Matthew Thomas was born in the Bronx and grew up in Queens. A graduate of the University of Chicago, he has an MA from the Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University and an MFA from the University of California, Irvine, where he received the Graduate Essay Award. He lives with his wife and twin children in New Jersey.We Are Not Ourselves is his first novel.
Recently I asked Thomas about what he was reading. His reply:
I just started reading Roxane Gay’s An Untamed State. I found the opening chapters extraordinarily gripping and deftly executed, with taut prose and terrific narrative control. My heart was in my throat. I can’t wait to read the rest of this book.Visit Matthew Thomas's website.
Recently I read an advance copy of Eddie Joyce’s upcoming novel, Small Mercies, which bowled me over.It isn’t just the best Staten Island novel ever written; it’s also the best novel yet at capturing the human suffering that resulted from the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Joyce tells the story of all New York during that heartbroken, haunted period. He understands the role one's hometown plays in the development of one's character, and he has a gift for choosing resonant details and peeling back the layers of emotion in ordinary moments. Small Mercies paints a portrait of loyal, tribal souls who manage to be high-spirited and life-affirming even in the middle of grief, and it totally captivated me.
--Marshal Zeringue
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