Episode
215: Patrick Ryan KNOWS Fiction, Wordplay, the Human Condition, Literary Success, Jenna Bush Hager and BUCKEYE
- Published
- Feb 5, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3367
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Summary
Listening to the ON THE KNOWS podcast with master interviewer Randall Kenneth Jones as he sits down with acclaimed author Patrick Ryan is a must for fans of literary fiction, family sagas, and deep-dive storytelling. This 2026 interview explores the creative process behind Ryan's expansive 2025 novel, Buckeye, a "Read With Jenna" book club pick that spent multiple weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Patrick Ryan's book "Buckeye" was named the #1 Best Book of the Year for 2025 by Amazon editors. This top honor recognizes his novel as the leading title on their annual list of top books. Why You Should Listen to This Episode • Behind the Scenes of a Bestseller: Discover how Patrick Ryan spent eight years crafting Buckeye, drawing inspiration from his own family's history and a shocking decades-old secret involving his grandmother in a small Ohio town. • The Art of "The Know": Host Randall Kenneth Jones is celebrated for his ability to ask "questions no one else can ask," moving beyond standard press junket talk to uncover the "little truths" that define his guests, his characters, and their shared belief systems. • Deep Themes of Forgiveness and Grief: The conversation delves into the heart of Ryan's work, exploring how individuals are defined by their mistakes and how the often unspoken words between loved ones shape generations. • A Journey Through American History: Learn how Ryan uses a small-town Ohio setting to reflect sixty years of American history, from the 1920s to the 1980s, through the intertwined lives of two families. Patrick Ryan is the author of the story collections "The Dream Life of Astronauts" (named one of the Best Books of the Year by the St. Louis Times-Dispatch, Literary Hub, Refinery29, and Electric Literature, and longlisted for The Story…