Nathan O'discin
Meet Nathan
Nathan O’Discin is a homeland security engineer, entrepreneur, blogger, instructor, and author. Born and raised in West Virginia, O’Discin frequently enriches his works with a wry attitude toward his Appalachian culture, touching on subjects of poverty, faith, and southern hospitality, often incorporating the thick dialect of central Appalachia into his writing style.
Manuscript excerpts and blog archives (2009-2016) available.
Return to the last great coal boom of West Virignia's fabled southern coalfields, as retold and chronicled by Nathan "Sly" Deskins. Recount his near-death experiences and forged brotherhood in the world's most dangerous coal mine that captured the hearts and curiosity of thousands in the 2010s.
From surviving the Upper Big Branch mining disaster, running for office in the West Virginia legislature, and recounting the politics of the "War on Coal" and the Republican revolution in southern West Virginia (and his relentless disdain for fellow author-turned-politician J.D. Vance); recapture and explore (perhaps once more) the blog that told it all, at the expense of none.
Manuscript Excerpts available in the public domain through West Virginia University:
Sky High Mining (ch. 6); They Call Me The Miner Man (ch. 8); Politically, Maybe (ch. 14); War on Coal (ch. 16); In Fact, I Suck (ch. 20);
(Courtesy of the West Virginia University Library Press of Appalachian Literature)
Nathan O'Discin
Book Tour Dates for Beneath the Whispering Pines:
Charleston Civic Center, Charleston, WV October 21, 2023 11:00AM - 2:00PM
Raleigh County Library, Beckley, WV November 4, 2023 1:00PM - 3:00PM
Ronceverte Library, Ronceverte, WV December 12, 2023 1:00PM - 5:00PM
Ohio Indies, Columbus, OH January 17, 2024 Noon - 7:00PM
Joseph Beth Booksellers, Lexington, KY March 15, 2024 2:30 - 6:00PM
Upcoming Work
Sly (Nathan O'discin) talks with Radii (Justin Delorme) and Umbre (Kieran Otovo) at Nintendo Indies Podcast Corner about his upcoming American dystopic series that focuses on a wild LGBT relationship between a militia commander, Derrick Reddon, and a congressional staffer, Chase Lewis; Sly (O'discin) explains how he deflects and projects his own self-loathing homophobia and queer identity into the characters, respectively.
Sly (O'discin) explains how he tackles multiple plots and story arcs across eight different characters and builds a world not-too-far-off from our own dire political climate, and the warnings and implications of continued fascism in America and how minorities stand to endure the brunt of the shifting political landscape.
Podcast Airs August 15, 2024 at 8PM E.T. Watch it live on TikTok, Odiscin Books, NintendoLife, or X/Twitter.
Get in Touch
Questions? Comments?
Nathan O'discin makes every effort to read, review, and respond to fans and critics alike. You may message him directly on X/Twitter @aarondeskins or on TikTok @odiscin. Alternatively, you may use the comment section to the left.
(Note: If responding to comments or commentary on electoral-vote, please use Dr. Zenger's response emails for queries. If responding to commentary on Appalachian Surf Report, respond there in kind.)
ACX Auditions:
Please refer to this list for character profiles in the audition scripts. These are provided for reference only as acquiring a low-level understanding of who you are voicing based off the script snippet may prove difficult. Use these instructively, but not exclusively, as your unique artistic abilities are way more important to me.
Derrick Reddon. State: Kentucky. Age: 26. Voice Descriptors from book: milky-warm voice; firm; “an accent that was uniquely southern Appalachian”.
Personality Profile: Confident, steady, unassuming, suspicious.
Adam Reddon. State: Kentucky. Age: 31. Voice Descriptors from book: “like his brother, a southern dialect pierced through a warmth in his voice, easily mistaken for comfort”.
Personality Profile: Confident, wayward, aggressive.
Chase Lewis. State: Illinois. Age: 27. Voice Descriptors from book: Masculine; “even tempo, perhaps he had taken theater in Watseka”.
Personality Profile: Timid, wandering, nervous.
Alyssa Cambridge. State: Illinois. Age: 27. Voice Descriptors from book: “Alyssa was assertive, her voice never fluttered or cracked, like she routinely roused her throat with honey.”
Personality Profile: Feminist, bright, gregarious.
Fredrika Jackson. State: Georgia. Age: 66. Voice Descriptors from book: “It was evident from her twang that her family had never left Georgia”
Personaity Profile: Homely, calm, southern.
Jyra Reddon. State: Vermont. Age: 17. Voice Descriptors from book: “Martin could tell she wasn’t really the daughter of Derrick, why she spoke almost French Canadian, and he like he had just finished a shift in the coal mines.”
Personality Profile: Curious, caustic sarcasm.
Rachel McCoy. State: Virginia. Age: 25. Voice Descriptors from book: “plain and organic, she wandered from subject to subject, she must have had a military background prior to joining the militia.”
Personality Profile: Calm, lionheart.