Simon is a Canadian comic with a particular talent for going places that scare the shit out of most of us. He looks into the shadows and finds the humor. From my perspective, that’s the kind of mind that deserves our respect, admiration, and gratitude. Sometimes, laughter is the only antidote to despair, so I consider Simon to be something like a hospice nurse. However I go out, I hope I manage to choke out a chuckle at the beautiful absurdity of it all.Simon in Insta. Simon’s YouTube.Here’s that Amazon link I keep forgetting to mention. Hope your fall is going well so far.Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. Outro: “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Joshua Wright grew up living in Africa and Asia. While still a kid, he became an environmentalist watching the timber industry clear-cut around his family home in Washington State. Recognizing the urgency of what was happening around him, he dropped out of high school at 14 years old to make Eden's Last Chance. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comCameron holds black belts in three martial arts, is the founder of Budokon Mixed Movement Arts and has worked with the Bellator world champion Lovato Jr. fight team as well as Charlie Sheen, Sean Penn, Slash, Courtney Cox, Rene Russo, Meg Ryan and Jennifer Aniston. He's also a funny, smart, deeply sincere guy.

In this third and final (for now) episode with “Nathan,” we talk mainly about the creative process and how to pursue “success” without being ensnared in ego and shallow motivations. What incentives to creativity are legitimate, and not just chasing after fame, fortune, power or immortality? What might a truly “optimized” life look like? This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comMichael just got back from riding his bike from Alaska to Chile. A few years ago, he rode all over China, Mongolia, Burma, Thailand, and Malaysia, to Singapore. Dude has lived!

Hamilton Morris is an American journalist, documentarian, and scientific researcher. He is the creator and director of the television series Hamilton's Pharmacopeia, in which he investigates the chemistry, history, and cultural impact of various psychoactive drugs. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Moby and Lindsay are pals, neighbors, and amateur tick-removal specialists. We talk about their new podcast, the many uses of dental floss, the mysterious birthday gift I gave Moby years ago and it’s unexpected repercussions, and the lures and dangers of fame and fortune. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Peter Anderson is an author, traveler, observer, story-teller, and a million other things. He’s the whole package. His books include, Heading Home: Field Notes (Conundrum Press), a collection of short essays, flash prose, and prose poems, which Colorado novelist Laura Pritchett describes as offering "gorgeous meditations on traveling, the natural world, small towns, parenting, and...the cultural eccentricities of of the modern day west." His collection of essays, First Church of the Higher Elevations (Conundrum Press) explores the ecology of story, spirituality, and landscape. His poems have appeared in various anthologies including New Poets of the American West (Many Voices Press) and Storied Wheels (Somos Publications). His latest project, an anthology of placed-based writings called Reading Colorado: A Literary Road Guide, came out from Bower House Books in May of 2023. Apply for the Sex at Dawn Budokon retreat here. The Byrna anti-bear weapon is here.The article about “Border Country” is here.My conversation with Lodhy is here.You can read about the Berrigan brothers here.You can redirect a few crumbs from Jeff Bezos’s pocket to support this podcast by using this link when you shop on Amazon.Music: “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range; “Border Country,” by The Paper Stars; “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton.R.I.P. Sinead. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

