Matthew T. Petersen is a novelist, short story writer, and poet. He studied literature, journalism, and creative writing before working as a high school English teacher and coach in Washington, D.C. and has now turned his attention to writing full-time. Petersen is passionate about the power of literature to connect generations, share unique voices, and inspire people to think deeply about the world around them. He is an active member of the Mile High Writers’ Workshop.
He has recently completed his first novel, The Walk Down, a complex story of morality and human connection that follows Henry Clover, a broken ex-detective, as he is drawn back into his justice-seeking role by a distant scream deep in the Virginia Appalachian backcountry.
Matthew grew up in Maryland and spent much of his time playing baseball, fishing, and running around in the woods. He has written for small newspapers, worked construction, and recently discovered that he is a world-class climbing gym front-desk staffer. Petersen loves mountain sports, traveling to remote streams as well as ancient cities, piney IPAs, great books, and tinkering with his handmade pasta recipes. His next project is a thrilling episodic narrative about tragedy, secrecy, and survival in the wilds of Maine.