Matt Ryan hosts #CanonChat on Twitter
@mattryanelateach.bsky.social
HS English teacher; #CanonChat; Jane Austen and Van Halen enthusiast; Catholic; Hockey fan; I teach diverse books and defend the canon; Matthew 5:44
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#CanonChat's final selection of 2025: Kent Haruf's "Plainsong." Visit canonchat.com for a bunch of resources on the novel and join us over on X on December 9. If you've never read it, you're in for a treat!
Kent Haruf's "Plainsong" is the first book of a trilogy, followed by "Eventide" and "Benediction." #CanonChat
#CanonChat's final selection of 2025: Kent Haruf's "Plainsong." Visit canonchat.com for a bunch of resources on the novel and join us over on X on December 9. If you've never read it, you're in for a treat!
November 17, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Kent Haruf's "Plainsong" is the first book of a trilogy, followed by "Eventide" and "Benediction." #CanonChat
I just saw that Elizabeth Franz had passed away a couple of weeks ago. I was fortunate enough to see her on stage in "Death of a Salesman" in 2000. She played the character of Linda Loman with such strength. Prayers for her family and friends.
November 17, 2025 at 2:57 PM
I just saw that Elizabeth Franz had passed away a couple of weeks ago. I was fortunate enough to see her on stage in "Death of a Salesman" in 2000. She played the character of Linda Loman with such strength. Prayers for her family and friends.
Kent Haruf wrote his first drafts "blind" on a manual typewriter; he would pull a woolen cap over his eyes and type without looking at the keys. Punctuation, capitalization, and paragraphs were saved for later drafts. #CanonChat
#CanonChat's final selection of 2025: Kent Haruf's "Plainsong." Visit canonchat.com for a bunch of resources on the novel and join us over on X on December 9. If you've never read it, you're in for a treat!
November 17, 2025 at 12:32 AM
Kent Haruf wrote his first drafts "blind" on a manual typewriter; he would pull a woolen cap over his eyes and type without looking at the keys. Punctuation, capitalization, and paragraphs were saved for later drafts. #CanonChat
Encouraging to see more and more calls for reading full-length books in classes. I’ve been waiting for this pendulum swing.
November 16, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Encouraging to see more and more calls for reading full-length books in classes. I’ve been waiting for this pendulum swing.
Two high quality books with resonant themes that my students have enjoyed this year.
November 16, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Two high quality books with resonant themes that my students have enjoyed this year.
Reposted by Matt Ryan hosts #CanonChat on Twitter
We are poorer as a society for allowing politics to saturate every aspect of our lives: our relationships, our Literature, our idle entertainments. I suppose it might be less regrettable if we’d gotten something in exchanging our souls for the pursuit of power, but we haven’t.
November 15, 2025 at 4:50 PM
We are poorer as a society for allowing politics to saturate every aspect of our lives: our relationships, our Literature, our idle entertainments. I suppose it might be less regrettable if we’d gotten something in exchanging our souls for the pursuit of power, but we haven’t.
Reposted by Matt Ryan hosts #CanonChat on Twitter
As a parent, unless your child is with a rouge teacher, chances are they’re reading even less than the bare minimum from your high school English class.
November 15, 2025 at 10:19 PM
As a parent, unless your child is with a rouge teacher, chances are they’re reading even less than the bare minimum from your high school English class.
Reposted by Matt Ryan hosts #CanonChat on Twitter
they deserve better
Thanks! My daughter is in an AP English class and even she is appalled by how little reading they are doing. Just teaching to the test!
November 14, 2025 at 3:00 PM
they deserve better
#CanonChat's final selection of 2025: Kent Haruf's "Plainsong." Visit canonchat.com for a bunch of resources on the novel and join us over on X on December 9. If you've never read it, you're in for a treat!
November 12, 2025 at 2:46 AM
#CanonChat's final selection of 2025: Kent Haruf's "Plainsong." Visit canonchat.com for a bunch of resources on the novel and join us over on X on December 9. If you've never read it, you're in for a treat!
Announcing #CanonChat's next selection. Please join us as we read Willa Cather's "My Ántonia." And as always, visit canonchat.com for resources on the novel.
