Alfred Ryan Nerz is an American gonzo journalist from

Columbus, Indiana Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Bartholomew County, Indiana, United States. The population was 50,474 at the 2020 census. The relatively small city has provided a unique place for noted Modern architecture and public art, commissio ...

. He is also an author of two books that were featured in

The New York Times Book review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...

and

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

Career

He freelanced for

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

, Esquire,

History channel History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...

and

Huffpost ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

. He also wrote for several other media outlets including

The village voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...

and

Time Out New York ''Time Out'' is a global magazine published by Time Out Group. ''Time Out'' started as a London-only publication in 1968 and has expanded its editorial recommendations to 328 cities in 58 countries worldwide. In 2012, the London edition becam ...

. He works for

Fusion Fusion, or synthesis, is the process of combining two or more distinct entities into a new whole. Fusion may also refer to: Science and technology Physics *Nuclear fusion, multiple atomic nuclei combining to form one or more different atomic nucl ...

as a reporter about America’s weed subculture. Nerz joined International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE - later

Major League eating Major League Eating (MLE) is an organization that organises professional competitive eating events and television specials. The stated mission of Major League Eating is to maintain a safe environment for all events, to create a dynamic and enjoya ...

) as an emcee in 2003. He published his book

Eat This Book ''Eat This Book'' is a book by Ryan Nerz which explores the world of competitive eating. Published by St. Martin's Press in 2006, ''Eat This Book'' provides a firsthand look into this sometimes controversial sport. Nerz, who spent a year as an ...

after a year of working as a moderator for eating competitions. It is an account about competitive eating events that are sanctioned by Major League Eating. His book Marijuanamerica revolves around America’s current weed subculture in relation to the

counterculture A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Hou ...

of the 60s. After publishing his book, Fusion hired Nerz and named him Chief Cannabis correspondent. Nerz covers the news of the cannabis market and the change of its legal status throughout the United States.

Books

* Eat this book: A year of Gorging and Glory on the Competitive Circuit. * Marijuanamerica: Why America Loves Weed.

References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nerz, Ryan Living people American freelance journalists American reporters and correspondents Year of birth missing (living people)