Matthew Nienow ’01

What began as a love for creative writing at The Bush School grew into an insatiable passion for storytelling, which fostered Matthew Nienow ’01’s writing career. 

“I credit the caring and passionate teachers at Bush who sparked a sense of curiosity about a variety of subjects, including multiple poetry classes,” Matthew shared. “Looking back, I can name a ton of classes that sparked passion and creativity, even outside of any fields I pursued later: U.S. history (reading Howard Zinn), field biology (labs in the arboretum versus in-class labs), photography, songwriting classes with Michael Gettel, Spanish classes from middle through high school (including an Eighth Grade trip to Mexico), most of the experiential weeks, activities, AMPS, AMP Weeks, and more. Teachers cared about their academic and experiential offerings; their passion was contagious.”

After graduating from Bush, he furthered his education, earning a bachelor of arts in English from St. Olaf College, a master of fine arts in poetry from the University of Washington, an associate’s degree in traditional small craft from the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding, and a master of science in mental health counseling from Prescott College. Matthew currently lives in Port Townsend, Washington, and is a licensed mental health counselor associate (LMHCA), a former professional wooden-boat and paddleboard builder, and the author of two poetry collections: If Nothing (2025) and House of Water (2016).

During his time as a student at Bush, Matthew enjoyed songwriting and developed his creative writing skills through a variety of on-campus courses. He fondly remembers the faculty who created a learning environment that challenged him intellectually while inviting curiosity, exploration, reflection, and connection. 

“There were a number of passionate teachers at Bush who were excited about whatever their subject was, which taught me to be more curious, to learn how to learn, and to enjoy many experiential moments, including adventuring and utilizing a recording studio to create music,” Matthew said. “There are a lot of pieces from my time at Bush that really rubbed off on me, in terms of being a passionate person in the world and being interested in the world at large. Bush made it possible for me to take that into the rest of my life.”

In Matthew’s gripping poetry collection, House of Water, he aimed to shed light on the difficulties of fatherhood, forgiveness, and the process of overcoming addiction, using the language and craft of boatbuilding as a metaphor for life’s many hardships and imperfections.

“The recent collection, If Nothing, really centers around addiction and the path to sobriety,” Matthew shared. “It highlights the impacts on family and loved ones, and trying to be accountable for the harm caused to others through addiction. And yeah, for me, that book is really one that has taken years and years to live with and write. It is the closest in terms of my lived experiences in poems.”

Matthew’s poems have appeared in anthologies such as the Best New Poets (both in 2007 and 2012), and in New England Review and Poetry, which earned him a 2013 Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowship. He has also received extensive fellowships, grants, and support from the National Endowment for the Arts (2011 fellowship), the Elizabeth George Foundation, the Artist Trust of Washington State, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, and 4Culture. His newest book also received a starred review from Publishers Weekly and has been recommended by The New York Times Book Review and the Washington Post Book Club. 

“It’s kind of a wild thing to be supported in different ways,” Matthew said. “I think that I was lucky to have a professor in undergrad who introduced me to the process of submitting my work for publication. I learned to take myself more seriously as a writer, including applying for funding and other forms of support. And that was really important, because there’s a lot of rejection, so knowing how to do it is one thing, but getting into that practice putting myself out there is another.” 

Because Matthew’s work dissects his past with overcoming addiction and mending relationships with loved ones, he initially struggled to share the poems that make up If Nothing with the world. However, he showed great courage by being open and learned to embrace the discomfort of rejection and the unknown. 

“For over twenty years, poetry has been something that I’ve been interested in sharing,” Matthew said. “I think that with that, I had a lot of doubt. I had a lot of fears. I leaned into my writing, and sometimes it was very raw, sometimes it was really rough. Ultimately, exercising courage through sharing has allowed me to be present with discomfort and pain, both my own and others’. Going out and sharing it in public and doing lots of readings is a different kind of vulnerability that I think does require courage. I’m committed to that kind of authenticity and presence and dig deep for it. It matters to me, so I keep going back to it.”

Currently, Matthew is crafting new poems and essays on addiction, healthy masculinity, and loneliness. While managing his private practice as an LMHCA, he’s been applying what he’s learned from his writing journey to help others navigate life’s challenges. 

“The writing of the last book really led me in my growth to become a

healthier person,” Matthew shared. “I never wanted to be a counselor or a therapist, but I’ve been through some real things, and I realized I can show up for other people. Poetry, in a lot of ways, pays close attention to and explores the human experience, and all those layers of looking and listening closely over many years is really a lot of what I do when I work with individuals, couples, and families.”