October 17, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Announcing #CanonChat's next selection. Please join us as we read Willa Cather's "My Ántonia." And as always, visit canonchat.com for resources on the novel.
#CanonChat is reading "All The Pretty Horses" by Cormac McCarthy. Visit www.canonchat.com for resources on the novel.
September 22, 2025 at 11:42 PM
#CanonChat is reading "All The Pretty Horses" by Cormac McCarthy. Visit www.canonchat.com for resources on the novel.
Reposted by Matt Ryan hosts #CanonChat on Twitter
“It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners.”-- Albert Camus
September 10, 2025 at 7:52 PM
“It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners.”-- Albert Camus
It was great to talk old books with Kale Zelden! www.youtube.com/watch?v=82ct...
Old Books with Mr Matt Ryan
YouTube video by Kale Zelden
www.youtube.com
August 20, 2025 at 2:01 PM
It was great to talk old books with Kale Zelden! www.youtube.com/watch?v=82ct...
One more round of “Moby-Dick” coming up. All are welcome to join us! #CanonChat www.canonchat.com
August 6, 2025 at 5:18 PM
One more round of “Moby-Dick” coming up. All are welcome to join us! #CanonChat www.canonchat.com
Reposted by Matt Ryan hosts #CanonChat on Twitter
Our second chat on "Moby Dick" is fast approaching. All are welcome to join #CanonChat! www.canonchat.com
July 9, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Our second chat on "Moby Dick" is fast approaching. All are welcome to join #CanonChat! www.canonchat.com
Ten writers by whom I’ve read more than five books:
1. Jane Austen
2. Willa Cather
3. Nadine Gordimer
4. Kent Haruf
5. Cormac McCarthy
6. Toni Morrison
7. Alice Munro
8. John Steinbeck
9. Edith Wharton
10. Tobias Wolff
1. Jane Austen
2. Willa Cather
3. Nadine Gordimer
4. Kent Haruf
5. Cormac McCarthy
6. Toni Morrison
7. Alice Munro
8. John Steinbeck
9. Edith Wharton
10. Tobias Wolff
Ten Writers By Whom I’ve Read More than Five Books:
1. Cormac McCarthy
2. William Faulkner
3. Janet Malcolm
4. Vladimir Nabokov
5. Ernest Hemingway
6. Samuel Beckett
7. Barry Hannah
8. Denis Johnson
9. Don DeLillo
10. Philip Roth
1. Cormac McCarthy
2. William Faulkner
3. Janet Malcolm
4. Vladimir Nabokov
5. Ernest Hemingway
6. Samuel Beckett
7. Barry Hannah
8. Denis Johnson
9. Don DeLillo
10. Philip Roth
Ten writers by whom I’ve read more than five books:
1. Stephen King
2. John Grisham
3. Sue Grafton
4. Walter Mosley
5. John Scalzi
6. Charlie Huston
7. Don Winslow
8. Raymond Chandler
9. Lee Child
10. David Baldacci
1. Stephen King
2. John Grisham
3. Sue Grafton
4. Walter Mosley
5. John Scalzi
6. Charlie Huston
7. Don Winslow
8. Raymond Chandler
9. Lee Child
10. David Baldacci
July 14, 2025 at 1:52 AM
Ten writers by whom I’ve read more than five books:
1. Jane Austen
2. Willa Cather
3. Nadine Gordimer
4. Kent Haruf
5. Cormac McCarthy
6. Toni Morrison
7. Alice Munro
8. John Steinbeck
9. Edith Wharton
10. Tobias Wolff
1. Jane Austen
2. Willa Cather
3. Nadine Gordimer
4. Kent Haruf
5. Cormac McCarthy
6. Toni Morrison
7. Alice Munro
8. John Steinbeck
9. Edith Wharton
10. Tobias Wolff
Our second chat on "Moby Dick" is fast approaching. All are welcome to join #CanonChat! www.canonchat.com
July 9, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Our second chat on "Moby Dick" is fast approaching. All are welcome to join #CanonChat! www.canonchat.com
Reposted by Matt Ryan hosts #CanonChat on Twitter
Moby-Dick #CanonChat www.canonchat.com
May 6, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Moby-Dick #CanonChat www.canonchat.com
April 17, 2025 at 2:33 AM
February 20, 2025 at 5:21 PM