Matt Bell
@mdbell79.bsky.social
Writer, teacher. Out now: APPLESEED, a novel (2021, @marinerbooks). REFUSE TO BE DONE, a guide to novel revision (2022, @soho_press). He/him.
Pinned
Matt Bell
@mdbell79.bsky.social
· Sep 8
I just found out that REFUSE TO BE DONE is going into its 8th printing! I've heard so many stories from writers whose projects have been helped along by this little yellow book over the past three years. Nothing makes me happier!
On Mike Birbiglia's podcast, he talked about realizing he was wrong for 99% of roles, not because of what he did but because he wasn't what the director was seeking. You have to keep doing your thing the best you can until the right person sees it. I think that's close to the whole game in the arts.
February 12, 2026 at 9:00 PM
On Mike Birbiglia's podcast, he talked about realizing he was wrong for 99% of roles, not because of what he did but because he wasn't what the director was seeking. You have to keep doing your thing the best you can until the right person sees it. I think that's close to the whole game in the arts.
"When my son and I talk about courage,
he claims the dark is the only thing
he fears and I want to tell him, one day
the darkness will swallow everything
and someone who loves you will leave you
something bright to keep you safe."
—@toddkaneko.bsky.social
he claims the dark is the only thing
he fears and I want to tell him, one day
the darkness will swallow everything
and someone who loves you will leave you
something bright to keep you safe."
—@toddkaneko.bsky.social
"Neither of us understands / the science of gravity, but I know how it feels..."
From "White Hot Star" by ASU creative writing alum W. Todd Kaneko.
Read the poem and hear it read by Maggie Smith on The Slowdown. https://ow.ly/SPQI50Y7JW8 #ASUHumanities
From "White Hot Star" by ASU creative writing alum W. Todd Kaneko.
Read the poem and hear it read by Maggie Smith on The Slowdown. https://ow.ly/SPQI50Y7JW8 #ASUHumanities
1424: White Hot Star by W. Todd Kaneko
Today’s poem is White Hot Star by W. Todd Kaneko.
ow.ly
February 12, 2026 at 5:10 PM
"When my son and I talk about courage,
he claims the dark is the only thing
he fears and I want to tell him, one day
the darkness will swallow everything
and someone who loves you will leave you
something bright to keep you safe."
—@toddkaneko.bsky.social
he claims the dark is the only thing
he fears and I want to tell him, one day
the darkness will swallow everything
and someone who loves you will leave you
something bright to keep you safe."
—@toddkaneko.bsky.social
If you've read Refuse to Be Done, you know the "pulling up the widows" trick (that I learned from a Pam Houston essay). I just did it twice, once in my original font, then another in TNR (after the switch moved all my line breaks again). Just an all-time method for tightening a manuscript all over.
February 11, 2026 at 10:37 PM
If you've read Refuse to Be Done, you know the "pulling up the widows" trick (that I learned from a Pam Houston essay). I just did it twice, once in my original font, then another in TNR (after the switch moved all my line breaks again). Just an all-time method for tightening a manuscript all over.
This was a fun book! Good casting here, I think. (Rachel Weisz is always good casting.)
New poster for ‘VLADIMIR’ unveiled.
Rachel Weisz and Leo Woodall star in the limited series, coming March 5 on Netflix.
#Vladimir #RachelWeisz
Rachel Weisz and Leo Woodall star in the limited series, coming March 5 on Netflix.
#Vladimir #RachelWeisz
February 11, 2026 at 10:02 PM
This was a fun book! Good casting here, I think. (Rachel Weisz is always good casting.)
Very sad to hear the news about James Van Der Beek. My brother and I were talking about how much we loved him in Varsity Blues, an important movie during our own football years, and I realized that three of the main players in the movie have passed: Van Der Beek, Paul Walker, and Ron Lester.
February 11, 2026 at 8:26 PM
Very sad to hear the news about James Van Der Beek. My brother and I were talking about how much we loved him in Varsity Blues, an important movie during our own football years, and I realized that three of the main players in the movie have passed: Van Der Beek, Paul Walker, and Ron Lester.
Happy pub week to @aaronburch.bsky.social and his new book TACOMA! I can't wait for my copy to arrive.
alpaca-seal-wlbs.squarespace.com/store/p/tacoma
alpaca-seal-wlbs.squarespace.com/store/p/tacoma
February 11, 2026 at 6:44 PM
Happy pub week to @aaronburch.bsky.social and his new book TACOMA! I can't wait for my copy to arrive.
alpaca-seal-wlbs.squarespace.com/store/p/tacoma
alpaca-seal-wlbs.squarespace.com/store/p/tacoma
Reposted by Matt Bell
have got to go to the college library now and get filthy amongst dirty books.
—J. R. R. Tolkien, letter to Edith Bratt of October 1914
—J. R. R. Tolkien, letter to Edith Bratt of October 1914
February 11, 2026 at 3:37 PM
have got to go to the college library now and get filthy amongst dirty books.
