A weekly newsletter by perhaps the world’s oldest emerging author.

by Christopher Ryan

Facing the unknown shakes the human sense of peace like nothing else. We saw global proof this week as billions around the world did the WTF Shuffle. And now people are debating whether America is becoming a global shakedown artist or that whole tariff dance was the biggest case of insider trading ever. Neither villainous guise is who we like to believe ourselves to be.

America, we need to do some serious questioning about what we’re willing to become.

And a lot of us don’t have time for the sleazy con jobs. Some of us are also peering into the dark unknown of our own abysses.

Even me.

This week I kept an appointment to check up on “a touch of cancer” I had removed a few months ago. I feel fine, just as I did when the “touch of cancer” was initially found. During the check up, the doc discovered another “touch” she cut out and sent out for testing. Tiny little thing. Barely a there at all. Nothing to worry about, really.

Still, yeah, the unknown.

We all must face some form of test in our lives. We all must deal. Right now, this newsletter is me dealing with it. What I mean to say is thanks for stopping by. I deeply appreciate it.

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Hi, I’m Christopher Ryan, a hybrid author with forty years of experience in journalism, education, sketch comedy, indie film, unions, community service, parenting, public speaking, acting, fiction writing, and podcasting. I’ve experienced a modicum of success (tiny modicums, honestly) in all of these, but I’m pushing to be more, to become one of the oldest breakout authors in the business. Together, let’s see whether I can get there.

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NEWS:

Promotion of It’s Been a Privilege, my “horror story told in verse” continues. Upcoming, I will be posting some samples, maybe a few videos of me reading a poem from the collection.

And I am actively looking for reviewers. If this project interests you and you’re willing to post a few words about it publicly (social media, GoodReads, for now, Amazon), let me know in the comments.

Also, should anyone want copy of It’s Been a Privilege, you can order a copy directly from me (DM me or tell me in the comments) and I’ll sign it and ship it out to you.

Soooo fancy!

OTHER NEWS:

Production of Alex Simmons’ gripping mystery play Sherlock Holmes and the Hands of Othello is nearly complete. Last night, the great Matt Wildasin sent a proof of the stylish and classy cover. Both Alex and I are thrilled. The publication date is set for May 22nd. If you are interested in a signed copy, please contact me in the comments of DM me, or contact Alex, and he’ll sign it and we’ll send it out ASAP.

And now…

Readers of this newsletter get an exclusive first look (after Matt, Alex, and me) at the cover:

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A Question for You

What do we think about writing that is inspired by current events? I’d really like to know people’s opinions regarding whether poetry, short stories, novels, etc., based on or inspired by changes going on in our world are compelling to readers. We’re not talking “on the nose” fiction, but work expressing what we’re dealing with, or a story perhaps set in the future, or used metaphorically, etc.

If you have an opinion on this topic, please let me know in the comments. It would really help. Currently, I feel compelled to write creatively about the emotions and haunting nature of some current changes. We’ll see.

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Facing the Facts

Authors need to self-promote. This can prove challenging to people for whom sitting alone typing out your thoughts and fantasies makes sense as a life style.

But we gotta do what we gotta do.

I’ve taken a long time trying to determine what tires me out about others’ self-promotion, for example, The Deluge of Me when a creative posts the same thing multiple times a day, or Groundhog Day, when a creative posts the same exact thing ten times a day. Don’t want to be that thug.

So I’ve taken time to create a large number of different posts that promote the work with, hopefully, some fun and style I also have a few videos characters that might entertain while, again hopefully, build a brand both for myself and my micro-publishing company, Seamus and Nunzio Productions.

I’d love to know what you think. Maybe you can give some feedback in the comments.

Here are a few examples:

Telling the Damn Story:

This week, Alex Simmons and I tried a “shotgun episode” of rapid-fire prompt suggestions to get you writing. It was fast, fun, and at times, pretty funny.

Here’s the link:

CURRENT OBSESSIONS:

MUSIC: I’m back to Counting Crows.

Since they arrived on the scene, I’ve succumbed to periodic Counting Crows obsession, and I’m in a deep one this week. It started with me downloading what I initially thought was a new release, but was released a few years ago, partially, and is now being … completely released?

I’m not sure and I don’t care because the music is great.

Here’s the album cover:

Much like the cover, the songs need to be experienced to be believed. Great production. Great playing and singing. Masterfully lyrics. And the videos are fascinating.

Really worth your time.

Counting Crows is on tour this summer and while the ticket prices are heartbreaking, I think I wanna go, even if I’m back in the not-so-cheap seats.

Books:

Last week a took a break from Tananarive Due’s masterful The Reformatory to indulge in Believe: The Untold Story of the Making of Ted Lasso. Now I’m back into Due’s new American classic. If you haven’t read it yet and your not a foaming-at-the-mouth racist, this is a must read. Maybe foaming-at-the-mouth racists should be required to read it as well. Immersive storytelling. Gorgeous turns of phrase that do not pull the reader out of the story, and riveting insight into the Black American experience in the South. Perhaps the hardest thing to write is a socially important, expansive page turner. This is one of them.

Most highly recommended.

TV:

Daredevil: Born Again continues to get better each episode. If you ain’t watching, ya gotta ask yourself why.

I’d like to put forth the proposition that YouTube is the greatest participatory variety show ever created. Comedy, news, music, interviews, art, contact with creatives you’d never know about otherwise, cooking, crime, cute babies, bloopers, and so much more. When the news gets too ridiculous, I’ve found YouTube to be a better coping outlet than hours of news propaganda.

Recommended.

Freakout: That America is becoming so much less than its potential at the hands of a guy who sees his own exaltation as improving America is worrisome enough. That it all might be sideshow geeks distracting us during large scale cruelty and worldwide ripoffs is worse.

But Americans are standing up and calling bullshit. And that’s the American Spirit. Let’s see if the next few actions have impact. Americans saving America would be the greatest American story ever.

I hope its not just another American myth.

Like the comic strip character said, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

Thanks for coming by. Talk atcha soon.