This is a follow-up to ROMA 66, in which I further discuss the dangers of ignoring or silencing people we disagree with. Here’s the profile of Andrew Tate I mention. Here’s “Fix Your Mind,” the video that distills some of his teaching. Here are my notes on the cycle I mention.* With the intention of making the world better, we deny obvious reality (race doesn’t exist, men and women are the same, trans women are just like biological women, it’s not too late to stop climate change, we can buy our way out of global collapse, etc.);* We silence and shame anyone who openly questions these narratives: fire professors who say there may be innate differences in math skills between boys and girls (Larry Summers), cancel culture, deplatforming, etc.* Control acceptable language: force us to use weird pronouns and respect whatever identity people claim, Latinx, “non-men,” “people with vaginas,” n-word, c-word, etc.* This creates a huge market for anyone willing to speak these forbidden truths. But it’s very risky. So who steps up?* The already wealthy (invulnerable) Berlusconi, Trump, Murdoch. Those with nothing to lose (Fuck the Police), punk, early rock. Podcasters/comics (insulated from economic impact). The wounded (Tate: “I get bored too fast. I need to be distracted. I need to be stressed at all times. I need to be entertained.”)Note: I was wrong in claiming that this quote was from a Founding Father of the United States: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” This was actually written by Evelyn Beatrice Hall, who wrote under the pseudonym S. G. Tallentyre, in her biography of Voltaire, The Friends of Voltaire. (1906) This was her summary of Voltaire’s passion for free speech. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Here’s the interview with Andrew Tate I mentioned. The Milgram study. The article calling Jonah Hill’s texts “monstrous.” Excellent conversation between Hasan Minhaj and Obama. That Fluidstance contraption I mentioned.Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. Outro: “Global House,” by Øystein Sevåg.A little something just for subscribers: This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Kizzen and Janet have not only been in and around Crestone for decades, they’ve played a large part in shaping it into the funky, unique little town that drew me in. The heart and soul of the local paper, the Crestone Eagle, from its founding until recently, they’ve seen it all — or most of it, anyway. It was an honor to sit at their table and talk about past, present, and future with these two wise and funny ladies.Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. “Party at the End of the World,” by Carsie Blanton.If you use Amazon, please consider using this link, which will divert some of what you spend away from a certain bald billionaire toward a balding thousandaire who could use the extra scratch. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

I’ve been a big fan of KnowMads for several years now. Finally got to hang with them for a while, if virtually. I’m an even bigger fan now. These dudes bring it all: a deep pocket, great stories, thoughtfulness, kindness, and lots of heart. Check their site for upcoming dates in the PNW. Very proud to debut “Imperfect,” a new tune that wraps up our conversation. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

The Unabomber, EarthFirst, the Monkeywrench Gang, and the constant hum of humiliation in 2023. How to live in a shitstorm without getting covered in shit. Poem: “The Conditional,” by Ada Limón.Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. Outro: “Skim Milk,” by Jemma and the Good Thing. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Rich travels around the US with his dog, Louis, transforming plain, boring walls into scenes of imagination and beauty. Our conversation ranges from what lies on the other side of comfort, to how health challenges can inspire and inform one’s creative process, to the ups and downs of being an itinerant artist. Rich’s murals are sumptuous, full of life and color and even humor. If you have a blank wall that could use some added vitality, get in touch with this guy. richayers.artIntro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. Outro: “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Along with his buddy Ryan Nicodemus, Joshua hit a wall about a decade ago. These friends realized that they had it made, on paper, anyway. They had the money, the “good jobs,” the big house, the cars, the watches, the suits. What they didn’t have was peace of mind. Maybe they didn’t own stuff, the stuff owned them? Thus were born The Minimalists. I hope you enjoy this conversation, where Josh and I go beyond closet space to talk about how our consumerist illusions manifest in non-material realms: death, love, aging, health, and spirit.Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. Outro: “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton.A little something just for subscribers: This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comNote: If you’re hearing some mess in the first minute or so, please delete and download again (or just jump ahead a few minutes). The first version of this had an editing error. Apologies. My editing team has been given a stern talking to.Dipping back into it with “Nathan,” a very smart therapist/scientist in his early 30s who wanted to pick my brain ab…

Along with her partner, Peter, Miriam has walked the planet for the past decade or so. India, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Europe. They travel light and spontaneous. Here’s the program that convinced me to reach out to them, a very touching portrait of these unique, lovely people. In 2017 Miriam wrote the International bestseller Woman in the Wilderness. It was translated into German, Dutch, French, Portuguese and Chinese. In 2020 the sequel Wild at Heart came out.Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. “Sometimes,” by Daniel Lanois. Outro: “Summertime,” by Fort Frances.My Amazon link.Ponderosa Millworks.A little something just for subscribers: This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comJohn Colapinto has written two novels, About the Author (2001) and Undone (2015). In 2000, he published As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl (2000), about the tragic case of David Reimer, who had undergone a sex change as an infant after a medical mishap.

“The bad news is you’re falling through the air, nothing to hang on to, no parachute. The good news is, there’s no ground.” ― Chögyam TrungpaIntro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. Outro: “Too Much Reality,” by Brett Newski. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comTrying something a little different here. A guy we’re agreeing to call “Nathan” wrote to me asking for some life advice, but suggested it could be interesting to record our conversation, in that much of what he wanted to talk about could be useful to many people, not just him. Seemed like an interesting idea, so we went for it.

