An Ember of Grief

At ten years old, John Matthew Gillen was sent to a summer camp where campers were allowed one elective activity.

John was the only camper who chose Storytelling. The camp director asked him to choose another class so they wouldn't have to offer Storytelling that year.

John refused.

Since then, he has been fired for writing poetry at work, cussed out by the Chief Clerk of the United States Supreme Court for accusing him of Satan worship, and has spent over $10,000 on tickets to Bob Dylan concerts.

John's first novel, American Blasphemer, was published in May, 2020, and premiered at #1 in the world on Amazon’s Kindle Store in American Literary Fiction.

His debut short film, 'American Ugly', played a dozen film festivals around the country, and his recently produced 'Legacy Sessions' won several awards on the festival circuit.

John has had his written work published in literary journals including The Laurel Review, Storgy Magazine, and The New Guard Literary Review, and he is currently the Chief Content Editor for Soigne Magazine.

His favorite authors include Jorge Luis Borges and Hank Bukowski, and he harbors a deep reverence for Martin Scorsese.

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