Suzanne Matson

Suzanne Matson is a Professor of English at Boston College, where she has taught since 2000. She holds a B.A. in English from Portland State University, an M.A. and Ph.D. in Creative Writing and English from the University of Washington. Her academic specializations include creative writing and contemporary poetry. Matson has published four novels—Ultraviolet (2018), The Tree-Sitter (2006), A Trick of Nature (2000), and The Hunger Moon (1997)—alongside two poetry collections, Durable Goods (1993) and Sea Level (1990). She is a recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Fiction Fellowship (2012), Finlandia Foundation Lecturer of the Year (2023), and multiple other grants.

Her research spans creative nonfiction, literary criticism, and historical essays, including works on Finnish-American communities and feminist literary theory. Matson’s poetry and short fiction have appeared in Harvard Review, Ploughshares, and The New York Times. She actively contributes to literary journals and maintains a public blog.