Alex wrote a book called Quantum Criminals: Ramblers, Wild Gamblers, and Other Sole Survivors from the Songs of Steely Dan (beautifully illustrated by Joan LeMay). It’s a fantastic book about one of the most interesting bands of all time. They were a rock/pop/jazz band that wasn’t really a band, decided not to tour cause it was too much hassle, settled for nothing short of perfection, had no interest in fame, so cool they didn’t care a whit about being cool. I’m guessing Banksy is a fan of Steely Dan. Hope you dig the convo. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Should we be excited or concerned about AI? Is technology learning to mimic us or are we learning to mimic technology? Who’s colonizing whom? I talk about some upcoming interviews I’ve got cooking. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Dr. Turner Osler studied anthropology at Princeton, before becoming a surgeon and research epidemiologist. After 30 years working at the University of Vermont’s trauma center, Dr. Osler left the operating room and began a career as a research epidemiologist, which required hours of sitting at a computer, resulting in unrelenting back pain. Being an expert on the spine, he decided to try to design a chair that would work with, rather than against human anatomy and physiology. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Hey. I hope you missed me as much as I missed you! This is the podcast where I explain where I’ve been for the past few weeks and why. I also talk about some ways to get in touch with each other, including the retreat that photo is teasing, and facilmap. I missed you all. But I’ve finally dug out my recording gear, so I’m back, baby!Music: “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range; “Masterpiece,” by Big Thief, covered by Tara, of Raapta. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Thoughts while driving:— Why are teenagers so unhappy?— Are we drowning in a bullshit tsunami?— Shouldn’t there be a word for the current partner of your ex?— Are there love songs written to a former partner? This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Eric Czuleger is currently banned from entering Turkey due to an accusation that he is a spy. He is not a spy. He is however, the author of books and plays as well as long form nonfiction and journalism. Most recently he spent a year living and working in countries that don’t exist. His travel book, You Are Not Here: Travels Through Countries That Don’t Exist, will be released when it’s good and ready. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Mike is a breathwork coach from the UK. After 15 years in the corporate world, Mike decided to leave to teach breathwork full time. Mike has trained with many of the world’s leading breathwork innovators; such as Wim Hof, James Nestor and Patrick McKeown. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

At age nine, Marc was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome due to incessant vocal and motor tics that interfered with every aspect of his life. Every medical professional concluded that his condition was uncontrollable and incurable, but Marc overcame Tourette’s in 2013, drawing from innovations from courses in emotional intelligence (NXIVM), using only mind over body, and sheer will. (Adapted from Marc’s website.) Marc is a passionate advocate for NXIVM’s founder, Keith Raniere, arguing that Keith didn’t get a fair trial and that his actions have been misrepresented in the media.Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. “Only a Fool Would Say That” by Steely Dan; Outro: “Homens,” by Manu Chao. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Are you a proud optimist? A glass half-full sorta person? How much is too much to spend on feline medical care? Should I stay or should I go? Do we actually love our pets or just convince ourselves we do? Is there wisdom to be found in ruthlessness? This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Tony grew up in an intentional spiritual community in West Virginia that many called a hippie commune. His new book, Red, White & Blind looks at how censorship, propaganda, and disinformation are woven into American history and are becoming increasingly corrosive in the digital age. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

On September 16, 1994, sixty-two students at Ariel School in Zimbabwe witnessed something incredible. In his fantastic documentary, Ariel Phenomenon, Randall Nickerson explores the close encounter these schoolchildren experienced. Over twenty-five years later, this incident is still fresh in their memories. They continue to search for answers – and the courage to speak their truth. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

In which I respond to a lobster fisherman’s question about why he gets restless in relationships. I yammer on about the difference between a “romantic” approach to loving women vs. an “epic” approach, and how each can play out in terms of loving her righteously. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comIn which I talk about the difference between scarcity and value, and how conflating scarcity with value gets us into trouble. Diamonds aren’t your best friends. A few words about some of the reasons we’re in Crestone and the life-boat we’re designing.