—J. R. R. Tolkien, letter to Edith Bratt of October 1914
—J. R. R. Tolkien, letter to Edith Bratt of October 1914
Reposted by Matt Bell
It's pub day for my new novel, The Tavern at the End of History. When writing I imagined it like The Magic Mountain, but shorter & with Jews. (& also angels, a dybbuk, & stolen art). Looking forward to sharing it with you all!
February 10, 2026 at 8:26 PM
It's pub day for my new novel, The Tavern at the End of History. When writing I imagined it like The Magic Mountain, but shorter & with Jews. (& also angels, a dybbuk, & stolen art). Looking forward to sharing it with you all!
Reposted by Matt Bell
It’s my book birthday!!
Happy pub day to @bethanycmorrow.com & The Body. I was lucky enough to get an arc and let me tell you I was shook the entire time I was reading this.
Thank you to @tornightfire.bsky.social @netgalley.bsky.social & Bethany C. Morrow for the eARC.📚
#booksky #booktok #books #pubday #thebody
Thank you to @tornightfire.bsky.social @netgalley.bsky.social & Bethany C. Morrow for the eARC.📚
#booksky #booktok #books #pubday #thebody
February 10, 2026 at 5:53 PM
It’s my book birthday!!
Reposted by Matt Bell
I had to wait to read @mdbell79.bsky.social's excellent review of Jonathan Miles's latest novel, ERADICATION: A Fable until I filed mine. Now that I have, I'm happy to see we agree in our assessment. Look for my review for @bookreporter.bsky.social here later this week.
My review of Jonathan Miles's excellent new novel ERADICATION is live at the @nytimes.com! I loved reading and thinking about this book, and I think it's a strong addition to the climate fiction genre. Give it a look!
Thanks to Dave Kim for his wise edits and advice on this one!
Thanks to Dave Kim for his wise edits and advice on this one!
5 Weeks Alone on an Island, With a Rifle and a License to Kill
www.nytimes.com
February 10, 2026 at 2:27 PM
I had to wait to read @mdbell79.bsky.social's excellent review of Jonathan Miles's latest novel, ERADICATION: A Fable until I filed mine. Now that I have, I'm happy to see we agree in our assessment. Look for my review for @bookreporter.bsky.social here later this week.
Reposted by Matt Bell
Im teaching Clarion West this summer. Not too late to join us!
If you're still thinking about applying for the 2026 Six-Week Workshop, applications close on Friday, February 13 at 12:00 PM PT (Noon!).
The 2026 workshop is virtual with instructors @taracampbell.bsky.social, @indrapramitdas.bsky.social, David Thomas Moore, and @rebeccaroanhorse.bsky.social!
The 2026 workshop is virtual with instructors @taracampbell.bsky.social, @indrapramitdas.bsky.social, David Thomas Moore, and @rebeccaroanhorse.bsky.social!
February 10, 2026 at 2:31 AM
Im teaching Clarion West this summer. Not too late to join us!
Today was "switch the manuscript into Times New Roman" day for the new novel, which means things are getting serious around here...
February 9, 2026 at 7:09 PM
Today was "switch the manuscript into Times New Roman" day for the new novel, which means things are getting serious around here...
My review of Jonathan Miles's excellent new novel ERADICATION is live at the @nytimes.com! I loved reading and thinking about this book, and I think it's a strong addition to the climate fiction genre. Give it a look!
Thanks to Dave Kim for his wise edits and advice on this one!
Thanks to Dave Kim for his wise edits and advice on this one!
5 Weeks Alone on an Island, With a Rifle and a License to Kill
www.nytimes.com
February 9, 2026 at 3:13 PM
My review of Jonathan Miles's excellent new novel ERADICATION is live at the @nytimes.com! I loved reading and thinking about this book, and I think it's a strong addition to the climate fiction genre. Give it a look!
Thanks to Dave Kim for his wise edits and advice on this one!
Thanks to Dave Kim for his wise edits and advice on this one!
"I’ve never liked thinking back, going back in time, reviewing the day or the week or the life. To crush and gut. To eviscerate. Power works best when there’s no memory attached. Ramrod straight." —Don DeLillo, Cosmopolis
February 8, 2026 at 4:55 PM
"I’ve never liked thinking back, going back in time, reviewing the day or the week or the life. To crush and gut. To eviscerate. Power works best when there’s no memory attached. Ramrod straight." —Don DeLillo, Cosmopolis
100% this.
What limits AI is the same thing that inspires real artists: failure. Everyone starts off trying to copy the things they love, and their distinctiveness begins where that imitation falls short.
February 8, 2026 at 4:50 PM
100% this.
It was a beautiful dawn in Flagstaff for following a woman, a dog, and a moon across the landscape.
February 7, 2026 at 1:00 AM
It was a beautiful dawn in Flagstaff for following a woman, a dog, and a moon across the landscape.
