Port Townsend poet Matthew Nienow will release his new book of poetry, If Nothing, on January 21. The collection is described by Nienow as an honest exploration of addiction, masculinity, fatherhood, and the feelings of guilt and shame that accompany them.
“It took me years to evolve as a person enough to write this book,” Nienow said. “I had to change, or I wouldn’t have survived.”
Nienow’s writing career spans nearly two decades, but he took a break for several years to focus on personal growth. During this time, he worked on unlearning unhealthy behaviors and addressing his dependencies. He stopped drinking seven or eight years ago, though it took another year to become completely sober.
“I had to confront my feelings of shame and vulnerability as I returned to writing,” Nienow said. “It’s been part of my healing. I had to take accountability and transform.”
He acknowledged that his previous writing process had been linked to external validation, but now, he focuses on developing a healthier relationship with both himself and his craft. Rather than measuring his self-worth by publication success, he now prioritizes self-improvement and facing the damage caused by past actions.
This shift has allowed Nienow to write poetry that addresses the core of the human experience, without the fear of rejection or approval. He credits this new approach to a realignment of his priorities and values.
Nienow also reflects on how men are often raised in a culture that discourages vulnerability. He believes that only by owning his shame could he begin his journey toward healing.
“I want to open myself up to new ways of thinking and valuing myself,” he said. “I’m striving for deeper levels of honesty, because I’ve tried to hide from them for so long.”
Nienow’s debut poetry collection, House of Water, was published in 2016 by Alice James Books, which is also publishing If Nothing. His work has appeared in literary journals such as 32 Poems, Georgia Review, New England Review, and Poetry. Nienow is a former Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellow and has received fellowships and support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, and other institutions.
Iranian-American poet Kaveh Akbar has praised If Nothing as “powerful medicine,” noting that the book contains “real grace made wise by having known real grief.”
Nienow lives in Port Townsend with his wife and two sons. He is also pursuing a degree in mental health counseling.
