I e-mailed back and forth with Ryan Manning today about him possibly coming down to Richmond for the reading/book release. He politely declined and I pretty much understand considering the whole thing is incredibly sketchy and seems even more so after trying to make it seem less so when explaining it all to him.
But it was an interesting experience that focused mostly on how much of a stripper, hooker and crack head population we have here in Richmond. and let me tell you, it is a huge demographic.
It was a weird experience that I think sort of ‘defines’ the ‘Internet Literary Culture’. I won’t post all of the e-mails in full, but this was Ryan Manning’s final reply to me:
“thank you. i appreciate the invitation but i think i will pass. that moped gang seems interesting, though. they have a website.”
All he knows about me is that I have a book out and the release party is being held at a place where there may or may not be a hooker population (I think he wanted more hookers than I could offer) and that the ‘venue’ is also used by a moped gang. Man, the more I type this the more I understand why he declined.
This is all I know about him though. I feel like we would get along.
I also noticed a lack of google results for this particular Ryan Manning. Here’s hoping this gets up there.
**UPDATE** Ryan Manning would prefer you judge his character based on this article: http://htmlgiant.com/?p=63 Please oblige him. We are all learning together.
