Coming via Knopf on July 14, 2026
about Make Nice
An irresistible comedy of manners about siblings, money, love, and snail science, and what happens when a petty thief—a charming grifter with a half-baked scheme—joins his family vacation on a ritzy island in Lake Michigan.
Make Nice is available for pre-order now:
Also, your local, independent bookstore would love to hear from you!
Check out the bookstore finder at indiebound.org.
…other publications and info…
SHORT STORIES
The Inappropriate Behavior of Our Alleged Loved Ones
published in Best New American Voices 2007
– “The best of the best new voices may well be Ryan Effgen…” – Deseret News
– This short story was developed into a short film which premiered at the Charlotte Film Festival.
Rowing to Russia
published in Fiction Magazine
Background Action
published in Pindeldyboz
The Pirate’s Life for Me
published in Painted Bride Quarterly
– This story was performed on stage at Virginia Arts and Letters Live 2008
FELLOWSHIPS
The Virginia Commission for the Arts
George Mason University Narrative Completion Fellowship
BLOGS
Some years back, I wrote a couple of blogs while between other projects. These are mostly nostalgic little pieces about songs, albums, and record stores: