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Ryan Stephen Thornton

Poet, Writer, Performance maker, historian.
Queer/Bisexual - he/him

Pisces☼ Leo☾ Cancer↑

I’m Ryan Stephen Thornton—a bisexual poet, writer, performance maker, and casual lecturer who’s obsessed with history, queer theory, and creative expression. Born in Leeds, dragged up in Doncaster, and now living and working in York (which, let’s be honest, makes me born, bred, and dripping in Yorkshire), I spend my days blending art, history, and performance with a touch of irreverence and humour.

I’ve been writing since I was eight years old (my first poem came after I discovered the word solemn), and my interests have only expanded since then—drag, comedy, languages, ghost stories, queer history, and so much more. I’m currently pursuing a part-time PhD in Theatre & Performance at York St John University, where I focus on performing material from the queer historical archive. My research explores how we write and perform queerness and otherness, drawing on queer theory, history, and creative writing as my primary methods.

My work, from writing to performance, is driven by a curiosity about where people have walked, lived, loved, and yes—fucked—and how their stories can be reimagined today. If they’ve written a verse about it, I’ll find it.

My PhD Research and Projects, Including Nowt So Queer

My PhD research started with a big red wig and a theory of queer energy—a re-imagining of queer theory inspired by Susan Sontag’s Notes on Camp. Through this lens, I’m exploring ways to engage with and perform queer histories. My research spans the re-reading of history, the performance of queerness, and the creation of new queer futures. The working title of my research project is Queering the Archive, and it’s all about rewriting how we archive history through queer perspectives.

My current project, Nowt So Queer, is at the heart of my PhD work. It’s an evolving queer archive of York’s history, creating a space where we can respond to queer sites and objects around the city through poetry and performance. The project will ultimately become a queer walking tour of York, featuring audio-led narratives and world-making tasks that engage the audience with queer moments of futurity. It’s a living, breathing archive that brings queer history into the present, making it accessible and interactive. In the future, this project will expand into a digital app, Nowt So Queer As York, allowing people from all over the world to explore York’s queer past and contribute their own creative responses to the history.

Teaching & Lecturing

I’ve been a Visiting Lecturer at York St John University since 2022, where I co-lead the Big Ideas in Performance module for first-year undergraduates. I specialise in performance theory and queer performance, and my lectures span topics such as the radical performance practices of Augusto Boal (Theatre of the Oppressed), the Poetics of Failure, and the political power of performance. And if there’s a way to bring poetry and creative writing in to the journey, you can be assured I will find it.

In addition to lectures, I’ve been supervising final-year dissertations on a broad range of topics, from queer and gender theory in performance to the impact of AI on content creation. I also work as a performance facilitator, guiding students through their independent final projects, which have covered everything from queering Shakespeare to body horror and site-specific installation. In all my work, I encourage students to push boundaries, question traditional forms, and engage with performance as a means of exploring identity, history, and the body.

As a lecturer, my focus is on creating a safe, inclusive, and intellectually stimulating space for students to experiment, learn, and grow. I believe in the power of performance to challenge, subvert, and create new possibilities for storytelling.

My Poetry & Poet Chaotique

Outside of my academic life, I’m a poet and writer. My poetry blends humour, queer theory, history, and a touch of the gothic. I love playing with language, and my work often incorporates historical themes, ghost stories, and a lot of wordplay. I’ve been published (or am forthcoming) in Impostor Journal, Hearth & Coffin, Coffin Bell Journal, Cape Magazine, Coalition Works, StepAway Magazine, and Powders Press.

Poet Chaotique is where I get to explore the chaotic and creative side of my work. It’s a blog and platform where I combine my academic interests with my artistic exploration of queerness, history, and identity. It’s about making art that’s a little weird, a little wild, and unapologetically queer. It’s where the chaos of creativity and the rigor of academia collide—and it’s where I bring together my various research interests into a form that’s accessible, engaging, and, yes, fun.

Me as an Aesthetic

Let’s get into it—my aesthetic is, as I like to say, the classic chaotic bisexual. I’m part vampire, part pirate, part steampunk, and definitely a children’s TV presenter somewhere in there. Picture dark academia with a lot of velvet, brocade, and corduroy. I’m living proof that academia can be messy, weird, and a little bit fabulous. I call it Chaotic Academia—because why should we have to be one thing or another when we can be everything?

My aesthetic isn't just about how I look (though I do enjoy a good statement piece)—it’s a philosophy. It’s about embracing the messiness of life, embracing queerness in all its chaotic, imperfect beauty. It’s about breaking out of rigid boxes and celebrating the fluidity of identity, performance, and creativity.

And I’m here to make art, teach, and live in the glorious chaos of queer existence. In the words of Hunter S. Thompson: “buy the ticket, take the ride!”