Bryon Quertermous

I’m taking a break from all of this until the end of the year. I have a book to finish, a day job to tend to, books to read, and life to live. None of that is easier when I’m on here. I could have done this quietly, sure, but I also want the accountability of people knowing I’m away. Thank you.

I was up in Flint yesterday and stopped by the library where I grew up and did a lot of my earliest writing and reading and was excited to see my NYT bestselling novel on their shelves. This is your reminder that libraries are magical and need to be protected at all costs.

It’s essentially the literary equivalent of using self-deprecating humor as a defense mechanism, which I’m also far too prone to using. Too much of my writing career has been driven by being too concerned with being taken seriously as an artist instead of just having fun and entertaining the reader.

Harlan Coben nailed my obsession w/ meta fiction in his new book, saying he doesn’t like doing meta fiction because he feels like people who do that are afraid of their work not being taken seriously so they have to constantly let everyone know they’re in the joke instead of just having fun. Ouch.

I‘ve been itching to get back to playwriting once my current novel is done, and now I’m thinking about PERFORMATIVE MALE about a few very different guys at a cafe talking about reading and masculinity, exposing the best and worst of each man as their true reasons for being in the cafe are exposed.

This! Reading is just one area where the toxifacation of masculinity is evident. If we want more men to read, then society needs to show preference outside of romantic comedies for men who show empathy, and journal, and ponder, and compromise, and all of the other things lumped under “sensitive.”

Drove with Spenser to Cleveland to see @rickriordan.bsky.social which is cool, but I’ll still always remember seeing him as a mystery writer at my first Bouchercon in 2004. Loved his Tres Navarre series.

Collected a couple rejections of my original graphic novel, but an editor liked it well enough to offer me a work-for-hire job on a different graphic novel. Every piece of writing you put out there has the potential to bring you something good. Hang in there.

I grew up in a bible-thumping evangelical church and school, so there were plenty of movies and slide shows that terrified me but A THIEF IN THE NIGHT sticks out as particularly terrifying. The rapture was a key source of terror for me for a long time growing up.

As I get older, I’m uncomfortable with how much of my camera role is filled with pictures of various close ups of lumps and scratches on my body so I can see them clearer.

I saw RESIDENT EVIL last night and it’s as great as everyone says it is. Aside from the humor and the fun gore, this movie is almost perfectly constructed. A character needs to accomplish something and the obstacles just keep getting worse and worse. Absolutely nothing comes easy for this guy.

Depending on the characteristics of the wilderness trainer, this feels like a @mjkoryta.bsky.social or @jtswriter.bsky.social book waiting to happen.

The more I read, the more I realize I’m woefully lacking in many foundational non-fiction works important to being an educated citizen. What are some books you all think are important reads that you love or have been meaning to read?

I swear to god everyone in The Bronx seems to know each other.

I scored the coveted Pony Boy seat in the front row of the Outsiders musical last night and it was fantastic. I had an amazing teacher who taught it at the private evangelical school I went to (before she was fired for it) so the book means a lot to me and the musical exceeded my expectation.

Out and about.

Proof of life tourist edition.

At the airport to continue my birthday celebration in NYC to visit my east coast contingent of buddies (plus a couple of folks traveling in for the occasion).

I'm 50. How in the hell did that happen?? bryonquertermous.substack.com/p/this-is-50...

Leo is not enthused by my reading of my latest pages. I only gave him half a treat though earlier, so I think he’s biased.

Spenser turned 18 over the weekend and he’s grown into such a sweet and curious giant that this world is too good for. Luckily he has two sisters made of thunder and lightning to protect him. He loves snakes and lizards, so we went to a reptile rescue to celebrate.

Afternoon listening. Love this one. You can almost hear The Eagles forming in the background.

There‘s been a lot of good crime fiction reflecting the tragedy of 9/11, with ABSENT FRIENDS by SJ Rozan and SMALL TOWN by Lawrence Block being my favorite novel, but by far my favorite 9/11 crime fiction story is CLOSURE by @davewhite.bsky.social thrillingdetective.com/2023/04/01/c...

