Ryan T. Pozzi

Robert Haas in 2015

On This Day in History: March 1, 1941
Former US Poet Laureate, National Book Award and Pulitzer winner + one of my favorites, Robert Haas, was born. I met him at an event in D.C. in 2012 and he autographed a tour poster for me that bore a quote from The Privilege of Being.

Working on the manuscript for the next book this afternoon. It's missing some of the magic that made my debut really feel alive.

I wonder if that's part of the usual sophomore slump, a difference in connection to the material, or just my imagination getting the better of me. #writingcommunity

J. B. Lippincott edition of A Study in Scarlet (March 1890‎)

On This Day in History: March 1, 1890
The first U.S. edition of A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle is published, introducing American readers to Sherlock Holmes. The world's first consulting detective crosses the pond and crime fiction in America levels up. #booksky

Is this your FOURTH shortlist? Now you're just showing off. 🙂

It was well worth straying outside my own usual suspects.

Cover of The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones

My first Stephen Graham Jones. I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't this. These aren't "my" genres, but it was so lauded last year and it's a Tournament of Books selection so 🤷‍♂️.

Engaging and emotionally complex while achieving some v. fun twists. Possibly my best read of '25 or '26 so far.

Each week, I send a free forever newsletter called Life on the Midlist. It's a field guide to the literary middle class.

If, like me, you find yourself somewhere between "I just write for fun" and "award-winning, bestselling, or chosen," then this is your weekly dispatch. www.ryantpozzi.com/midlist

Weekly. I'm not picky about format. I sort of drink in storytelling of all forms, particularly if I'm between manuscripts or in the early stages of a new project. That means TV, movies, live theater, poetry readings, performance art, pretty much whatever I can find that might expand my thinking.

Theatrical release poster for the 1945 film A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

On This Day in History: February 28, 1945
The film adaptation of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith premieres, directed by Elia Kazan in his feature debut and starring Dorothy McGuire, Joan Blondell, and Peggy Ann Garner.

d'Indy, Vincent, circa 1908, Félix Potin company

On This Day in History: February 28, 1904
Vincent d'Indy’s Symphony No. 2 in B major premieres. A reminder that the late Romantic era was still very much alive in France, even as modernism was already circling on the horizon. The real climax of the symphony, of course, was that aggressive mustache.

Cover of the 1896 first trade edition of Maggie: A Girl of the Streets

On This Day in History: February 28, 1893
Stephen Crane publishes his first novel, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, under the pseudonym “Johnston Smith.” It’s bleak, unsentimental, and far ahead of its time. America wasn’t quite ready. #booksky

All the ironic past tweets and headlines are fun, but lying has always been the strategy. The same ≈ one-third of Americans who believed those lies will still believe them even amidst a war with Iran.

For the 1 in 3 who can accept mass murder and child rape to get their way, another war is nothing.

On This Day in History: February 27, 1919
The first public performance of The Planets by Gustav Holst, at Queen’s Hall in London with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Adrian Boult. One of my favorites. I’m giving it a listen today to mark the occasion. #Holst #Planets

A nationwide ban on LGBTQ+ books in public schools, FFS?!

H.R. 7661 is bigotry and draconian censorship masquerading as protection. Not an idea original to me, but the folks banning books are never the "good guys."

💯

Surprise in blurb requesting: my publisher doesn’t provide physical ARCs for midlisters, which is normal. I didn’t anticipate that some giant, famous (and not so young, no shade) authors will only consider blurbing if I send a physical ARC. Looks like my first out-of-pocket publishing expense. 💸💸💸

These kinds of things in my house used to upset me a bit. I've adjusted. These days, we'd call that an acceptable loss.

Debut blurb request update:
2 yeses
3 maybes
3 nos
14 pending

That's actually better than I thought we'd be doing at this point. This feels a little like being on sub, though the stakes are, admittedly, lower. I didn't expect that.

Life on the Midlist | Behind-the-scenes of Traditional Publishing — Ryan T. Pozzi Authentic stories from a midlist author about publishing, querying, and making it in the book industry, delivered every Tuesday.

I'm pretty close to a full-blown recluse. When I'm awake, I'm either working on a manuscript or writing for the newsletter.

In that sense, Life on the Midlist is my only contact with the outside world and the way I make friends. You want me to have friends, don't you? www.ryantpozzi.com/midlist

Full disclosure: Today is the second day in my life that I wish I hadn't written a book. As my "I wish we were pals"Judith Viorst would say, "Some days are like that. Even in Australia."

I SHOULD go to AWP this year bc I have a brother that lives just outside of Baltimore, but I'm sorta AWP hostile. And also Baltimore in March hostile. #changemymind #youprobablycant

I thought so, too.

Geo. Brandes, at desk with book; head in heads

I read this thing today, that I'm not going to name and shame bc this is mostly about my reaction it, about how writers don't have to be in NYC to have truly successful careers.

Cool. I'm with you so far.

The thesis? LA is fine, too, and maybe Chicago if you're willing to write for the stage. 🤨😑

OMG! I didn't make 75 daytime social posts today! Will my platform collapse?! 🙄

I do, but thank you for the offer.

I got the first proofs of the book back from Bloomsbury this morning.

It's been a bit since I actually sat down to read the thing closely and I'm happy to report: It's actually pretty damn good. I think you'll like it in [mumblemuble] more months when it actually turns up in bookstores. #booksky

Hey! I'm in that, too! Awesome. I can't wait to get my copy and see who else answered the call.

Sorta. I got first proofs back this morning so I'm reading myself (ugh, again!) and making those last tiny notes before there's no going back.

Portrait of John Keats, by William Hilton, c. 1822

On This Day in History: February 23, 1821
John Keats dies in Rome at 25, most likely from tuberculosis, then called “consumption.” Some accounts point to mercury treatments making things worse, because nineteenth-century medicine loved being confidently wrong.