Ryan T. Pozzi
@ryantpozzi
Nonfiction writer and author of The Mess That Made Them (Bloomsbury, Sept. 2026). Preorder: | Writes Life on the Midlist on trade publishing and life as a working artist | Rep: Giles Anderson, The Anderson Literary Agency
This was a good book, but I didn't enjoy reading it. Does that ever happen to you? I don't (or don't yet) have an emotional frame of reference for many of the themes. That mattered. I admire it on a craft level and ackowledge that it's a hell of a debut. I'll look forward to her sophomore effort.
On This Day in History: July 16, 1951 Originally a serial, @littlebrown.bsky.social published the novelization of J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. It became a landmark of postwar American fiction, reshaping how literature represented adolescence, alienation, and resistance to conformity.
I'm afraid I've gotten a bit behind on announcing these things, but I'm thrilled to share that one of my local book clubs, None Ya Fiction, has selected The Mess That Made Them to be part of its TBR. Your book club, near or far, can, too! www.ryantpozzi.com/bookclubs
Did you know ferrets can and will mourn a loss? Elizabeth was gone for four days. Monster was okay the first day. By the second day he was a little stressed, and by day 3 he was refusing to eat. When Elizabeth came home last night, it only took him three hours to resume his normal behavior.
Meet one of the rarest books in the world! The Birds of America by John James Audubon courtesy of Elizabeth who is in Chicago today. Original "print run" of around 200 copies. This is one of about 120 still known to exist. #booksky
Did you know I wrote a book? (One of my oldest friends didn't and I've been talking about it for a year and a half. 🤷♂️) #booksky
I love audiobooks! I get so much reading done while doing normal dumb being alive stuff. I was worried this one would be a drag (for obvs reasons) but it was very engaging and well worth the attention. I should have guessed since it's selling like crazy. Read by the author, which is a plus here.
On This Day in History: July 1, 1731 Benjamin Franklin and members of his Leather Apron Club drew up the Articles of Agreement for the Library Company of Philadelphia, British America’s first successful lending library. #booksky
In today's edition of Life on the Midlist: How could I have the audacity to write a book - and what kept me going on the days it felt like I'd made a mistake? #skywriters The image will make sense, I swear. mailchi.mp/5bfa0e7576ca...
Now available to pre-order at 501 independent bookstores across the nation! (That's pretty cool.) #booksky
I sure have read some impressive stuff this year. This is my second read of Audition. Things I've said to my wife about it: -I'm not sure what's happening exactly, but it still makes sense. -One or more of these characters is def having a psychotic break. It's trippy not to be sure which ones.
The original Morgenstern’s opened in Bloomington in 1990, but closed in 1996 after Barnes & Noble and Borders opened nearby. Rick Morgenstern later brought the store back roughly 25 years later. Hearing more and more of these revival stories as I meet booksellers across the country. I'm here for it!
I know I'm hard to shop for, so let me help! I turned 47 today and there's only one thing on my list. Pre-order The Mess That Made Them wherever books are sold. #booksky Don't have a favorite local place? Try Bookshop.org. bookshop.org/shop/ryantpo...
Thrilled that Arapahoe Libraries in southeast Denver has added The Mess That Made Them to its collection. This feels like such a fitting library home: a system that supports art galleries, writing resources, author events, creative spaces, and community connection. I can't wait to visit! #booksky
The Final Round, pitting A Marriage at Sea against Atmosphere is UP TO YOU! Who should be the conquering champion of my 'First Six Months of 2026' reading? #booksky
Wait, they have books AND games?! Oh hell, yeah! Welcome to Outside of a Dog Books & Games in Vermillion, SD. It's been a long time since tiny poet Ryan went to Vermillion for the VLP Poetry Slam. Looks like I'll be headed back there on the book tour this fall! #booksky
Final Meet the Characters: Part Six, “Legacy on Its Own Terms.” Duchamp, Christie, O’Keeffe, and Josef Strauss wrestle with survival, reinvention, control, and the strange afterlife of reputation. Legacy is often what the artist refuses to surrender. Out Sept. 3 from Bloomsbury USA. #booksky
Part 5 of Meet the Characters presents Suzanne Valadon, Edvard Munch, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Anne Sexton. This section is all about lives that collapsed and what these artists did (or didn't do) to keep going. I'll be talking about Valadon on a podcast this afternoon for later broadcast.