I “met” Charlie when he wrote to gently correct me on some nonsense I’d said on the podcast about climate change. I could tell from the content of his email that he knew what he was talking about, and I could tell from the tone of his email that he was a good dude. So I asked if he’d be willing to join me to talk about climate change next time I was in the area (he teaches at University of California, Irvine). Eventually, it came to be. Then we had dinner.Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. “Weather With You,” by Crowded House; Outro: “Better World,” by KnowMads.And now for something extra, just for Substack subscribers: This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

My friend Allison Pelot was a gymnast from about the age of 5 to 22. Then, she studied pre-physical therapy before switching over to exercise science and personal training. She went on to study holistic health, energy work metaphysics, spirituality and whatever seemed related to physical health, holistic healing, and using food to both regenerate our bodies and keep them healthy. Her book is called Finally Thriving: Your Guide to Empowered Wellness. She’s also Murphy’s mom — episodes 121 and 547.If Allison seems familiar, she and her husband, Liam were on the podcast a while ago, episode 285, where they talk about confronting every parent’s worst nightmare when their 8 year-old son fall off a 40-foot cliff, just an arm’s length away from them.You can learn more about Allison and Finally Thrive here.Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. “Stranger on the Shore,” by Acker Bilk; Outro: “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton. (She’s on tour!)Here’s my chat with Tao Ruspoli. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Murphy first appeared on this podcast seven years ago, in episode 121. He was 13 1/2 years old at that time, getting ready to swim across the river of adolescence. Seven years later, he’s experienced many of the things he was anticipating then. He’s every bit as thoughtful, kind, and insightful as I figured he’d become. If you sometimes feel despair about “kids these days,” people like Murphy can melt your cold, cold heart into a puddle of liquid hope. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

I’ve known Stanley Krippner since the mid-1990s, when he invited me to join him on a three week trip to Brazil. He’s a world-famous researcher and author who has has hung out with everyone from Timothy Leary to Alan Watts to the Grateful Dead. He and I have traveled together to all over the planet, from a shamanism conference in Bavaria to a Psychoneuroimmunology conference in Buenos Aires to an adventure in search of the desert spirits in Morocco. We entered the “Sistine Chapel of Prehistoric Art” together at Lascaux, France and visited religious scholars in Kerala, India. I’m leaving out A LOT. He’s been a close friend for 25 years, and was one of the first (and most frequent) guests on the podcast. Here are links to previous episodes: 5, 24, 82, 169, 211 (with Wim Hof), and 263. He celebrated his 90th birthday yesterday. This conversation was recorded (with Anya Kaats) recently. As you’ll hear, he’s sharp as ever and full of wisdom and humor.Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. “A Memory from a Past Life Keeps Calling Me Back,” by The KLF; Outro: “Homens,” by Manu Chao.And now for something extra, just for Substack subscribers, Stan discussing gender and sexuality from an anthropological perspective: This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

I love this guy. He exudes kindness, generosity, and intelligence. This is the fourth time Rick’s been on Tangentially Speaking, but the first time we’ve met in person, so it’s a special conversation. We don’t talk about music as much this time around, but we go deep on family, dads, and how life looks from sixty. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

This mini-ROMA was recorded streamside at a Lund Park campground in Oregon. It includes an update on my dance with covid and some thoughts on a very strange word: bosom. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

