Peace, and Long Life! 🖖🏻

Welcome aboard!

This is The Storyteller, a newsletter all about the defining element of being human: stories.

Fans of science fiction may be familiar with the oft-repeated assertion that the mark of sentience or consciousness is awareness of the self. Some think evidence of sentience can be gleaned from the use of tools and abstract reasoning, critical thinking and the like. 

This self-awareness, resourcefulness, and abstract problem solving culminates in an ability to reflect. Reflection is the root of all stories.

Humans, even you, tell hundreds of stories every day. The most recognizable of these come from the prolific and creative minds of auteurs like Stephen King, Quentin Tarantino, and Beyonce, but master storytellers account for a tiny sliver. The vast majority of stories never see the other side of their skull of origin: the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of the events of our lives, our emotions, our hopes, fears, and deepest desires. 

To tell a story is the most human thing of all. 

This newsletter is a celebration of stories in all of their many forms: books, short stories, news articles, films, television, music, dance, and life itself. 

You’ll find original short stories, movie, book, and album reviews, playlists, and essays about all things storytelling. 

Your captain:

My name is Christopher. My friends call me Chris the Sci Fi Guy, and I’m the Captain of this ship. 

I could read before I was potty-trained, more interested in stories than the bodily reality of my existence since toddlerdom. I started writing my own stories at the ripe age of six and never stopped. Came close to publishing once when I was fourteen and have been too spooked to try again. It’s my goal to have a novel published by the time I’m forty. 

I’m queer, and it is my mission to amplify, normalize, and create queer stories. 

I’ve worked in activism, mostly for queer liberation, student rights, and access to healthcare. I taught English Language Arts in New York City public middle and high schools for seven years. 

This year, I pivoted from education to publishing and moved to Chicago. 

I’m a die hard Trekkie with an AMC A-List membership. Over seventy percent of my speech patterns are just references to stories I love and have inspired the man I am today. 

Who are you?

This newsletter is for bibliophiles, cinephiles, queers, and people who love stories. 

Whether your interest is in reviews of already-existing stories, snippets of forthcoming stories, discussion of craft and structure, or something else, you’ll find a home here.

If you love stories, consider subscribing! 

This newsletter is available in two tiers, one free and one paid. If you already follow me on Medium, subscribing to even the free newsletter will get you access to more content than I’ll be cross-posting.  Subscribing to the paid version will get you access to all the written content on this platform including links to my monthly playlists and five minute reviews. 

We’re in the middle of a Not-Recession, so I understand that money is tight. If you can’t afford to subscribe and still want to support, consider buying me a coffee.