Ryan Van Meter

Full Stop reviews "Metawritings: Notes Toward a Theory of Nonfiction"

Wed, 23 May 2012 11:50:06 -0700

Full Stop reviews "Metawritings: Notes Toward a Theory of Nonfiction":

“Ryan Van Meter’s ‘I Was There’ focuses on a thorough investigation of Janis Joplin’s exact address and its proximity to Van Meter’s home and falls under the terrific category.”

Photo

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:00:28 -0700

My essay, "I Was There," is first up in the brand new Metawritings anthology, edited by Jill Talbot.

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:59:52 -0700

My essay, "I Was There," is first up in the brand new Metawritings anthology, edited by Jill Talbot.

24th Annual Lambda Literary Awards Finalist Readings

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:33:53 -0700

24th Annual Lambda Literary Awards Finalist Readings:

SAN FRANCISCO – TUESDAY, APRIL 24

San Francisco Public Library

Latino/Hispanic Meeting Room A & B

100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, California 94102

5:00 pm Reception

6:00 pm Reading

Confirmed authors: Ryan Van Meter, Daphne Gottlieb, Justin Chin, Tirza T. Latimer, Jan Steckel, Malinda Lo, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, Jim Provenzano, Lara Fergus, Christina Hutchins, Nat Smith.

24th Annual Lambda Literary Award Finalists Announced

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:37:08 -0700

24th Annual Lambda Literary Award Finalists Announced:

“If You Knew Then What I Know Now” nominated for Gay Memoir/Biography.

Los Angeles Times Festival of Books Panel: “Love: American Style” with Ryan Van Meter, Nura Maznavi, Diane Farr and Meghan Daum (Moderator)

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:11:03 -0700

Los Angeles Times Festival of Books Panel: “Love: American Style” with Ryan Van Meter, Nura Maznavi, Diane Farr and Meghan Daum (Moderator):

Sunday, April 22 - 3:00 PM - University of Southern California

Rain Taxi reviews "If You Knew Then What I Know Now"

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 21:21:00 -0800

Rain Taxi reviews "If You Knew Then What I Know Now"

Southeast Hall (Tables P5 and P6).

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:47:18 -0800

Southeast Hall (Tables P5 and P6).

Attending AWP? The Events page is now updated with panel and book signing information.

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:35:07 -0800

Attending AWP? The Events page is now updated with panel and book signing information.:

“Eminent Debuts: Four Authors Discuss Their First Nonfiction Books”

“Is the Midwest Reshaping Creative Nonfiction? A Tribute to Fourth Genre”

"If You Knew Then What I Know Now" is included in Best of the South 2011 by The Atlanta-Journal Constitution

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:08:48 -0800

"If You Knew Then What I Know Now" is included in Best of the South 2011 by The Atlanta-Journal Constitution:

“If there is a more gloriously tender account of growing up gay in suburban Missouri, we have yet to see it. In 13 linked essays, Van Meter traces a loose chronology of a boy who spent the first half of his life learning to hide in the closet, and the second, struggling to come out of it.”

An interview with the students of Jill Talbot's creative nonfiction writing class.

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:58:22 -0800

An interview with the students of Jill Talbot's creative nonfiction writing class.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer selects "If You Knew Then What I Know Now" for their Best Paperbacks of 2011 list

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 09:00:00 -0800

The Cleveland Plain Dealer selects "If You Knew Then What I Know Now" for their Best Paperbacks of 2011 list

GalleyCat selects "If You Know Then What I Know Now" as one of the most overlooked books of 2011

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:58:08 -0800

GalleyCat selects "If You Know Then What I Know Now" as one of the most overlooked books of 2011

The Millions Year in Reading 2011: Michael Schaub

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:37:26 -0800

The Millions Year in Reading 2011: Michael Schaub

Justin Torres recommends "If You Knew Then What I Know Now" for New York Magazine's best of the year in books list.

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 07:44:05 -0800

Justin Torres recommends "If You Knew Then What I Know Now" for New York Magazine's best of the year in books list.:

lifeserial: Just finished. Justin begins talking as we enter...

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 07:42:16 -0800

lifeserial:

Just finished.

Justin begins talking as we enter the mouth of the bridge. “I had a nice time tonight. I hope you did too.” His voice is almost too soft to hear over the rhythmic bumping of the tires along the segments of the bridge. The water is black, heavy barges with winking lights drift slowly below. I say that I had a nice time too. The green sign posted at the end of the bridge begins to glow at the margin of Justin’s headlights. The words aren’t yet visible but I know them anyway: Now Entering St. Charles.

“I think finding nice guys to date around here is really hard, you know?”

I don’t know how it happened, but I forgot to hold my breath the one time it feels possible that the bridge will collapse. My heart starts beating so hard I can hear my hot blood thumping through my ears. Suddenly all the air and saliva that make my mouth work disappear and so do all the words that I need to say to Justin because he’s got this whole thing so wrong. And he must have gotten it wrong from Lisa. The effeminate kid who doesn’t do normal boy things was the identity I was trying to obscure with this cooler one. I tried to create a new version of myself by hanging out with people like Lisa and Justin, but now I know I just look like the kid I was trying to erase.

“I’m not gay,” I say.

If You Knew Then What I Know Now is a series of linked essays by Ryan Van Meter. It’s about sexuality, love, and coming out. If you’re me, it’s nostalgic as fuck. I couldn’t stop reading and I ate this book. I swallowed it up so quickly because many of the moments in it felt scraped from my childhood and college years. It’s more thoughtful and beautiful and smart than anything I could ever write on the subject, though.

I got it a couple of months ago and it sat on my nightstand while I worked around to it. I might leave it on my nightstand now. Special.

I would like you to purchase this book. Please buy it with your money and read it. Check your local indie bookstore and have them order you a copy if they don’t already have it in stock.

Thank you for the kind words!

Windy City Times review "If You Knew Then What I Know Now"

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 07:49:18 -0800

Windy City Times review "If You Knew Then What I Know Now"

An interview with Switchback

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:31:54 -0800

An interview with Switchback

"If You Knew Then What I Know Now" named a Great Group Read 2011

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:24:00 -0700

"If You Knew Then What I Know Now" named a Great Group Read 2011:

by the Women’s National Book Association.

Brooklyn, New York.

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 20:02:32 -0700

Brooklyn, New York.