It‘s been a while since I’ve posted some Ed and Zorro content and I apologize profusely and hope you will forgive me this epic transgression.

I am genuinely baffled when I see authors online using AI-generated pictures to promote their work. That shit is crammed down our throat enough by industries we loath the last thing we need is to have it coming from industries and creators we love.

I needed a new murder show too watch between new episodes of REACHER and nothing clicked with me until I started FURIOUS on Hulu. Holy shit is this show fantastic. It’s somehow manages a perfect balance of dark and emotional and funny and terrifying. the cast is phenomenal from top to bottom.

Read Amanda’s column, which is great like everything she does, and then read ENSHITTIFICATION by @doctorow.pluralistic.net which delves even deeper into this. They’re both very informative and not as depressing as you would think.

What’s the most 90s thing about you? I watched the OJ trial in government class.

Taking the @lauralippman.bsky.social strategy and spent the afternoon watching baseball. I found a cheap last minute ticket to the game and this is a pretty great way to spend a Sunday.

I love talking to Adam Frost, though it doesn’t happen nearly enough, and I’ve been looking forward to this book since I first heard about it. I got an early copy, and it’s everything I hoped it would be- funny, deep, heartbreaking, and so well written. Get your pre-orders in now! bit.ly/4xDmhqF

I'm very cautiously optimistic that it seems like all of those Tarot card readings about my epically shitty run of bad luck and trauma turning into success eventually might finally be coming to fruition. Now I just wait and try not to piss of the universe anymore until I have concrete proof.

This is all part of a broader trend where society is trying to eliminate any source of friction in our life, not realizing most of what makes life special and unique and worth living is the friction. Otherwise we’re just the floating chair blobs from WALL-E

Young Flo. Before she was your friendly neighborhood insurance spokesperson, she had a childhood and eventually a blue apron.

There is nothing you can do as a writer more important to your creativity and giving your work a soul than seeing art in person. Paintings, sculptures, wood prints, abstract installation, symphonies, weird theater, see all of it. Even if you aren’t a writer, seeing art will make you a better person.

I don’t think that’s quite true. It’s not true in the propaganda mind altering way people think but good professors open students’ eyes and show them a world beyond their tiny segment. and once exposed to empathy and wider POVs they naturally become more liberal by just being more human.

Kitten Socializing Update: While Ed remains Maurice’s chief tormentor, he’s also become his best cuddle buddy. Zorro has been bonding more with our pug. Also: someone taught them martial arts. Yesterday Ed did a flip in the air and came down in a perfect kick to Zorro’s head. Brutal and hilarious.

Also: Abdul El-Sayed isn’t an official Democratic Socialist of America candidate, but he represents a lot of what they stand for and it shouldn’t be a shock that they are the first political party I’ve thought about volunteering for in a very long time.

I don’t get excited about much in politics these days, but I love this guy. I’ve been following him since he first ran for governor. He’s smart and savvy and has a lot of what made Zohran Mamdani successful. I hope he blows the doors off Mike Rogers and stuffy Democrats www.bbc.com/news/article...

I thought of @lauralippman.bsky.social when I was reading DON’T CALL IT ART by @austinkleon.bsky.social and he talks about Curious Elders - people who learn from and appreciate younger generations. I know Laura would be excited that Kleon’s original Curious Elder is John Waters.

I am really gonna miss giving my husband little recaps of what happened on this week’s episode of Cape Fear. Bring back prestige camp.

Ed has decided I’m not leaving bed today. Oh well.

Has there ever been a technology that was supposed to be this amazing and revolutionary that had to be shoved down people’s throats like this?

I think I've decided that my favorite song is also my favorite short story and that is scenes from an Italian restaurant by Billy Joel. It's just almost perfect as both.

I‘d gotten away from word games on my phone for a while and started back up again, including Spelling Bee. It’s been harder for me then it used to be because I’m out of practice, but this felt good.