We start this week with my own poem,
written to honor those still in pain…
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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, and, 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 what’s possible.
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NEWSish Stuff
Appearances
No upcoming bookings. This is becoming a problem! I need to get out there and say hello!
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This Week’s Tell The Damn Story focuses on, um, the time I became an accidental producer for an award-winning independent film that is still out there a decade later
This week co-host Alex Simmons turned the microphone on me, tossing me in the Alex Simmons Time Machine and taking me back to my Indy film days, when I accidentally became a producer for Feenix Films’ Clandestine, which won awards at WorldFest Houston, a launching pad for numerous legendary filmmakers. He also mutated my head for the promo card. Never knew that much stuff was in the old attic.
Here’s the link:
And here’s the movie poster (yeah, that’s me in the shadows on the left)
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The Soul Screaming Pulp anthology production continues
As I continue editing the pulse-pounding adventures in The Fight Never Ends!, the fantastic Christy Aldridge continues contributes compelling interior art.
Here’s intro art for a tale starring Alex Simmons’ Blackjack and master of disguise Secret Agent-X.
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ON WRITING: Once again, a great writing group is like winning a Lotto Jackpot
I’ve written about the value of a great writing group before but it merits a brief revisit. Both receiving feedback about areas of your own work that can benefit from another pass and focusing your own evolving expertise to do the same for the others in your group improves everyone’s writing. Week after week.
I am grateful for my group. And I urge you to take the time to find a similarly great group to benefit your own writing. It is worth the effort.
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Once again, I find myself writing about the oddly compelling love/hate experience of watching Lanterns
The show that keeps drawing in viewers, inspiring YouTubers, and infuriating Hal Jordan fans has me pounding the laptop again. Here’s my latest, which originate on my Substack page.
Here’s the link:
Soul Screaming Pop Culture
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Sep 15
Lanterns, episode 5 is being hailed as the best of one yet, and it is great…BUT.
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Bob & Grace getting quicker on the trigger with their light topical humor
Another passion project of mine is the one panel comic featuring a loving senior couple Bob (the innocent one) and Grace (the sassy one) discussing the current events we are all thinking about.
The gorgeous art is done by the great Christy Aldridge.
The strip originates on my WordPress website (chrisryanwrites.blog), and is shared on my Substack (@thischrisryan), Facebook (Chris Ryan), Instagram (@thischrisryan), Bluesky (@chrisryanwrites.bsky.social) and TikTok (@thischrisryan) accounts.
Here’s the link if you want to follow them:
And here they are:
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Meanwhile, outside the Seamus and Nunzio Productions’ headquarters…
The invasion begins…
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And now a picture of a handsome fella, sort of
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Pop Culture Fuel
Books
Glorious brought home John & Paul – A Love Story in Songs by Ian Leslie. Published in 2025, it chronicles the evolution of the Beatles’ creativity by focusing on the fascinating creative bond John Lennon and Paul McCartney shared. Give this one a while to warm up and you might find yourself finding excuses to keep reading like I am.
Recommended, highly recommended for Beatles fans.
TV
Lanterns. See above.
Music
Wolf-related songs for a possible future fiction project. We’ll see.
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Okay, we’ll end with a performance of the poem that started this newsletter. I hope it works for you.
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Feel free to share this with anyone you think would enjoy it. Thanks.
Awright, thanks for stopping by. Talk atcha next week.
Chris Ryan 