The Tastemakers Society

If you read a variety of magazines there’s a chance you may have read one of Matthew Newton’s articles. Newton is many things a writer an editor, a father, a book publisher but the simplest way maybe to describe him would be as a man with a computer trying to write something worthwhile. Living in what he calls the city of Champions, Pittsburgh, PA (which I’d have to kindly disagree) Matt Newton, 31, spends time researching, typing, editing, retyping, editing some more, pitching, and so on, to write material he loves but at the same time in a way helping make sure others are entertained or taught something from his work. His late nights, countless hours of staring at a computer screen are all really as much a benefit for us then it is for him, yes, he gets his satisfaction, but his one piece can bring much more to many others who read it. So pull up a chair, grab a snack, and take a look into the life and mind of Matthew Newton. And remember next time you read an acrticle that someone somewhere may have spent a night fueled off Red Bull and chips, and that same someone could easily be Matthew Newton.

What about writing drew you in so much that you knew you wanted to make it your profession?

Initially I don’t think there was any one particular hook that attracted me to writing.  But what I did like about the notion of being a writer-before deciding I would pursue it as a career-was the ability it gave an individual to experience other peoples’ lives.  What I mean is, as a writer, for example, you can spend the day with a bagpiper and learn about his or her instrument and the dedication it takes to become the best player in the world; or you can spend several months interviewing graffiti artists and learn about the reasoning and impulses behind their obession with painting pieces or catching tags; or you can dig deep into varying topics like genocide or urban renewal and come away from those experiences feeling more knowledgable than when you started the story-and hopefully enlightened about the world around you.  You’re able to see what other peoples’ lives are like, if only for a fragment of time.

Can you remember your first writing peice you wrote that meant something to you and your first serious professional piece written?

This is tough.  You see, for years I’ve wrestled with this sort of duality in what I want to do as a writer.  I’m fascinated with music and visual art, and always have been.  And that’s really where I got my start as a writer, doing album reviews and artist and musician profiles for magazines like XLR8R, Vapors, and Resonance-this was back in late 2002, early 2003 or so.  But I always wanted to do work that was larger in scope and importance, the type of writing that I classify in my mind as Good Work.  And what I mean by Good Work is sort of blurry, but usually it encompasses a larger experience related to a social, cultural, or political topic.  So, in a roundabout fashion, to answer your questions, I would say an article I wrote for Swindle in Fall of 2005, a piece about the Cambodian genocide of the 1970s titled “Eve of Destruction,” is one of my early facorites.  As I was doing the research and interviews for this piece, I had one of those “holy shit” moments where I realized, ‘Here, this is exactly what I’ve been looking to do.’  Of course prior to this I had published many other articles, but this peice I believe marked a turning point.

What era do you believe had the biggest effect on you personally, writing wise, or whatever to bring you to the place you’re at now and your capacity for creativity or just the flat out funnest era you wish you could revisit, your early childhood years those rambunctious middle years from middle school thru high school, or the blurred binge drinking era most refer to as the college years?

There are a lot of ways to answer that question.  Each era carries its own weight and set of influences I suppose.  For example, I didn’t binge drink in college.  I worked full-time and went to school full-time while also performing and recording in a post-rock band-which made for a busy but extremely productive time in my life.  So that time was very defining for me.  Also, having a child-which my wife Michelle and I did almost two years ago with the birth of our son Ethan-is another phase that can turn life on its ear in both a wonderful and crazy way (crazy like, ‘Oh my god, I’m responsible for another human’s life!’).  But creatively it would be impossible for me to overlook the importance of my teenage years.  I talk with friends about this a lot, but being a teenager was both the best and worst experience of my life.  It taught me everything I needed to know about the ying and yang of life, and did so in an extremely compressed span of time.  It’s when I discovered and really began to appreciate music and art.  It’s also when I first discovered social and political issues-human rights, pro-life versus pro-choice, the straight-edge movement, animal rights, and list goes on.  As far as the ‘worst’ part is concerned, much of that had to do with the usual teenage depression and girl-trouble drama–woe-is-me, weight-of-the world, falling-in-love, having-your-heart-broken type shit.  But my experience had some rather bizarre, not-so-average twists to it–enough so that I often consider writing a black comedy style memoir someday.  But everybody and their mother is doing memoirs right now–so it makes me feel like I need to get some more perspective before translating that mess to paper.

You were publishing books under the name Poison Control, how did that start, what type of books were you putting together, and what’s its current state?

