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Matt Briggs

マット・ブリッグス

Matto Buriggusu

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1970-01-01 （Seattle, Washington, U.S.）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Seattle, Washington, U.S.

Career

Occupations
Writer, Novelist, Short story writer
Active Years
1997-
Affiliations
Richard Hugo House (Writer in Residence), The Raven Chronicles (editor)
Influenced By
Ken Kesey, Betty MacDonald, HL Davis

Education

University of Washington
Creative Writing
Country: United States
Studied writing at the University of Washington.
Johns Hopkins University (Writing Seminars)
Writing Seminars
Country: United States
Studied at the Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University.

Awards

American Book Award
2006
Work: Shoot the Buffalo
Category: フィクション
Organization: Before Columbus Foundation
Result: 受賞
Washington State Book Award (Fiction)
2006
Work: Shoot the Buffalo
Category: フィクション
Organization: Washington Center for the Book
Result: 最終候補（ファイナリスト）
The Stranger Genius Award (Literature)
Organization: The Stranger
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Remains of River Names

1999 Literature (short story collection)

A linked collection of stories depicting rural Pacific Northwest life and its inhabitants.

Pacific NorthwestRural lifeFamily

Misplaced Alice

2002 Literature (short/fiction)

A collection including short and longer pieces that explore personal loss and circumstance.

LossCommunityYouth

The Moss Gatherers

2005 Literature (short story collection)

A short story collection about the daily lives and struggles of people in rural settings.

WorkPovertyDropouts

Shoot the Buffalo

2005 Novel

A novel about life in the Northwest haunted by the death of a sister and the shadows of community.

LossDrugs/CountercultureFamily breakdown

The End is the Beginning

2008 Novel / Literature

A work themed around renewal and cycles.

RenewalCommunity

The Strong Man

2010 Novel

A story based in part on the author's experiences during the Gulf War.

Military experienceTraumaSelf-exploration

The Double E

2013 Literature

A work containing short fiction and essay-like elements.

IdentityEveryday life

Virility Rituals of North American Teenage Boys

2013 Literature (short/experimental)

An experimental work examining rites and the coming-of-age of teenage boys in North America.

RitualYouth cultureMasculinity

Bibliography

  • The Remains of River Names (1999)
  • Misplaced Alice (2002)
  • The Moss Gatherers (2005)
  • Shoot the Buffalo (2005)
  • The End is the Beginning (2008)
  • The Strong Man (2010)
  • The Double E (2013)
  • Virility Rituals of North American Teenage Boys (2013)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Realist, frank narrationStrong focus on the Pacific Northwest settingOccasionally experimental structures
Recurring Motifs
Rain and damp landscapesFamily loss and renewalOutsiders and marginal figuresDrugs and counterculture

Legacy

Matt Briggs is regarded as a writer who candidly depicts rural Pacific Northwest life and counterculture. His award-winning work, especially Shoot the Buffalo, and critical recognition have made him an important voice in regional literature.

Quotes

  • Briggs has captured the America that neither progressives nor family-value advocates want to think about.
    Source: Ann Powers, The New York Times Book Review (review "Grunge Novel", 1999) (1999)

Trivia

  • Grew up in a working-class, counter-culture family; his upbringing (including family cannabis cultivation) informs his fiction.
  • Joined the US Army Reserve after high school and was deployed to the Gulf War, serving in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
  • Served as Writer in Residence at Richard Hugo House and was active in the local writing community.
  • Has been involved with zines, small presses, and produced the Rendezvous Reading Series; edited The Raven Chronicles.