Meet Matthew Morrison, Lecturer in the Writing Program

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The new names and faces in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts this fall aren’t just those belonging to our students. We are proud to welcome  faculty members across seven different departments of the college, as well as new folks in the UMass Amherst Writing Program. 
Over the course of the semester, we’re introducing you to these folks and to the work they do.

Matthew Morrison brings a breadth of experience both as a writer and teacher to his appointment as a Lecturer in the Writing Program. He's been a reporter and a poet, and he's taught college, middle and high school students. Now, he's a member of the faculty here, and will bring his expertise to courses as well as individual work with students across campus at UMass. 

Read on for his answers to our questions.

Question: What is your academic background? (Degrees, schools, etc.)

Morrison: I graduated from Colby College with a BA in English and History, from UMass-Boston with a Master of Education and Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (Poetry), and from the University of New Hampshire with a PhD in English (Rhetoric, Literacy, and Composition Studies).

Question: What is your teaching experience? (Institutions, areas of interest, etc.)

Morrison: Before heading to New Hampshire for my doctorate, I was an Associate Lecturer at UMass-Boston, teaching Composition I and II, and a Graduate Teaching Associate teaching Introduction to Creative Writing. At the University of New Hampshire (UNH), I taught First-Year Writing and Introduction to Creative Nonfiction. My time at UMass-Boston and UNH was marked by my interest in creating writing classrooms that improve student wellbeing. I have also worked with Chinese middle-school and high school students for two summers, teaching Literature and Creative Writing, through an organization called Ivy International.

Question: Have you worked in other professions that have shaped your approach to teaching and learning writing?

Morrison: I worked as a local journalist in Hull, MA, and that writing experience helps me bring more clarity to the writing prompts I present my students. My continuing work as a poet helps with this, too—particularly with regards to concision and texture. Working in the service industry for thirteen years helped me gain comfort organizing, directing, and speaking to small and large groups, invaluable for later classroom experiences.

Question: What are you passionate about when it comes to this work?

Morrison: I get much satisfaction helping struggling students, who otherwise might not complete a semester successfully, through to a successful completion of our course. I enjoy attending to the “whole person” and creating opportunities for students to grow emotionally in addition to growing intellectually. I like helping students find community in our class and find new reserves of strength and, I hope, new thresholds of prosperity.

Question: Please share a bit about your own work as a writer, including any publications or honors.

Morrison: More often in recent years, my writing has become something I do with an eye toward service—trying to help my readers feel happier, calmer or recognized. And I write this way to help myself experience these things too. My poetry has found a home in a handful of venues and I’ll begin seeking placement for my dissertation writing on the rhetoric of the Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. Just this week I submitted an article related to that work to Lion’s Roar, a popular Western Buddhist magazine.

Question: What are you most looking forward to at UMass?

Morrison: I’m looking forward to deepening my teaching practice, building relationships with department colleagues and colleagues across the University, and advancing as a writer and community member within my fields.

Question: How do you hope to engage with the student community?

Morrison: I hope to provide a space where students can grow into more fully realized versions of themselves, and I hope to translate to them that our school is a place designed to help them in this process.

Question: Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Morrison: I’m always up for conversations with colleagues, so please reach out if you’d like to chat!