#ryan chapman

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NPR says, “Dark, daring, and laugh-out-loud hilarious, Riots I Have Known is one of the smartest—and best—novels of the year.”

Read all about it.

[ethiack]

How Iran Became a Theocracy

An in-depth explanation of the relationship between Iran and Islam as it evolved over time.

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[judgingbooksbycovers]

The Audacity: A Novel

By Ryan Chapman.

[welcometomy20s]

January 2, 2023

Anti-politics of Ryan Chapman

Ryan Chapman is an interesting fella. He tries to make one of these ‘objective’ videos, and it is quite successful. He is so focused on the factual content of his topic that he completely forgoes the emotional truth of the subject and so completely misses the point in the conclusion, to the point I would suggest he should probably skip the conclusion entirely, lest he be out as an idiot.

His last video of the year gives an odd tip-off, however. He talks about Musk and why he is ‘suddenly’ so hated. He basically says Musk used to say leftist things so leftist liked him and now he says rightist things and not leftist hates him… which I basically agree with. The interesting notion is that he thinks that’s somehow a bad thing.

Basically the position he is making, and oddly he has been making for some time, using your political ideology to influence your preference of a person, is somehow… unjust? Immoral? Which is such an odd idea, honestly. Why wouldn’t your political ideology influence your preferences… if you want the world to be a certain way, then surely we would woo the people who will help them and boo the people who would try to block that.

This ‘anti-political’ approach where we have to squash the world we wish to see in order to maintain the world we already have is a deeply pathological idea… while Chapman reveres the 50’s and 60’s where political ideology were demurred, it is interesting that political theorist at the time wanted people to be more political identified, because they saw the danger of ‘objectivity’ which actually discourage public participation. Late 2010’s were very divisive but the voter participation was higher than ever. This was a democracy at work. A bit grimy, sure, but ultimately any political discussion is not without animosity. It’s better to be honest.

[sensiblephilosophy]

SOCIALISM: An In-Depth Explanation

Perhaps the best explanation/history of socialism I've seen so far.

[bookc0vers]

Riots I Have Known (2020), Ryan Chapman

Simon & Schuster

Longlisted for the 2019 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, Ryan Chapman’s “gritty, bracing debut” (Esquire) set during a prison riot is “dark, daring, and laugh-out-loud hilarious…one of the smartest—and best—novels of the year” (NPR).

A largescale riot rages through Westbrook prison in upstate New York, incited by a poem in the house literary journal. Our unnamed narrator, barricaded inside the computer lab, swears he’s blameless—even though, as editor-in-chief, he published the piece in question. As he awaits violent interruption by his many, many enemies, he liveblogs one final Editor’s Letter. Riots I Have Known is his memoir, confession, and act of literary revenge.

His tale spans a childhood in Sri Lanka, navigating the postwar black markets and hotel chains; employment as a Park Avenue doorman, serving the widows of the one percent; life in prison, with the silver lining of his beloved McNairy; and his stewardship of The Holding Pen, a “masterpiece of post-penal literature” favored by Brooklynites everywhere. All will be revealed, and everyone will see he’s really a good guy, doing it for the right reasons.

“Fitfully funny and murderously wry,” Riots I Have Known is “a frenzied yet wistful monologue from a lover of literature under siege” (Kirkus Reviews).

[bigtickhk]

Sharp Satire And Dark Humor In 'Riots I Have Known'

Ryan Chapman's debut novel opens in the middle of a prison riot as the unnamed narrator cowers in fear for his life — which doesn't seem like a setup for comedy, but it's packed with dark laughs.

Riots I Have Known by Ryan Chapman https://amzn.to/2vWInYb