O chestnut tree, great rooted blossomer, Are you the leaf, the blossom or the bole? O body swayed to music, O brightening glance, How can we know the dancer from the dance? William Butler Yeats Among School Children
James Ryan was born and raised in New York City. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, he holds advanced degrees in economics (MBA) and English literature (MA), a Master of Fine Arts degree (MFA) in writing from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in literature. He writes and has published poetry, fiction, literary criticism, and political commentary. He taught creative writing at Columbia University in New York and literature at Kadır Has University in Istanbul, Turkey.