Jim Irwin
@jimirwin.bsky.social
🖋️ Novels: ‘Nina’s Friends’; 'Lucky Guy' Jan ‘26
🎥 Lapsed media artist & professor
📢 Comms pro (ex Deloitte, ex EY, ex Comcast)
🔗 linktr.ee/jimirwin
🎥 Lapsed media artist & professor
📢 Comms pro (ex Deloitte, ex EY, ex Comcast)
🔗 linktr.ee/jimirwin
Today's adventure: into the city to see Bug at the Friedman on 47th St. (Thank goodness NJ Transit rail service is back to normal!) It's the 1996 play by Tracy Letts, featuring Carrie Coon and Namir Smallwood, coming back to the roles they performed in 2020 at the Steppenwolf in Chicago.
January 28, 2026 at 12:17 PM
Today's adventure: into the city to see Bug at the Friedman on 47th St. (Thank goodness NJ Transit rail service is back to normal!) It's the 1996 play by Tracy Letts, featuring Carrie Coon and Namir Smallwood, coming back to the roles they performed in 2020 at the Steppenwolf in Chicago.
As I near launch of my new novel, Lucky Guy, I'm publishing a series of blog posts offering behind-the-scenes perspectives on aspects of my first novel, Nina's Friends. In this post I talk about the main character, Dragan Markov. communicatoring.substack.com/p/dragans-mo...
Dragan’s Moral Compass
The imperfect protagonist of the novel Nina's Friends
communicatoring.substack.com
January 27, 2026 at 4:44 PM
As I near launch of my new novel, Lucky Guy, I'm publishing a series of blog posts offering behind-the-scenes perspectives on aspects of my first novel, Nina's Friends. In this post I talk about the main character, Dragan Markov. communicatoring.substack.com/p/dragans-mo...
For this year's Bay to Ocean Writers Conference down in Maryland I put together a panel, The Power of Doing It Yourself: Why Authors Choose Self-Publishing, and I'll be joined by the writers Atlas Creed, David Healy, and Nancy Joie Wilkie. easternshorewriters.org/page-1075436
January 21, 2026 at 7:33 PM
For this year's Bay to Ocean Writers Conference down in Maryland I put together a panel, The Power of Doing It Yourself: Why Authors Choose Self-Publishing, and I'll be joined by the writers Atlas Creed, David Healy, and Nancy Joie Wilkie. easternshorewriters.org/page-1075436
I just found out the new ‘Melania’ documentary was directed by Brett Ratner and Jesus you can’t make this stuff up.
January 13, 2026 at 3:18 AM
I just found out the new ‘Melania’ documentary was directed by Brett Ratner and Jesus you can’t make this stuff up.
“Be as in touch with your dreams as you can be.” - Bob Weir
January 11, 2026 at 12:10 AM
“Be as in touch with your dreams as you can be.” - Bob Weir
My international crime novel 'Nina’s Friends' kicks off with the discovery of an art fraud scheme involving laundering money through bogus sales of non-existent Russian avant-garde art. Here's why I chose that era. communicatoring.substack.com/p/the-real-s...
The real story behind the art fraud in Nina’s Friends
Why my novel uses Russian avant-garde art for money laundering
communicatoring.substack.com
January 10, 2026 at 8:12 PM
My international crime novel 'Nina’s Friends' kicks off with the discovery of an art fraud scheme involving laundering money through bogus sales of non-existent Russian avant-garde art. Here's why I chose that era. communicatoring.substack.com/p/the-real-s...
New drinking game: we keep talking about the Epstein and Jack Smith files and the plummeting economy, then have to do a shot every time Trump bombs or invades a country in a desperate attempt to distract us.
January 5, 2026 at 6:04 PM
New drinking game: we keep talking about the Epstein and Jack Smith files and the plummeting economy, then have to do a shot every time Trump bombs or invades a country in a desperate attempt to distract us.
I assume once Nicolás Maduro facilitates the transfer of enough money into the pockets of Trump and his buds there will be a quiet pardon, like Trump gave Juan Orlando Hernández of Honduras, who had been found guilty and sentenced for exactly the same activities as Maduro is arrested for now.
January 3, 2026 at 4:31 PM
I assume once Nicolás Maduro facilitates the transfer of enough money into the pockets of Trump and his buds there will be a quiet pardon, like Trump gave Juan Orlando Hernández of Honduras, who had been found guilty and sentenced for exactly the same activities as Maduro is arrested for now.
I am now at the age where I have plenty of energy for the things I want to do but nearly no energy for the things I don’t want to do.
January 1, 2026 at 10:07 PM
I am now at the age where I have plenty of energy for the things I want to do but nearly no energy for the things I don’t want to do.
2025 had its good moments but I'm glad to put it behind me.
communicatoring.substack.com/p/2025
communicatoring.substack.com/p/2025
2025
A strange year
communicatoring.substack.com
January 1, 2026 at 10:06 PM
2025 had its good moments but I'm glad to put it behind me.
communicatoring.substack.com/p/2025
communicatoring.substack.com/p/2025
There are few things in life that fresh cracked pepper doesn’t improve.
January 1, 2026 at 5:38 PM
There are few things in life that fresh cracked pepper doesn’t improve.
