Matt is a journalist + ghostwriter in Colorado.

I. INTRODUCTION

Basics

I’m a journalist and ghostwriter in Colorado. My work has appeared in WIRED and Washingtonian. In 2023, ‘Star, Destroyer’ received the Popular Media Award from the American Astronomical Society.

I’ve also written speeches, op-eds, and books for some of the biggest names in politics, philanthropy, labor, and science. My ghostwritten work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and two dozen other outlets.

I grew up in Virginia. I studied anthropology and anarchy at Emory University and earned a master’s degree in nonfiction writing from The Johns Hopkins University.

Enthusiasms (2024)

Double-breasted, wide-lapel suits. The forty-minute live cut of The Velvet Underground’s “Sister Ray.” Primetime game shows that feel ripped straight from 30 Rock. A Tom Collins on a hot day. Lucite. The Three-Body Problem. Gustavo Dudamel’s style of conducting. Mast fruiting. Ethiopian funk. Tall sunflowers. The Octoboss from Furiosa.

II. WORK, IN PRINT & ELSEWHERE

Print

I’m drawn to stories about unexplained natural phenomena, academic outcasts, and the politics of science. My other interests include contested history, resource conflicts of all kinds, and highly skilled criminals.

I’ve written about how a severe solar storm could devastate the electrical grid; a religious hospital offering psychedelic-assisted therapy to late-stage cancer patients; a clinic-of-last resort, specializing in one-in-a-billion genetic diseases, at the National Institutes of Health; and the changing politics of vaccine injury.

I’m working on stories about a new approach to suspended animation; forever chemicals in the Chesapeake Bay; and the uncertain science of human decomposition.

If you are an editor, I’d love to write about the following things: Hamburger University, the elite McDonald’s management training program in Shanghai; human-grizzly conflict specialists in Montana; a new existential threat to bees; charter cities; a midwife training program on a farming commune; the investigative divers of the FBI; and Jeremy Fragrance, the inscrutable cologne influencer and self-proclaimed “Number One Fragrance Icon Who Follows the Teachings of Jesus.”

Screen

My story about the NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Program is being adapted for television by a major studio.

III. FOR HIRE

Before I was a writer, I was a ghostwriter.

I started my career at West Wing Writers, the country’s premier speechwriting firm. Right now, I oversee speaker services and executive visibility at Conservation International. I’ve also held communications roles in the United States Senate, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and a major gubernatorial campaign.

Over the years, I’ve helped dozens of clients tell better stories and make sharper arguments — presidential tickets and cabinet secretaries, renowned physicians and scientists, award-winning entertainers, and Fortune 50 executives. I’ve written about many things, including but not limited to: climate change, clean energy, and conservation; campaign finance, good governance, and democracy reform; 5G and universal broadband; public health, pharmaceuticals, and health policy; labor politics; the future of advertising; autonomous vehicles; and also tree nuts and yogurt.

  • Over the years, I’ve written conference keynotes; guest lectures; all-staff addresses; stump and rally speeches; roasts and toasts; investor pitches and product announcements.

    Whether you’re on the hook to speak for ninety minutes or ninety seconds, I can help you organize thoughts, convey them clearly, and hold your audience’s attention.

  • I’ve scripted star-studded charity galas, product launches for the world's largest technology companies, Fortune 50 investor days, and internal gatherings of all kinds.

    I can help you develop a program that won’t lull attendees to sleep, script each segment, and ensure speakers walk onstage feeling confident.

  • I’ve ghostwritten op-eds that have been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Reuters, USA Today, TIME, and Al-Jazeera, as well as local outlets and trade publications.

    I can work with you to write an opinion piece that is tight, timely, and provocative — and, when needed, point you toward the right publication and editor.

  • I’ve spent most of my career working alongside PhDs and long-time industry insiders. It often takes an outsider to see the forest, rather than thousands of trees.

    Together, we can refine your story, differentiate your organization from peers, and address industry-specific messaging challenges.

IV. HOTLINE

For all things literary, contact Laura Usselman (lu [at] skagency [dot] com) at The Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency.

For film and television rights inquiries, contact Sean Daily (sean [at] haalit [dot] com) at Hotchkiss Daily & Associates.

For speechwriting + consulting services, freelance assignments, and everything else, fill out the form, and I’ll get back to you within a day or two.