Author phioto by J. Ryan Stanley
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Lyri AhnamBrief Bio:
Lyri is a Rhysling-nominated poet and storyspinner creating magical worlds from the ancestral homelands of the Illiniwek. Utilizing an anthropology degree from Carleton College, a childhood spent on horseback, and a black belt in Zujitsu-Ryu, Lyri is currently working on a series of novels set in a multiethnic, queer-normative culture insipired by ancient Near East myth. She publishes a monthly newsletter full of book reviews, thought-provoking essays, poetry, and links to her latest publications. Please sign up! |
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Science fiction saved my life.
My parents unknowingly moved us to a rural area blatantly unwelcoming of “outsiders” when I was a child. When my dad’s union went on an extended strike that winter, the tension at home soon outpaced the hostility at school. I started sneaking downstairs trying to work up the nerve to drink from the solvent cans labeled poison.
Then I discovered Andre Norton.
Her outcast heroes spoke to my isolation and gave me hope. Already a voracious reader, soon I escaped into every science fiction story I could find.
I read Dune hiding in the hayloft so nothing could distract me from life on Arrakis.
A Wizard of Earthsea seduced me into fantasy. My world changed again when I read the anthology Amazons! and discovered I could adventure as a female hero.
My first attempts at storytelling were predictably clumsy, but I reveled in worlds of my own making.
Writing was a hobby for a long time, something I squeezed around a variety of titles: amusement park attendant, computer lab tech, copyeditor, data analyst, entrepreneur, karate instructor, movie reviewer, production editor, research assistant, software tester, teacher. I currently support myself as a licensed massage and physical therapist.
A friend invited me to a creative discussion group and I introduced myself as a writer for the first time. I began writing more regularly, reading books on technique and applying what I learned. I joined a local critique group, then started taking online classes.
Now I belong to the Online Writer's Workshop, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association, and the St. Louis Writers Guild. I blog occasionally on my author website, LyriAhnam.com, posting tidbits of information usually based on background research for my writing projects or reviews of wonderful books I've read.
I enjoy characters who use their liabilities as assets or apply their skills in unexpected ways. The living landscape often plays an active role in my stories, sometimes as gods or as a source of magic. Expanding and transcending gender roles is another favorite theme. I also like to use my background in anthropology to explore the interplay of individuality and culture, and the sparks between cultures.
I’m currently working on a series of novels retelling Greek myths from the antagonist’s perspective, set in an alternative ancient Near East.
Thank you to the transgender warriors and all Others who expand the boundaries of possibility for everyone, and to the Illiniwek upon whose ancestral homelands I live.
I hunger to continue improving my craft, to more skilfully transform the characters and worlds of my imagination into story form. I long to be part of the ongoing conversation I’ve enjoyed with the talented writers who have delighted, entranced, and inspired me. And to offer hope to lonely souls.
Thanks for your interest in my work! Please sign up for my newsletter so we can stay in touch.
Science fiction saved my life.
My parents unknowingly moved us to a rural area blatantly unwelcoming of “outsiders” when I was a child. When my dad’s union went on an extended strike that winter, the tension at home soon outpaced the hostility at school. I started sneaking downstairs trying to work up the nerve to drink from the solvent cans labeled poison.
Then I discovered Andre Norton.
Her outcast heroes spoke to my isolation and gave me hope. Already a voracious reader, soon I escaped into every science fiction story I could find.
I read Dune hiding in the hayloft so nothing could distract me from life on Arrakis.
A Wizard of Earthsea seduced me into fantasy. My world changed again when I read the anthology Amazons! and discovered I could adventure as a female hero.
My first attempts at storytelling were predictably clumsy, but I reveled in worlds of my own making.
Writing was a hobby for a long time, something I squeezed around a variety of titles: amusement park attendant, computer lab tech, copyeditor, data analyst, entrepreneur, karate instructor, movie reviewer, production editor, research assistant, software tester, teacher. I currently support myself as a licensed massage and physical therapist.
A friend invited me to a creative discussion group and I introduced myself as a writer for the first time. I began writing more regularly, reading books on technique and applying what I learned. I joined a local critique group, then started taking online classes.
Now I belong to the Online Writer's Workshop, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association, and the St. Louis Writers Guild. I blog occasionally on my author website, LyriAhnam.com, posting tidbits of information usually based on background research for my writing projects or reviews of wonderful books I've read.
I enjoy characters who use their liabilities as assets or apply their skills in unexpected ways. The living landscape often plays an active role in my stories, sometimes as gods or as a source of magic. Expanding and transcending gender roles is another favorite theme. I also like to use my background in anthropology to explore the interplay of individuality and culture, and the sparks between cultures.
I’m currently working on a series of novels retelling Greek myths from the antagonist’s perspective, set in an alternative ancient Near East.
Thank you to the transgender warriors and all Others who expand the boundaries of possibility for everyone, and to the Illiniwek upon whose ancestral homelands I live.
I hunger to continue improving my craft, to more skilfully transform the characters and worlds of my imagination into story form. I long to be part of the ongoing conversation I’ve enjoyed with the talented writers who have delighted, entranced, and inspired me. And to offer hope to lonely souls.
Thanks for your interest in my work! Please sign up for my newsletter so we can stay in touch.