besides Twilight, of course) with our visitors.
Life of Pi, by Yann Martel. (among thousands of books I wish I could make you all read!) Life of Pi is an incredibly complex book about religion, coming of age, and the importance of stories in our life, and it’s also about a young indian boy and a 450 pound Bengal tiger surviving in a life boat for 227 days on the open ocean. Despite being a bit of a heavy read, it’s surprisingly easy to get through, and amazingly engaging.

Because we always ask … Team Edward, Team Jacob or Team Switzerland? And why?
Team Switzerland (but the Edward size of Team Switz ). I’m Team Switzerland because I really do like both Edward and Jacob — Edward for being perfect, and Jacob for being flawed.

If you had to choose one song as a personal “theme song,” what would it be and why?
Blackbird – The Beatles. It’s a song that is both depressing and optimistic, simple and complex, sweet and serious … Basically, it’s a lot of complete opposites packed in a package by The Beatles, and who could ask for more?

What is your most prized-possession and why?
My MacBook. It has writing, music, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, THE INTRAWEBZ!!!, IM/e-mail … basically everything to keep me a happy camper, all in one shiny, white, sparkly rectangle!

Okay, besides New Moon, what movie are you most excited to see this year & why?
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Need I say more?

Last chance … tell us anything you want!
Anything I want? Give me some boundaries here! Well, my current obsession is Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. It’s a Joss Whedon short film, internet release only, about 45 minutes long … and the songs are insanely catchy. It’s pretty much standard Joss Whedon awesome-sauce, hilarity, and if you haven’t seen it, you really REALLY should!

Check out Iris’s fan fiction & some of her very cool graphic art at her website.

See everything on NNT’s 1st Anniversary!

And now it’s your turn … tell us a little bit about yourself in the comments! Why are YOU an NNT fan?