DEBORAH EDEN TULL, founder of Mindful Living Revolution, is a Zen meditation and engaged dharma teacher, public speaker, author, and sustainability educator who trained for seven and a half years as a Buddhist monk at a silent Zen monastery and has taught engaged dharma for over 20 years. Her most recent book is Luminous Darkness: An Engaged Buddhist Approach to Embracing the Unknown.Click here to listen to Anya Kaats’ conversation with Deborah Eden Tull on A Millennial’s Guide to Saving the World.Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. “Dark Cloud,” by Chris Thomas King; Outro: “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton.Here’s the link to our meetups. Check in, if you’re somewhere between Whitefish and Santa Cruz.And now for something extra, just for Substack subscribers. I’ve been listening to Peter Zeihan’s geo-political thinking lately. Here’s his take on Covid (recorded while on a month-long hike in the Sierras). This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Alex Cody Foster’s next book, The Man Who Hacked the World: A Ghostwriter’s Descent into Madness with John McAfee, will be published November 15th (2022). In the meantime, the crazy story is told in the Netflix documentary called “Running with the Devil.” He’s ghostwritten eight #1 Amazon Bestsellers, written for one of the U.K's most successful thriller writers, and worked as John McAfee's biographer for six months. Before all that, Alex built a solar-powered trike, hitchhiked across America, was homeless in LA where he was nearly murdered, lost his mind, got it back, crewed on a yacht, and became a writer.Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. “The Mark of a Good Man,” by Bimini Road; Outro: “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton.And now for something extra, just for Substack subscribers:If you prefer to watch, click through to the Substack page and you’ll find a video of our conversation (including extra bonus content I edited out of the podcast recording, including a look at his shiner and a reference to an orgy with Mick Jagger). This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Katherine Halper is an American comedian, writer, filmmaker, podcaster, and political commentator. She is the host of the podcast The Katie Halper Show and co-host of the Useful Idiots with Aaron Maté. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Zappy Zapolin is driven by his belief that psychedelic medicine is the most powerful tool available to quickly raise consciousness and alter humanity’s direction from a destructive path. He has made it his life's mission to increase accessibility to psychedelic compounds through education, media, research, clinical development, and commercial enterprises. Zappy’s Instagram account is here.Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. “Pop Culture,” KnowMads; Outro: “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton. Here’s the map tool for Tangentialistas.And now for something extra, just for Substack subscribers: This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

I was recently on Cory’s podcast, and I enjoyed our conversation so much that I proposed we keep it rolling on mine. That’s how it works with us podcasters. Dinner at my place, dinner at your place. In addition to hosting his very successful podcast, Cory has published a book about mindfulness, and has written, produced, and engineered his own music and helped lots of other musicians through the creative process. Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. “Jungle,” Tash Sultana; Outro: “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton.Info about the Ancestral Health Symposium is here. You can get tickets to Rick Beato’s event in LA here.And now for something extra, just for Substack subscribers: This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

On his second visit to the podcast, Frans discusses his latest book, Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist, as well as one of my favorite books, Bonobo: The Forgotten Ape, which he co-authored with photographer Frans Lanting.Frans received his Ph.D. in Biology and Zoology from Utrecht University, the Netherlands, in 1977. He completed his postdoctoral study of chimpanzees while associated with Utrecht University, in 1981, and moved the same year to the USA. He is C. H. Candler Professor Emeritus of Primate Behavior at Emory University and the former director of the Living Links Center at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia. If you’d like more, here is my previous conversation with Frans, from 2015:Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. “Monkey,” by Joe Henry; Outro: “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton.And now for something extra, just for Substack subscribers:Tangentially Speaking with Chris Ryan is a reader-supported publication. To receive bonus material, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Chris and Nani manage the amazing Kisima Ngeda Camp, on Lake Eyasi, Tanzania. Chris grew up nearby after his German parents moved to Africa on an impulse, and stayed on, while Nani stumbled into this oasis while adventuring through as a penniless, apparently fearless traveler. The story of how they met, fell in love, and built a world will make you feel good about life, people, and chance. (I never got around to taking a photo of Chris and Nani, but they’re even more attractive than you’re imagining.)Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. “N'Jariñu Garab,” by Cheikh Lo; Outro: “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton.To receive bonus material, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.And now something extra just for you lovely Substack subscribers, further proof that Africa really does look like Africa: This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Here’s a ROMA in which I talk about some oddities of backwards greetings in Tanzania, driving in Georgia, the financial realities of world travel in 2022, the conundrum of hydraulic toilets seats (and other luxuries), and what it means (and doesn’t) when you say a woman is “beautiful.” This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

The folks at Gladioloa Adventure in Arusha thought Elia would be a good guide to show us around northern Tanzania for 9 days. They were right. Raised by his Maasai grandfather, Elia has a deep understanding of animal behavior, not only spotting lions, leopards, and cheetahs at a distance, but anticipating where they would move so we could position ourselves and wait for them to wander by. His knowledge of the animals and how best to interact/photograph them, combined with his insights into the geology, cultures, and history of the region enriched our experience more than I can say. Plus, he’s an easy guy to be around.Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. “Wassiye,” Habib Koité; Outro: “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton.Some extra goodies, just for Substack subscribers:Tangentially Speaking with Chris Ryan is a reader-supported publication. To receive bonus material, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe