Matt Coonan is a poet, emcee & teacher from New York. He holds an MFA in creative writing and literature from Stony Brook University and is a three-time SUNY Oneonta Grand Slam Champion. He is also the recipient of a 2017 Live Mas Scholarship. His poems have been featured on Button Poetry and published in Tinderbox Poetry Journal, The Southampton Review, Inklette, among others.

Matt is also a vocalist in the improvisational jazz band Bright Dog Red. Their fifth studio album, Under the Porch, released May 20th, 2022 from Ropeadope Records.

Performed at IWPS 2019 in San Diego, CA

Don’t miss this powerful poem from Diamond Mason, performing at IWPS 2019 in San Diego, CA