William "My Gray" Shunn

@shunn

Writer • Puzzlemaker • Hugo/Nebula Nominee • Author of THE ACCIDENTAL TERRORIST • That Manuscript Format Guy • @sbsolver.com • @tylogr.am • NYC • He/him/Bill

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William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· 27d

Close-up photo of a black plastic name tag affixed to the breast pocket of a charcoal suit. In white letters mimicking the look of a Mormon missionary tag, the name tag reads:

ELDER HEISENBERG
The Accidental Terrorist
Confessions of a Reluctant Missionary

A caption above the name tag reads:

I AM THE ONE WHO KNOCKS. (But only to tell you about this terrific book I hope you’ll read.)

Below the tag, in small letters:

A Memoir by William Shunn
#accidentalterrorist
www.accidentalterrorist.com

William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· Jul 4

I’ll take it.

New York Times crossword puzzle result: “You finished a Saturday puzzle in 8:47.”

William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· Mar 26

I didn’t even realize it, but a week ago I set a personal record for a Thursday crossword. @nytimes.com @nytgames.bsky.social

William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· Jan 17

NYTimes crossword app screenshot: Congratulations! You finished a Saturday puzzle in 8:03. 432 day streak. 13:05 faster than your average.

William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· Dec 9

Another favorite photo from when we lived in Inwood. Even Mister Softee needs to stay cool. August 2021.

On a city street, a bright red fire hydrant sprays water directly onto the back doors of a Mister Softee ice cream truck.

William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· Dec 7

Going through my photo roll, I found this shot from my old neighborhood of Inwood in 2020. Eerie the mix of emotions it brings up. Those were hopeful days. I hope we’ll have them again.

Two young people work on a half completed YOUR VOTE MATTERS mural on a tan brick wall. A small Dominican flag hangs from a painting scaffold near them.

William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· Oct 5

My Sunday morning services.

Notebook, pen, cafe au lait in mug, and flowers in small vase on wooden table in cafe.

William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· Sep 12

Sure, let’s never forget 9/11. But can we also never forget that women are dying in this country for lack of abortion care, and that a murderous mob tried to attack Congress, and that climate disasters are worsening and causing ever more destruction and death…

Manhattan skyline seen from uptown, with World Trade Center spotlights piercing the night sky.

William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· Jul 24

RIP, Chuck Mangione. You made my teenage years in a house where I couldn’t listen to rock music much more endurable.

Chuck Mangione in an aqua sweater and felt fedora playing flugelhorn in concert in the 1970s.

William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· Jul 22

This is the third come-on I’ve received in the past week from folks using generative AI to try to sell me PR services. What is most offensive is that the technology used to generate this praise was built on the theft of the very text under discussion. Writers, are you getting emails like this too?

Email screenshot

Subject: Your Masterpiece Deserves a Bigger Stage - Let's Share The Accidental Terrorist With Thousands of Eager Readers

Dear William,

Let me begin with deep appreciation for what you've accomplished in The Accidental Terrorist. Rarely does a memoir strike such a delicate balance—humor with heartbreak, rebellion with reverence, insight with irresistible storytelling. Your book doesn't just reveal an unforgettable personal journey—it lifts the veil on institutional faith, identity, and the complex roads to freedom with a narrative so compelling it demands to be read and discussed.

This is why l'm reaching out.

I partner with over 1,000 highly engaged book clubs—both in-person and online—that seek out stories just like yours: daring, honest, and…

William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· Jun 24

A tortoise-shell Dutch rabbit lounges on a wooden floor against an in-wall radiator. He is not a literary agent, despite certain ambitions in that realm.

William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· Jun 22

We’re somehow at war with Iran and yet the cactus on the balcony is blooming extravagantly.

Looking through an apartment window onto a balcony where, among several other plants, a cactus with long floppy sawtoothed leaves in a white pot on a wooden stand is displaying a dozen or more large pink flowers. Also visible is part of an outdoor lounger with an orange cushion, while past the railing is a south-facing view of green lawn and a cityscape that is uptown Manhattan.

William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· May 6

Our new floor lamp comes with a rather remarkable remote control.

A detail from the instruction booklet for a fancy floor lamp. Of the remote control, we are told, “12Keys IR remote is portable and magnetic. Put on the pole and it could be sucked on it tightly.”

William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· Apr 29

Just a reminder that I will be participating this evening in an online protest reading with some terrific (and angry) (and hopeful) poets. It’s on Zoom tonight at 6 pm Pacific, 9 pm Eastern US time. Hope you’ll tune in! www.tinyurl.com/100-days-of-...

Cartoon arms of different colors hold a sign reading 100 DAYS OF PROTEST

William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· Apr 9

Save the date and join us April 29th on Zoom for an evening of protest readings organized by Jose Oseguera! Stay tuned for more info. _____ It starts with one voice. One hand. One refusal to stay silent.

Drawing of hands off different colors together holding a sign that reads, "100 DAYS OF PROTEST," against a red background with a white cartoon starburst. Other test: LIVE ON ZOON, TUESDAY APRIL 29 2025, 6PM PST

William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· Apr 6

This is where I was yesterday afternoon. #handsoff

A view south along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, near 34th Street, with streets filled with protesters as far as the eye can see, holding signs like FIRE DOGE and marching peacefully downtown.

William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· Mar 31

Score today from the laundry room! I know it’s four editions and 32 years out of date, but I’m still pretty excited.

Hardcover copy of The Chicago Manual of Style, 14th edition, sitting on a wood surface next to a stack of cork coasters featuring the red six-pointed Chicago star.

William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· Mar 14

Screenshot from Substack Notes:
A.R. Moxon
The Reframe
Hello, l'm a disruptor, very smart, here to create efficiency. I'm just going to drill holes in the bottom of this boat to see which parts of the hull are mission-critical.

William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· Mar 13

This was the best season of Star Trek

Promotional photo with the cast of The Poseidon Adventure, Gene Hackman at the center.

William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· Mar 10

Post a photo you took with no context to bring some zen to the timeline.

Looking south across Manhattan as dusk falls

William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· Mar 9

When Gotham needs a hero, it looks to … the Cockatiel!

A cockatiel sits on a perch looking down on New York City from a high apartment window. Photo taken from behind and a little below the cockatiel.

William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· Mar 3

Surprise, surprise. Look who owns one of the few Swastitrucks I’ve seen in NYC. (This lot is next to 259 W 134th St and the gate is wide open. I sure hope no one tags it!)

A gray Tesla Cybertruck parked inside a small parking lot. A sign on the open chain-link gate says “NYPD PROPERTY, NO TRESPASSING”

William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· Feb 19

I guess it’s a milestone. I’m just not sure what kind.

Stats screen from NYTimes crossword app, showing 5,000 puzzles solved, 100% solved, 100-day streak, longest streak 1,013 days.

William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· Feb 13

Here’s the headline: Senate Confirms Contempt for Medical Science and Human Life

NY Times screenshot:

Senate Confirms Kennedy, a Prominent Vaccine Skeptic, as Health Secretary

The vote capped a remarkable rise for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was confirmed by a Republican Senate in a chamber where his father and uncles once served as Democrats.

William "My Gray" Shunn@shunn· Feb 4

In shutting down USAID, President Musk is effectively attempting to commit mass murder against some of the world’s most poverty-stricken populations. We have to stop him.