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

by Christopher Ryan

Sometimes inspiration sneaks up behind you, knocks you down, and beats your soul out of you.

That happened over the past week … in the best way.

Like everybody in America, and most people in the world, the actions of a particular world leader have deeply impacted our lives and peace of mind. Even the most rabid supporter now knows someone who was deported, lost shocking amounts of investment money, or has a business in danger due to loss of employees or skyrocketing costs due to tariffs. And anyone who truly believes in justice, rule of law, and the Constitution is scarred by the first months of this year.

Some responding by doing more: workouts, drinking, reading, screaming, despairing, demonstrating, whatever helps one cope. None of that works for me. Instead, I write, edit, plan publishing projects. This week, while preparing the next Soul Scream Antholozine which will be subtitled (title reveal!) Fear and Loathing, which features horror tales more or less dealing with the aftermath of all the current changes going on, something else happened. The political and economic slashing and tearing at America itself sparked a second, more intimate set of writing. The result proved to be America, We Need to Talk, a collection of free verse poetry depicting a last date between a lover and the object of his love, America.

Alien Buddha Press accepted it for publication quickly, and the cover is being done as this is being written. Fastest turn around from submission to acceptance in my life.

The work itself uses the metaphor of the last-ditch effort date, the final attempt to talk it out, to save the love a couple once shared to explore both how much America is loved, the horrible behavior America has been subjected to in the eyes of the world, and how it effects those who love her.

This is a work about division and heartache, destruction of dreams, devastating rejection of innocent love, and the horror of watch your love change away for the relationship you so invested in.

And all of it came as a shocking wave of creativity I didn’t see coming.

When cursing at the TV becomes writing verses everywhere – iPad, iPhone, pen and ink — something’s happening. And it damn sure did.

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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:

Well, the biggest news served as our cold opener, so, yeah.

We’re also about to go to print on Alex Simmons’ gripping mystery play Sherlock Holmes and the Hands of Othello, which came out really well. From the excellent play itself to the extra content (two new exclusive interviews and a forward), to the gorgeous cover by Matt Wildason, we’re really pleased with this project. Can’t wait to share it with you on May 22nd.

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In RELATED NEWS:

For more on Alex Simmons’ Sherlock Holmes and the Hands of Othello, check out this week’s episode Tell The Damn Story, our podcast/YouTube show that seeks to make your writing journey easier. We explore the inspiration, challenges, triumphs, and setbacks of taking the world’s greatest detective on a case he rarely if ever faced.

Here’s the link:

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IN OTHER NEWS:

My website is updated and live and waiting for you to explore, if interested. There are links to free reads, all my books as well as the projects my small publishing company has released, this newsletter, my blog’s entire backlog, and more. C’mon over and visit, it could be fun.

Here’s the link: https://wordpress.com/home/chrisryanwrites.blog

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CURRENT OBSESSIONS:

MUSIC: I’m still obsessively listening to Counting Crows. Last week, we discussed their new album, and I’m still making visits to that engaging soundscape, but I’m also have 2023’s August and Everything After – Live at Town Hall. It opens with a blistering “Round Here/Raining in Baltimore” and a great “Mr. Jones/Thunder Road” mash-up, but the whole album entrances.

The other Counting Crows obsession is Adam Duritz interviews that are all over YouTube. Long discussions that dig deep into his views on so much. Fascinating. Highlights include Rock Beato’s great interview with him.

Here’s the link:

BOOKS:

I’m still deep into Tananarive Due’s The Reformatory. This new classic of American literature should be taught in schools — um, when this country stops banning books, I mean — as it dives deep into American’s Greatest Sin, documenting the true horror of racism in a gripping story that fully engaged the reader, never preaches, and always resonates as a great novel.

Most highly recommended.

Looking forward to Peter Wolf’s memoir and Ultimate Evil, a non-fiction exploration of unresolved questions in the Son of Sam murders, a news story that led me to become a Bronx journalist for years.

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TV:

It really says something when your entertainment choices to relieve tensions from the news of the day are The Pitt, The Last of Us, and the finale of Daredevil: Born Again.

The Pitt is a harrowing day in a Pittsburgh hospital emergency room. Intense. Graphic. Still more pleasant than current events.

The Last of Us is back and the biggest horror is how annoying Ellie has become. She’s still not as egregious as our elected leaders.

The Daredevil: Born Again finale is incredible and deserves repeat viewings. Punisher, Daredevil, and Kingpin all being reborn as the fullest iterations of who they are is glorious, bloody, horrifying graphic (Disney, WTF!), and still not as disturbing as current events.

Brothers and sisters, we in danger.

And that’ll serve as my…

FREAK OUT: When our president says perfectly calmly on the record that he’s interested in deporting “homegrown problems” who are “really bad people” – a term he’s used to describe almost all the politicians, journalists, celebrities, and citizens who have ever crossed him, America is in the strangest more dangerous places its wandered into in our entire history. C’mon, my beloved fellow citizens, this can’t be our vision for the future of our country. Can it? (he asks nervously.)

Thanks for coming by. Talk atcha soon.