Contempt, Common Ground and The Coddling of the American Mind

I had two pieces run in "The Coddling of the American Mind Movie" Substack about obstacles to finding common ground. Part one dropped the day of Charlie…

Oct 4 • 

Ryan Self

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September 2025

🏦 When Al Gore tried to DOGE the government

How Gore's "Report on Reinventing Government" echos some of our problems today, but with vastly different solutions.

Sep 6 • 

Ryan Self

August 2025

📺 Top 5 memoirs written by SNL alums

Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Colin Jost and more make the list

Aug 16 • 

Ryan Self

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✞ When "affirming" churches imply you cannot be gay and Christian

Support and quotes from Matthew Vines, an article in Baptist News Global and an interview on the "Church and Main" podcast about my article, "With…

Aug 2 • 

Ryan Self

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July 2025

📖 Zach Lambert talks about "Better Ways to Read the Bible"

I spoke to my friend and pastor about his new book, coming out August 12.

Jul 27 • 

Ryan Self

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I inherited several newspapers from the 1950s and 60s

The Moon landing, JFK assassination, Ask Ann Landers and much more covered in the pages of newspapers from decades ago.

Jul 13 • 

Ryan Self

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June 2025

When the going was gratuitous

Jaw-dropping expense accounts, Oscar Parties, hosting Princess Margaret and more details in the memoir of former Vanity Fair editor, Graydon Carter.

Jun 21 • 

Ryan Self

🏳️‍🌈With allies like these, who needs adversaries?

Abandoning Christianity, drag shows in church, appearing to cheer political violence, dismissing dissent and other ways to set the cause of same-sex…

Jun 7 • 

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May 2025

Lorne Michaels thought SNL writers "lost their minds" in 2016.

Tina Fey and Mike Myers built characters around him. Conan felt abandoned by him. And other highlights from the authorized biography, "Lorne: The man…

May 17 • 

Ryan Self

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April 2025

I got another phone call from the fraternity president

This time it was very healing. Plus reflections on Easter, my alma mater and the Churches of Christ.

Apr 26 • 

Ryan Self

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What happens when you’re out of harmony with the chorus?

Part two in a series detailing my experiences pledging/depledging a Christian fraternity.

Apr 12 • 

Ryan Self

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When we sing of Christian brotherhood, who gets to join the chorus?

What I saw while pledging and depledging a Christian fraternity in 2008.

Apr 5 • 

Ryan Self

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