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description=A free-ranging collection of creative work in the form of speculative short fiction and novels, songs, essays, and multimedia made with the intention of connecting and inspiring. Click to read Catch & Release, by Ben Wakeman, a Substack publication with thousands of subscribers.;
author=Ben Wakeman;

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about catch release subscribe sign in home notes daedalia departures harmony house the memory of my shadow passing strangers music archive about why catch release catch release is an eclectic collection of my creative output i write speculative short stories and novels i also write essays ranging from the very personal to commentary on ai and the role creativity plays in society before i did all this i was a musician and a songwriter who worked in technology to feed his family so you will see all of these elements come into play in my work it s a lot but the common thread in everything i create regardless of the form is a deep desire to connect with others through the exchange of ideas some ideas can be sung and fit tidily into a four minute song others require the length of a novel to explore i enjoy being able to pick the right tool for the right job which is why you will see songs stories novels and essays show up in your inbox from me if you subscribe what to expect nearly everything i publish on a weekly basis is free for everyone after three months most posts go into the archive which is reserved for paid subscribers you can get a sampling of everything on catch release by visiting my field guide you are here a field guide to my stuff ben wakeman may 6 2023 read full story serialized novels with audio narration the consistent beating heart of catch release is the speculative fiction i publish as weekly serials all the episodes include high quality audio narration and original music so you like hundreds of other readers before you with busy lives can enjoy on the go a walk among the living ben wakeman july 23 2024 listen now a deal is brokered in a sweat lodge ben wakeman september 19 2023 read full story the memory of my shadow 01 ben wakeman january 2 2023 read full story why subscribe if most everything is free when it s first published why would i part with my 6 a month you ask it s a good question and the best answer i have is this when you pay netflix or spotify for the pleasure of being entertained it s certain that only a fraction of that money actually goes to the artist who created the work when you subscribe to my work you know that 95 of it goes directly to me and that your contribution makes me one important step closer to being an artist with a living wage that is a tremendous thing thanks for your consideration subscribe about me i was born and had a happy childhood in a beautiful little town called boone in the blue ridge mountains of north carolina i was raised by two loving parents who still love each other after 65 years i have two incredible older brothers who are my best friends and a big loving and supportive extended family i have two amazing grown children of my own and one sweet four year old who claims me i have a partner who sees me and believes in me i have many blessings i started playing the violin at age 5 and continued into high school when i abandoned it for the electric guitar for obvious carnal reasons i started writing when i was twelve some bad poetry and a couple of chapters of a book about my complicated life the writing turned into songs for the parade of bands i would play in for the next ten years i went to appalachian state and got a degree in music industry studies there i met the woman i would spend the next 27 years with after college i gave up bands and moved to atlanta to pursue life as a solo troubadour i was lucky enough to be a part of the vibrant scene around eddie s attic where i got to play with shawn mullins kristian bush john mayer gillian welch and so many other great artists i did some touring released my first album worked in a music store and taught guitar lessons at 26 that screeched to a halt when we were surprised to find out we were going to be parents this was the big fork in the road for me i chose to follow the path my dad modeled in 1996 it was the birth of the internet so i taught myself html got my first straight job working at the american cancer society and for the next 26 years i set aside my professional artistic pursuits to earn a steady living and be at home for my family i never quit my creative work i produced four more albums performed a couple of times a month locally and continued to write record and tinker in 2012 after some exploration in writing short stories i decided to write a novel the experience of writing that first book lit a fire inside me that s still going after years of working within the constraints of rhyme meter and melody i felt set free in writing long form prose as our marriage deteriorated and our kids left the nest writing became my only refuge i went on to complete two more novels and a dozen short stories today i m midway through a fourth novel there has been much more to my life than the preceding five paragraphs and you will hear it if you listen to or read my work as we make this journey together but this is a good jumping off point so let s go subscribe to catch release a free ranging collection of creative work in the form of speculative short fiction and novels songs essays and multimedia made with the intention of connecting and inspiring subscribe people 2026 ben wakeman privacy terms collection notice start your substack get the app substack is the home for great culture this site requires javascript to run correctly please turn on javascript or unblock scripts