Reposted by Matt Bell
When you’re writing a novel and have multiple chaos lines going this is called a chaosii
February 7, 2026 at 12:00 AM
When you’re writing a novel and have multiple chaos lines going this is called a chaosii
"All of it a light beyond anybody's ability to manage. The Massachusetts sunlight lies comfortably on the maples. The Pittsburgh lamps inside of him make it look maybe not good enough." —Jack Gilbert, “Carrying Torches at Noon”
February 7, 2026 at 12:50 AM
"All of it a light beyond anybody's ability to manage. The Massachusetts sunlight lies comfortably on the maples. The Pittsburgh lamps inside of him make it look maybe not good enough." —Jack Gilbert, “Carrying Torches at Noon”
Reposted by Matt Bell
According to Greil Marcus: "Thelonious Monk apparently once left the stage in a morose mood. He was very dissatisfied with the music he had just played. On being asked why this was so he replied that he had made all the wrong mistakes."
February 5, 2026 at 6:35 PM
According to Greil Marcus: "Thelonious Monk apparently once left the stage in a morose mood. He was very dissatisfied with the music he had just played. On being asked why this was so he replied that he had made all the wrong mistakes."
"I spend the days deciding on a commemorative poem... A quiet poem to establish the fact of me. As one of the incidental faces in those stone processions. Carefully done. Not claiming that I was at any of the great victories. But that I volunteered." —Jack Gilbert, "Convalescing"
February 5, 2026 at 6:24 PM
"I spend the days deciding on a commemorative poem... A quiet poem to establish the fact of me. As one of the incidental faces in those stone processions. Carefully done. Not claiming that I was at any of the great victories. But that I volunteered." —Jack Gilbert, "Convalescing"
Reposted by Matt Bell
How to Plant a Billion Trees comes out in two weeks. I am so honored that the book is graces with an endorsement from Luis Alberto Urrea: "Nicole Walker’s How to Plant a Billion Trees gives me hope. It has resonance and life, and will always be on my shelf."
February 5, 2026 at 6:11 PM
How to Plant a Billion Trees comes out in two weeks. I am so honored that the book is graces with an endorsement from Luis Alberto Urrea: "Nicole Walker’s How to Plant a Billion Trees gives me hope. It has resonance and life, and will always be on my shelf."
"I think the best parts of books are the stuff I wrote borne out of 'What would be the funniest or most interesting thing to happen here? What would make my friends laugh? What if I included the idea that I at first disregarded as seeming too silly or dumb or nonsensical but that makes me smile?'"
really loved getting to have this chat with @keersteemack.bsky.social for @xraylitmag.bsky.social. and she's incredibly kind in the intro!
"Tacoma has all the hallmarks of a Burch book—nostalgia, magic, fun, optimism, friendship, and more heart than almost any other writer doing it today."
"Tacoma has all the hallmarks of a Burch book—nostalgia, magic, fun, optimism, friendship, and more heart than almost any other writer doing it today."
IT'S KINDA PUNK ROCK TO WRITE ABOUT JOY: AN INTERVIEW WITH AARON BURCH by Kirsti MacKenzie
Part of the fun of being a writer, and learning from other writers, is seeing what others leave of themselves on the page. To follow their work and discover their signature—the intangible that makes s...
xraylitmag.com
February 3, 2026 at 5:36 PM
"I think the best parts of books are the stuff I wrote borne out of 'What would be the funniest or most interesting thing to happen here? What would make my friends laugh? What if I included the idea that I at first disregarded as seeming too silly or dumb or nonsensical but that makes me smile?'"
One advantage to being an overwriter who cuts back is that a huge part of revision is just removing all the bad parts. More than half the time a paragraph is already pretty good, once you clean all the grime and barnacles and rust and shit off it.
February 3, 2026 at 4:30 PM
One advantage to being an overwriter who cuts back is that a huge part of revision is just removing all the bad parts. More than half the time a paragraph is already pretty good, once you clean all the grime and barnacles and rust and shit off it.
Seu Jorge singing his Portuguese versions of the David Bowie songs he sang in The Life Aquatic, done here as a tribute to Bowie ten years after his death. This is the most beautiful thing I've seen in a while.
Seu Jorge - The Life Aquatic ( David Bowie Tribute)
YouTube video by Seu Jorge
youtu.be
February 2, 2026 at 11:39 PM
Seu Jorge singing his Portuguese versions of the David Bowie songs he sang in The Life Aquatic, done here as a tribute to Bowie ten years after his death. This is the most beautiful thing I've seen in a while.
Reposted by Matt Bell
My book, TACOMA, is out next week!
Heard from a few people over the weekend that they got their preorders! I'm excited for people to read it! It was some of the most fun I've ever had writing. I think it is a kinda uniquely fun read. Thanks. 🧨 🎆
autofocusbooks.com
Heard from a few people over the weekend that they got their preorders! I'm excited for people to read it! It was some of the most fun I've ever had writing. I think it is a kinda uniquely fun read. Thanks. 🧨 🎆
autofocusbooks.com
February 2, 2026 at 1:50 PM
My book, TACOMA, is out next week!
Heard from a few people over the weekend that they got their preorders! I'm excited for people to read it! It was some of the most fun I've ever had writing. I think it is a kinda uniquely fun read. Thanks. 🧨 🎆
autofocusbooks.com
Heard from a few people over the weekend that they got their preorders! I'm excited for people to read it! It was some of the most fun I've ever had writing. I think it is a kinda uniquely fun read. Thanks. 🧨 🎆
autofocusbooks.com