Poet and Essayist Sebastian Matthews on Writers on Writing, KUCI-FM
In 2011, Sebastian Matthews and his family were in a devastating car accident. When Sebastian emerged from his recovery, several years later, the world had changed around him. Not only was he navigating the trauma of his accident, but the trauma his nation was now suffering.
Beyond Repair: Living in a Fractured State is a series of essays that attempt to make sense of Sebastian's experience living in the south as a white, liberal, middle-aged, middle income man in Trump's America. Sebastian confronts race, class, privilege, fatherhood, and his personal struggles with trauma and terror.
Sebastian's recommended writing exercise: Take a walk in a new neighborhood in your town/city. Take it slow, engage people, stop in a shop (even in these pandemic days). Then, when you get back to your own home, sit down and write about the experience. Try to capture what you saw, what you felt, and how your encounters played out.
(Recording Date: August 21, 2020)