Tyler Kania

Tell us a little bit about yourself, your hobbies and interests.

Tyler Kania is a rugby player, coach, cybersecurity salesman, cryptocurrency entrepreneur, stonemason, painter, and writer, from Columbia, Connecticut. Tyler suffers from Bipolar I Disorder, and his rugby career has been marred by the very rare and traumatic ruptured patellar tendon, twice. He is an avid reader, and writer, and his first book, The Maniac with No Knees, is an exciting, and introspective memoir, that dives deep into the severity of his mental illness. When healthy, Tyler plays rugby for the Hartford Wanderers Rugby Club, and hangs out with his Bernedoodle dog, Betsy.

When and why did you start writing books?

I did not plan it. I went manic because I had ruptured patellar tendon and was not given pain killers, so I started posting my life story via the note's app on my iPhone to my Instagram followers. I had to be hospitalized for the mania and when I got out, I had many messages from friends with encouraging words. I realized that I had a book on my hands and kept going. I found that I am quite natural at writing, and it makes me feel good.

What made you decide to tackle writing as a career?

I want to impact everyone who is struggling in the ways that I have struggled. I want them to not feel so alone. That is why I started to write.

Which one of your books or characters is your favourite?

Dean Brown.

Which one of your books was the hardest to write and stretched you the most as a writer?

The Maniac with No Knees. I had to swallow some hard truths about the way I acted when I was manic. I had to put myself into the shoes of the folks around me, and I had to go public with my illness, suicide attempts, and institutionalization.

Who is your favourite author and book?

Jack Kerouac - On The Road

What book are you reading right now?

James by Percival Everett

Where do you get your inspiration for your books?

My inspiration comes from the outcasts of my affliction posted up in a place with less liberty than jail, the people that are institutionalized trying to get better. Most of you are unable to share your story. Most of you are too damaged to be your true self for the world, so I’ll speak up on your behalf. I hope to show you all that life can get better. You can overcome - but also that I understand if you are unable to recover, and that you are brave in however way you respond to your demons. My inspirations are the addicts and homeless folks who didn’t have the support network that I have and so are unable to ask for or receive help. I know you are suffering. I know you are misunderstood. I know the type of person you can be when you are free. My inspiration is anyone who sees a noose when they close their eyes and keeps it to them self because they are ashamed. I know how those thoughts chase you. I know that you don’t really want to die. I know that you just want to stop feeling the way that you feel. My inspirations are the derelicts who are just as good as everyone else. The folks that didn't have a silver spoon when they born, as I have myself. The people who just never get an opportunity because that's the life they were born into, and now are faced with a future of destitution. My inspirations are the outcasts.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

training for rugby.

Do you have any new books in the works?

Yes. Its called Postcards from the Edge - A Book of Short Stories - Inspired by Carrie Fisher