MatthewDickerson's

WritingProjects

Updates:What's Out There and What's Forthcoming.

	Hammers and Nails: The Life and Music of Mark Heard Released in May of 2003 with Cornerstone Press, Chicago. I spent the second half of 2001 and much of 2002 working on this book. Finding the right way to organize this book was a real challenge, but I found the interviews to be very moving, and also at time fun. Had a chance to interview Buddy Miller, Phil Madeira, Randy Stonehill, Steve Hindalong, Tom Howard, Bill Mallonee, Tonio K., and many others. NOTE: The cover to the far left was a promo announcing the book at the 2002 Cornerstone Festival. The cover on the immediate left is the final artwork.
The Finnsburg Encounter (Crossway Books, 1991), and the German translation Licht uber Friesland (Verlag Schulte & Gerth)... ... are both (alas) currently out of print. But don't despair. Amazon.com has available both new and used copies of these books. Meanwhile, I've completed a sequel tentatively titled Heir of Finn's Torc, which my agent has begun shopping.
	Following Gandalf: Epic Battles and Moral Victory in The Lord of the Rings Released in October of 2003 with Brazos Press. This book was released fall of 2003 by Brazos Press. It was one of four finalist for the 2004 and 2005 Mythpoeic Scholarship Awards for best new work of scholarship on any of the Inklings (Tolkien, Lewis, Williams). "One of the finest studies of Tolkien's keen, abiding moral sense ever published. . . . If you want to better understand how Tolkien managed to convey his own sense of faith (he was a devout Catholic) without ever resorting to didacticism, Dickerson provides an excellent survey."--Clay Evans, Dailycamera.com "Dickerson, who has some interesting thoughts on the structure of The Hobbit, sees the spiritual side of Tolkien's books as key to understanding them. . . . Those who want to delve beyond Peter Jackson's films will find some treasure in [Following Gandalf]."--Alan Cochrum, StarTelegram.com "[This book is] a literary critical study of Tolkien's moral expression in his epic tale. And it's the one we've been waiting for, for a long time. Most writers on Tolkien and religion are out to teach you the writer's own moral lessons. Dickerson is a good critic, and he wants to teach you Tolkien's. . . . This is the best entirely new critical book on Tolkien in several years."--David Bratman, Mythprin
Other Projects. My fishing and outdoor column column continues to appear by-weekly in the Addison Independent. I have a collection of essays and stories about fishing in book form. Several publishers have seen the first draft and expressed an interest. By the end of Spring, 2003, this manuscript should be complete and hopefully will be in print in early 2004. I have a complete fantasy novel, tentatively titled The Daegmon War. My agent has begun shopping this around too. In the summer of 2002, I was named the Director of the New England Young Writers Conference, which I've been teaching at for several years. This is an exciting opportunity for me to share my love of writing with promising high school age writers. Please return for updates!