Kicking Things Off

Like it says on the website, my name is Chris, and this is the inaugural post of a blog that will provide you with, more or less, weekly offerings. 

I suppose I should probably start by answering a couple of basic questions. 

“Who the hell am I?” and “What the hell am I going to talk about?” 

First, I’m the author of Anti-Hero Blues, a forthcoming full-length novel in the Superhero (or, more accurately, supervillain) genre published by Balance of Seven Press. The book is a funny, action-packed love letter to comics and punk rock, and I can’t wait for you all to read it on June 6, 2024.

I’m also a full-time social worker and mental health educator at a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit. Most of what I do centers around employment services aimed at immigrants and refugees, neurodivergent individuals, and individuals with mental health challenges. 

For me, social work is more than just a job. It’s an ethos, the natural culmination of an unstable youth misspent at punk shows, goth clubs, and libraries. Black lives matter, trans women are women and trans men are men, reproductive rights are human rights, science is real, vaccines save lives, and the earth is round. I believe corporations are not people (but animals are), and America is built on a foundation of systemic racism that persists to this day.

I could go on, but you get the idea. 

If you have a problem with any of that, feel free to shuffle back to whatever hole you crawled out of. You’ll find no sympathy here.

I’m also a game designer with writing credits on a variety of Dungeons & Dragons adjacent products, most notably Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition, from En World Press.

It’s also worth mentioning that I’m neurodivergent.

So, what do I plan to talk about?  

First, the book, obviously.  This blog will be a primary source of news, updates, and supplemental material for Anti-Hero Blues. Expect art, side character vignettes, and more leading up to the release next year.

Beyond the book, I plan to discuss topics I care about, the things I think I have a bit of insight into, and the stuff that fascinates me. Game design, particularly as it relates to tabletop RPGs. Books. Writing. Neurodivergence and my experiences as a neurodivergent adult living with a highly-stigmatized disorder. Mental Health and self-care, particularly as it relates to writing. Punk rock, post-punk, and music in general. Sci-fi and fantasy. The causes that matter to me. History, technology and social change, and whatever else I might feel like in a given week. 

If anyone ever reads this, I may even take requests.

Some of it will be funny. Some of it will be informative, helpful, or insightful. Some of it will be raw and very personal. 

That’s it!

Hopefully, some of this piques your interest. To keep up to date with Anti-Hero Blues, watch my social media hijinks, and get showered with pictures of my dog, feel free to check out my Twitter and Facebook.  You can also use the link on the bottom right to sign up for my mailing list.

P.S. My intern wanted to say hello.