My novel Nina’s Friends takes place in Denmark, where past conflicts between outlaw biker clubs, including an all-out war, have something to do with the central mystery. It may surprise many readers that the backstory is true. Read the post at communicatoring.substack.com/the-true-lif...
The true-life Scandinavian biker wars behind my novel
Nina’s Friends drew on actual – and quite wild - events for its background
communicatoring.substack.com
December 20, 2025 at 6:29 PM
My novel Nina’s Friends takes place in Denmark, where past conflicts between outlaw biker clubs, including an all-out war, have something to do with the central mystery. It may surprise many readers that the backstory is true. Read the post at communicatoring.substack.com/the-true-lif...
The tragedy of Rob & Michele Reiner is reminding us of the incredible run he went on as a director 1984-1992: Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, A Few Good Men.
December 15, 2025 at 8:45 PM
The tragedy of Rob & Michele Reiner is reminding us of the incredible run he went on as a director 1984-1992: Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, A Few Good Men.
New! You can now buy the paperback version of Nina's Friends direct from the distributor at 35% off standard retail price, and even less than the Amazon price. Books make great holiday gifts, you know. bit.ly/4rB33Qd
December 3, 2025 at 3:07 PM
New! You can now buy the paperback version of Nina's Friends direct from the distributor at 35% off standard retail price, and even less than the Amazon price. Books make great holiday gifts, you know. bit.ly/4rB33Qd
“There must have been a time, in the beginning, when we could have said – no. But somehow we missed it. Oh well, we'll know better next time.”
― Tom Stoppard, 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'
― Tom Stoppard, 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'
November 30, 2025 at 1:08 AM
“There must have been a time, in the beginning, when we could have said – no. But somehow we missed it. Oh well, we'll know better next time.”
― Tom Stoppard, 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'
― Tom Stoppard, 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'
The Eagles looked like they desperately wanted to lose that game and would do anything to make that happen. Are we sure they’re not caught up in the sports betting scandal??
November 24, 2025 at 1:15 AM
The Eagles looked like they desperately wanted to lose that game and would do anything to make that happen. Are we sure they’re not caught up in the sports betting scandal??
‘Another Green World’ is 50 years old today. Happy birthday! 🎂
November 14, 2025 at 1:20 PM
‘Another Green World’ is 50 years old today. Happy birthday! 🎂
Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Ted Cruz all endorsed Andrew Cuomo. I'd vote for a moldy piece of Gruyère if those guys were against it.
November 5, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Ted Cruz all endorsed Andrew Cuomo. I'd vote for a moldy piece of Gruyère if those guys were against it.
Huh. Turns out people *want* affordable housing, livable wages, access to healthcare, and a stable government focused on the wellbeing of citizens. People *don’t want* masked secret troops in the streets, tax cuts for billionaires, a plunging economy, or corruption as policy. Who knew?
November 5, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Huh. Turns out people *want* affordable housing, livable wages, access to healthcare, and a stable government focused on the wellbeing of citizens. People *don’t want* masked secret troops in the streets, tax cuts for billionaires, a plunging economy, or corruption as policy. Who knew?
I have a tie rack full of ties hanging in my closet even though I swore on eight of my cat’s lives that I’d never wear a tie again. Where are my convictions? How can anyone trust a man who can’t even trust his own neckwear choices?
November 3, 2025 at 6:59 PM
I have a tie rack full of ties hanging in my closet even though I swore on eight of my cat’s lives that I’d never wear a tie again. Where are my convictions? How can anyone trust a man who can’t even trust his own neckwear choices?
Reposted by Jim Irwin
Zohran Mamdani caught lying that he understood Plato’s allegory of the cave, yet when asked to explain it, he seemed to instead explain Baudrillard’s theory of Simulacra and Simulation where reality has been replaced by symbols and signs, which seems similar to Plato’s theory but is not the same
October 29, 2025 at 3:28 AM
Zohran Mamdani caught lying that he understood Plato’s allegory of the cave, yet when asked to explain it, he seemed to instead explain Baudrillard’s theory of Simulacra and Simulation where reality has been replaced by symbols and signs, which seems similar to Plato’s theory but is not the same
Today's adventure: Into Manhattan to see the play 'Art' with Bobby Cannavale, James Cordon, and Neil Patrick Harris. It's the first Broadway revival of the Tony-winning comedy by Yasmina Reza, about three longtime friends and a ridiculously expensive painting.
October 29, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Today's adventure: Into Manhattan to see the play 'Art' with Bobby Cannavale, James Cordon, and Neil Patrick Harris. It's the first Broadway revival of the Tony-winning comedy by Yasmina Reza, about three longtime friends and a ridiculously expensive painting.
It's incredible that Dementia Don still thinks he took an IQ test, and no one around him is willing to tell him the truth so he stops embarrassing himself.
October 28, 2025 at 5:58 PM
It's incredible that Dementia Don still thinks he took an IQ test, and no one around him is willing to tell him the truth so he stops embarrassing himself.
TIL about Ohio Valley Style pizza and all I can say is are you kidding me?
October 26, 2025 at 7:28 PM
TIL about Ohio Valley Style pizza and all I can say is are you kidding me?