Matt Mason (poet)

Matt Mason is a poet based in Omaha, Nebraska. He has published eight chapbooks and one full-length work of poetry as well as two anthologies. Mason has written about relationship, religion and the Bible, and themes of Midwest and Great Plains life. Mason's early work focused on cows and earned him a reputation as a humorous poet, but he has written comedy, drama, and tragedy.

Six of Mason's eight chapbooks have been published through his own small press, Morpo Press. His full-length book, Things We Don't Know We Don't Know (2006), was published by the Backwaters Press and debuted at #12 on The Poetry Foundation's Contemporary bestsellers list. The anthology Slamma Lamma Ding Dong (2005), which Mason co-edited, was made available through iuniverse and won the 2006 Nebraska Book Award for Best Anthology.

Mason is notable also because of his work as a poetry activist in the Omaha area. He operates the Poetry Menu, a website that lists poetry events in Nebraska. He has hosted several events in Omaha, most recently the Healing Arts Center poetry slam. Mason has been a member of the team representing Omaha at the National Poetry Slam in 2003 and 2005 as well as member of the 2002 Des Moines poetry slam team.

Mason is married to the poet Sarah McKinstry-Brown. They have a daughter named Sophia.

Publications

Chapbooks

• Old Froggo's Book of Practical Cows, Morpo Press, 1997.
• Desire for More Cows, Morpo Press, 1998.
• A Blessing and A Curse, Morpo Press, 2000.
• A Still, Small Voice, Morpo Press, 2001.
• Coffee and Astronomy and Other Poems, Morpo Press, 2001.
• Mistranslating Neruda, New Michigan Press, 2002.
• Red, White, Blue, Morpo Press, 2003.
• When the Bough Breaks, Lone Willow Press, 2005.

Books

• Things We Don't Know We Don't Know, Backwaters Press, 2006 ISBN 0976523183

External links

• A Review of Matt Mason's chapbooks
• The Megaspectacular Uberpage
• Poetry Menu
• The Poetry Foundation
• Healing Arts Center poetry slam.