Hello! Chicago folks, on Wednesday, Aug. 14 at 7 p.m., I’ll be in conversation with my friend Steve Darnall at The Book Cellar in Chicago. The occasion is the reissue of Uncle Sam, a brilliant graphic novel by Steve and Alex Ross. It’s about a lot of
Politics is, to some degree, a game of symbolism. But the phrase “political theater” isn’t an inherently negative one: We all respond to symbols and images that are brilliantly arranged. Under the right conditions, we create real meaning from those building blocks.  That is all to say, if I
Hello! First up, a couple of interviews (and an event) I’d like to draw your attention to. Then I’m going to share a few thoughts on one year of Burn It Down (now out in paperback!) existing in the world. A number of folks asked me during the
Hello! It’s been a while. One big reason is that it’s now gardening season and I spend every spare minute doing dirt-based outdoor therapy in my yard. I'm having a lot of fun with it, while also dodging a massive brood of dazed cicadas, who are
I’d been writing about popular culture for some time when The O.C. premiered in 2003, but what I didn’t know about the entertainment industry back then could fill several books. And that’s one of the many benefits of time, growth and perspective: Looking back at the
Hello! I hope you're well. I've been busy! Turns out writing a book about Hollywood exploitation and the factors behind industry labor unrest makes a gal kind of popular when both the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA go on strike. So that's a
I cannot say I was overly surprised to hear that Sinéad O’Connor died. It’s hard to think of a public figure who has endured more struggles, nightmares and tragedies. And no one was more devoted to being ruthlessly honest about those struggles than O’Connor. She constantly interrogated
Hello! I have a couple of book-related items to share, but then I'll list a few other thoughts/recommendations on this random Wednesday, which I hope finds you well. First, baby's first major review! Kirkus Reviews wrote up my book, Burn It Down: Power, Complicity and
Lots of beginnings and endings lately. We recently finished watching all of the David Suchet Hercule Poirot adaptations on Britbox, and of course, the only possible reaction is “C’est magnifique!” (If you dig the Knives Out movies, this series is worth a look. Rian Johnson knows exactly what Agatha
As I write this, some of us are having a wake for Twitter, which is weird, because it’s not dead yet, but it might be soon. The signs aren’t promising. As often happens when someone dies in real life, I am thinking about the good times. This thread.
Well! Here is a post about things that happened two months ago — some of which you can still enjoy! I had meant to put this post up much earlier this summer, but I’ve been finishing the writing and reporting for my first book — Burn It Down, due out next
Star trek Deep Space Nine and For All Mankind: Are they the same show?
Hello! I am starting up an email newsletter. Please sign up if you care to! Here are a few things to know about it: 1. It’s free. I foresee it staying free at least for a good long while. Whether I will turn it into a paid thing down
This is Burner Account, a brand new site by Maureen Ryan that's just getting started. Things will be up and running here shortly, but you can subscribe in the meantime if you'd like to stay up to date and receive emails when new content is published!