Baron Ryan has recently released his debut fiction novel, “A Comedy of Nobodies,” which is all about love and life in the 21st Century.
Written in Baron’s signature hilarious and poignant voice that made him a viral sensation, this collection of short stories unravels with prose that sparkles in unexpected ways and nuanced characters brimming with emotional depth that Gen-Z and millennials alike will find all-too-relatable. As one reviewer raved: “a darkly witty read that had me smiling along with many of the sharply observed absurdities of this thing we call life.”
“Seinfeld” meets “Fleabag,” the debut collection’s wry and comedic style favors sagacity over gags and perceptiveness over punchlines, as the book traces one fall semester in the lives of four Ivy League nobodies trying to be somebodies. Methods include: attempting to find love using the scientific method, babysitting a toddler in exchange for a chance to loosen those financial aid purse-strings, jumping out a window to escape a jealous football player’s wrath, and enraging a packed hockey stadium by replacing the national anthem with a jazz-trio rendition of “American Pie”. With understated hilarity this collection unlocks the answers to life’s most pressing questions, which are almost always just more questions.
Baron is a Korean-American filmmaker who earned all 139 merit badges. His popular sketches on TikTok—which he writes, directs, edits, and stars in—boast a hyperphilosophical, Larry David–esque perspective, and his profile has garnered over 2.8 million followers and nearly 77 million likes.
Check out our interview with Baron:
Congratulations on the debut of “A Comedy of Nobodies”! How does it feel now that it is out in the world?
Baron: Equal parts excitement and terror. First books evoke an unusual feeling in that you learn to write a book by writing the first one. Once it’s done, you almost want to start all over with everything you’ve learned in writing it.
What are three words you would use to describe this novel?
Baron: Amusing. Existential. Chuckle.
Are any of the short stories based on your experiences?
Baron: Mostly not. I didn’t write what happened to me, I wrote what didn’t happen to me. It’s a wish projection of what I missed out on. I think many people feel like they’ve missed the train even though they showed up at the station. I wanted that John Hughes movie out of those years, but it never happened. I never had that tight group of friends.
“A Comedy of Nobodies” has been called Seinfeld meets Fleabag with a Larry David-esque perspective. Can you explain that description further?
Baron: I think I told my publishers that once—once—and they went bananas and put that line on everything, even on the back of the book. Having said that, I’m a huge fan of Larry David and Fleabag. I think Fleabag is the best written work on TV and maybe this book has that vibe and maybe it doesn’t, but like the reason I wrote the book, maybe it’s a wish projection.
Is that how you would describe your writing style?
Baron: I don’t know what my style is anymore. All I know is it changes frequently. I think I used to have one I could explain in that I just tried copying my favorite writers like Garrison Keillor or Larry David, but now with a combination of overwork overthinking under the guise of introspection, I just write as is and whatever that is, call it style.
What was the writing process like for you?
Baron: Sometimes I wake up and I have it. I don’t even have to work too hard; the idea is all there. I just open my computer and go for six hours. But most of the time, I’ll wake up, have breakfast while watching Curb, dread whatever I have to drum up for the internet that day, procrastinate on YouTube, and when I can’t stand my existence anymore, I open my computer. The secret is to get past the first thirty minutes. It always takes me about thirty minutes to get into something significant, and then from there I just let it be bad. That’s been the secret sauce for me—don’t think, just let it be bad until something falls into place. It always does, but it’s the not-thinking bit, the not-judging yourself part, that’s hard.
As a filmmaker, what was it like working with words to tell a story versus images?
Baron: I started off primarily writing this way, short stories, and novel formats. To me, it always starts and ends with the writing even if it is film. If the writing is there, you’re halfway there. The big difference is that you can find something special when you start filming. You can find visuals that change the script or perform a certain line in a way that changes the story. It’s almost like rewriting the script a little.
Did you approach this novel in the same way you’d approach a film?
Baron: No. It could very well be made into a series, but it started and lives as a book.
I love the title, “A Comedy of Nobodies.” How did you come up with it?
Baron: One day I emailed my publisher saying I wanted to change it. To what, I didn’t know yet, I just wanted to change it. Turns out, that day was the last possible day it could be changed—I don’t know how these deadlines work, but it apparently was legitimate. My publishers set up a call to talk within an hour of that email. They said they were going to call with the assumption that by the end of that call, we’d have a new title. So I went for a walk, went to a thrift shop just kicking around some titles, and couldn’t think of anything. Next to this thrift shop is an Italian restaurant and the scent of whatever they were cooking up reminded me of this restaurant in Cambridge that was so expensive. I went there once and felt so unbelievably out of place. Remembering that, it occurred to me: What would a Maître D of that restaurant say about my characters walking in there? He’d scoff and think, “they’re nobodies.” I came up with about fifteen other titles on the spot but that was my favorite. I hopped on the call and they jumped to that one before I could even say anything and that was that.
The cover art is really cool. What went into creating the cover art?
Baron: The backstory behind is a terrific lesson about getting out of an artist’s way. I thought I knew what I wanted so I had overly specific notes for the designer Alenka. The trouble is I don’t speak that language, I can’t create things visually out of nothing and be satisfied. After a long chain of back-and-forth, she gave me what I asked for (which of course I didn’t like) but also ignored everything I asked for and just designed something based on her intuition. Her intuition was right on the money. Homerun. What a beautiful cover she made. I still feel so guilty for micromanaging her. I told her what I visually wanted when I should have just stuck to what feeling I was going for. The takeaway is, if people know what they’re doing, get out of their way.
Do you have plans for more novels?
Baron: Yes.
Is there anything else you’d like to add about “A Comedy of Nobodies”?
Baron: No. Well, maybe. I’m glad I wrote it and even more glad I’m done with it. It’s my first book and I want to write another one. I hope people can be entertained at the very least, and at most, find some inkling of hope and humor.
Published by Blackstone Publishing, “A Comedy of Nobodies” is now available for purchase.
You can stay up to date with Baron on social media: TikTok | Instagram | Website|.
