Biography: Matts G. Djos

        Matts was born in Seattle, Washington, the setting for much of the narrative.  He Married Jeanine Cooper in 1959 and graduated from the University of Washington in 1959 with a secondary teaching certificate and a Bachelor of Arts in English.  He was awarded a Master of Arts in English from the University of Idaho in 1967 and a Ph.D. in English from Texas A&M University in 1975. 

       In the fall of that year after fourteen years as an English teacher in north Seattle, he accept an invitation as an assistant professor of American literature at what is now Colorado Mesa University. In 2006, after forty-five years as a scholar, writer, and teacher he retired with honors as a professor of English, emeritus; and he and Jeanine moved to an alpine paradise in the High Country of Western Colorado.

       Jeanine and Matts have three daughters and seven grandchildren and celebrated their 60th Anniversary in 2020.

       Matts has published extensively, both as a scholar and freelance writer and has written more than fifty scholarly and commercial articles and six  books over the past thirty years alone.  His book, Writing Under the Influence, Alcoholism and the Alcoholic Perception from Hemingway to Berryman, is regarded as something of a breakthrough in the study of creativity and addiction.  It has been the cornerstone of a number of courses and graduate papers and is available in almost every graduate library in the States and UK.  His nautical books and articles have been singled out for special recognition among the major sailing magazines and are based on Matts’ and Jeanine’s personal experience.

     Matts continues to teach classes on writing from time to time and has been a presenter and panel member at numerous literary and writing forums and conferences.