BIO:
Ryan Thomas LaBee (he/him) is a creative writing instructor, writer, and editor based in Southwest Missouri. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing and is an English and Creative Writing graduate of Missouri State University. His teaching centers on craft-driven storytelling, genre fiction, and helping writers use narrative as a tool for inquiry, expression, and critical thinking.
Ryan brings a hybrid background to the classroom, blending literary study with real-world publishing experience. His work appears in Flash Fiction Magazine, Night Picnic Journal, Microfiction Monday Magazine, and Five on the Fifth Literary Magazine, and he has written extensively about film, television, and culture for CinemaBlend and Military.com. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of Pyre Magazine and the author of Killing My Flesh Without You and The Halloween Party: and Other Tales of All Hallows’ Eve Terror.
As an instructor, Ryan emphasizes close reading, revision, and curiosity-led experimentation, encouraging students to engage deeply with voice, structure, and theme while developing sustainable creative practices. His teaching philosophy values rigor without intimidation and craft without gatekeeping, creating spaces where writers at all levels can take creative risks and sharpen their work.
Videos
Guaranteed To Grow
May 23, 2021
One Water — Sac & Fox Nation
May 1, 2018
Decay — A Video Essay on Grief
April 19, 2019
Make it Personal — McDonalds Food Safety
April, 2018
Headspace
Apr 25, 2018
Will To Run
Jun 27, 2015