“When you’re born you get a ticket to the freak show. When you’re born in America, you get a front-row seat.” – George Carlin
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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, podcasting, but most often writing fiction, poetry, and pop culture essays. Now I’m working to discover what more I can achieve and share with the world, and whether an older author can find a place in the storytelling business. Together, let’s see if I can get there.
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NEWSish Stuff
Upcoming live events
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This week’s Tell The Damn Story focuses on the many benefits of writing short stories, and gets me to run my mouth wayyyy too much
I’d like to blame a Barry’s Irish Tea O.D., but that wasn’t it. Or perhaps a case of BlabberMouthVirus, but no cases have been reported recently. It was just me too amped about the topic. a bit too amped.
It is fun and relatively short for us, and amusing. Check it out. And, yeah, I apologize for going on and on and on and on….
Here’s the link:
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ON WRITING: To refuel your writing, read! Watch! Walk amongst humanity!
Many creatives go through that cycle of creative high and post creative lows, when our productivity plummets and guilt sets in, remind us we’re the worst ever!
When that happens, know that we’re lying to ourselves. Or telling a different truth.
Think of it this way; when a car is running on empty, it isn’t demonstrating that it is the worst hunk of metal ever and should never even have been considered a car. Most of the time, it just needs gas.
When a baby is screaming and crying at 3 a.m., they aren’t arguing that they suck as being babies and should be immediately returned to Amazon,com. Most of the time they are just asking for help with a diaper, a meal, teething, or gas.
Or when a politician makes a bunch of promises to get elected and then, once in office, does the opposite of keeping those promises, that doesn’t mean they are terrible leaders … well, two out of three examples isn’t bad.
My point is, a lot of writers and creatives that are experiencing that horrible plunge into doubt and self-loathing are actually just running on empty. Creating artistic works of any kind takes energy, some physical, most emotional and mental, and, yeah, spiritual on some level. Once all that energy is expelled in creativity, the tank has to be refilled or our energies wane and we spiral into doubt, or depression, or utter spiritual darkness.
You know what often helps at that point? Favorite old records, or comics, or books, or movies. They remind us what we loved about creativity, and why we ventured in to this community.
What also helps are new records, or comics, or books, or movies or shows or art. Often, they connect with us, remind us of the power such works have to energize, renew, and inspire.
So next time you are feeling the rollercoaster plunging down, feed yourself, be good to yourself, treat yourself to what you love.
And tell that negative inner editorial voice to go suck eggs.
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And now for a pic of a handsome fella, who is apparently doing promotion this week
Legendary security chief Sonny Mehlman shocked the world by leaping into book promotion … and not for any books from his employer, Seamus and Nunzio Productions! The scandal almost created irreparable damage at the beloved tiny publishing company … until we all saw which book he was promoting. Since everyone at Seamus and Nunzio Productions is a Teel James Glenn fan, we all good.
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Pop Culture Fuel
Music –
Rick Beato dedicated a recent episode of his You Tube show to an obscure album from 1973. Brazenly called Superstars of the 70’s, it was basically a Warner Brothers’ promotional collection, but Beato successfully argued that it is also an incredible time capsule of the diversity and depth of just this corner of the music world early in an inarguably incredible era of music.
Also, few copies are affordably available. However, some gem of a person named Deborah Campbell recreated the album’s track order on a playlist (see below). Additionally, in tribute to Beato’s video, pandakicker made his own YouTube playlist of the same.
Check out this track list:
School’s Out – Alice Cooper
Summer Breeze – Seals & Croft
Surf’s Up – The Beach Boys
Sail Away – Randy Newman
Both Sides Now- Judy Collins
Tightrope Ride – The Doors
Lonely Days – The BeeGees
Fire and Rain – James Taylor
Truckin’ – Grateful Dead
Where is the Love – Roberta Flack
Love the One You’re With – Stephen Stills
Roundabout – Yes
Light My Fire – The Doors
White Rabbit – Jefferson Airplane
Marrakesh Express – Crosby, Stills, & Nash
Purple Haze (live) – Jimi Hendrix
To Love Somebody – The BeeGees
Lola – The Kinks
Anticipation – Carly Simon
American Woman – The Guess Who
We Gotta Get You a Woman – Todd Rundgren
Ventura Highway – America
Run Run Run – Jo Jo Gunne
Tumbling Dice – The Rolling Stones
(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding
Hush – Deep Purple
If You Could Read My Mind – Gordon Lightfoot
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face – Roberta Flack
Foxey Lady – Jimi Hendrix
Whole Lott Love – Led Zeppelin
Take It Easy – The Eagles
A Horse With No Name – America
Cowgirl in the Sand – The Byrds
Big Yellow Taxi – Joni Mitchell
These Eyes – The Guess Who
Domino – Van Morrison
Amazing Grace – Judy Collins
Listen to the Music – The Doobie Brothers
Woodstock – Joni Mitchell
In the Midnight Hour – Wilson Pickett
The City of New Orleans – Arlo Guthrie
Doctor My Eyes – Jackson Browne
Paranoid – Black Sabbath
One Way Out – the Allman Brothers Band
(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman – Aretha Franklin
Stay With Me – Faces
Chicago – Graham Nash
Happy – The Rolling Stones
Lucky Man – Emerson, Lake, and Palmer
This collection is well worth your time if you like 70’s music. If you are curious about how rich the era was, here’s a great place to start.
Highly recommended.
Books –
A great story, well told is among the best of gifts to the world. Teel James Glenn’s Paradise Investigations series is one of those experiences. Yes, it is a crime series, and a horror series, and a mystery series, all at once. But it is also one of the most delicious “what if” projects I’ve ever come across in years.
The question is “What if we followed the creation of Frankenstein after Mary Shelly’s infamous book ended?” Glenn’s answer is an exquisite exploration of literature, philosophy, spirituality, and, most of all, humanity.
And he does it all in page turners that entertain throughout.
Most highly recommended.
Social Media –
It has been a trying time regarding current events and any of us find ourselves looking for reliable sources that aren’t doomscrollers. Amandasmildtakes does that exceptionally well. She takes no guff, but also refuses to get sucked into the BS of the day. And, most importantly, she backs up her points with legit sources, references, and facts in a way that what’s really happening comes forth in a somehow relaxing way.
Recommended.
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What matters most is how well you walk through the fire. – Charles Bukowski
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Awright, thanks for stopping by. Talk atcha next week.
Chris Ryan 