Basically, Poison Control (PSNCTRL) was a small press publisher.  We put out a handmade limited-run book titled Young & Reckless; a pocket-sized zine called Dungeon; and curated several gallery exhibitions.  We sought to put out books that offered substantive visual and written content that tackled interesting topics.  And when I say “we” I mean me, which is the reason its currently in suspended animation.  It became too much to do by myself.  I founded PSNCTRL in the summer of 2004 as a way to collaborate with artists and writers I met through my magazine work.  It was incredibly fun.  I got to work with great writers and artists, too many to name, and release work that was really well recieved.  Our books were sold domestically here in the U.S. and also found an audience overseas in the U.K., France, and even Sweden and Finland.  So it was a good run.  My original intent was to treat PSNCTRL as an umbrella imprint that could seamlessly shift grears between releasing publications, curating exhibitions, and eventually producing limited-run art prints, t-shirts, and other special projects.  I actually have a second book, Fame & Misfortune, 75% complete.  But finding the time to sit down and do the final nuts and bolts editing and layout has been impossible.

So, as far as current state, I would say hibernating.

What’s the agenda behind matthewnewton.us?

The idea for the website began as a way for me to collect all my published writing in a single place.  Most folks would call it a portfolio site.  But as I planned the design, I decided it would also be nice to have the flexibility to create exclusive content–interview series, special reports, essays–that would only be available on the site.  That’s how the idea for ‘Made You Look’, my series on art and design came about.  It was something I had done on my previous blog, The Beautiful Destruction, but in a far-less organized format.  I’m also really fascinated by the notion of independent journalism, content that isn’t passed through the filter of a major media outlet.  So I think it’s healthy to work on projects (when you can afford it) that aren’t driven by the desire to collect a check.

Also, I intended for the Journal section of the site to be a place where I could get into the habit of writing on a daily basis.  As a writer, I spend so much time pitching stories to magazines and interviewing people and doing research that sometimes a week or more will pass before I have a chance to sit down and just write.  So far the plan is working.  I’m not updating the Journal on a daily basis yet, but I’m becoming more disciplined about it.  My problem is that I believe I should only write something that is interesting.  Well, maybe that’s not a problem, but you get my point.

Any projects on the horizon?

I’m somewhat superstitious when it comes to discussing upcoming projects.  With that said though, there are several things I’m working on right now that I’m very excited about–I’ll just leave out the publication name due to my own weirdness.  Primary among these current projects is an in-depth article about post-tramatic stress disorder in U.S. troops serving multiple tours of duty in Iraq and  Afghanistan.  I also just interviewed RZA, from the Wu-Tang Clan, for a feature piece I’m writing.  And, among several other assignments, I’m working on an essay about the notion of fame in America and how it has evolved over the last several decades.  I’m also considering the idea of putting together an exhibition with all the artists from the ‘Made You Look’ series I’ve been doing on my website.  We’ll see though, my goal at the start of this year was not to overextend myself but to produce quality work.

If you could interview one perosn–dead or alive–who would it be and what would be the top three questions you’d ask them?

I’d interview my grandfather, a man named Henry Beitzel.  He passed away when I was still in grade school, but we had a great  relationship.  What I miss most is that I never had the opportunity to get to know him when I was an adult.  I only knew him from my perspective as a kid.  He was an honest, working-class guy who held down several jobs to provide for his wife and three daughters (one of whom is my mother).  But he was never happy with his station in life.  He wanted more out of life, to do something creative.  He used to doodle on napkins and old envelopes all the time.  I have a huge collection of his old drawings in my studio.  Also, after retiring, he began taking creative writing classes (at the same university I graduated from).  He always wanted to be a writer.  He loved to travel and loved to talk.  While traveling he’d stop at roadside diners, sit down at the counter, light up a smoke and start bullshitting.  He excelled at extracting stories from strangers.  If circumstances had been different for him, he would have been a great writer.

I’d ask him these three questions: 1.) Do you have any regrets about your life?  2.) What would you cite as the defining moment in your life?  3.) Do you have any advice for me?

What’s the best thing you’ve ever written and the best thing you’ve ever read?

That best thing I’ve written?  That’s a good questions.  I did a short piece for Swindle a couple years ago about artist Jonathan Keller’s Boxbots that I really like.  I have no explanation why I’m so fond of this story.  It didn’t change the world.  Hell, I don’t even know if anyone read it.  But in my mind, it rates well.  My only regret is that I used the word douchebag at the end of the story (in my defense, this was before every person from my neighbor to my dentist was using the word again).

Hiroshima by John Hersey is one of the best books I’ve read.  The book is set during the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima during World War II and tells the story of six victims.  The city is still on fire; people are running around in terror; the shadows of incinerated human bodies are burned on the ground.  It is heartbreaking but also impossible to put down.  There are several scenes in the book that are nearly impossible to forget–which is the mark of great writing.  To top it off, it’s not a novel.  It’s a nonfiction book.  Hersey interviewed hundreds of survivors to piece together an amazingly vivid narrative.

You said you want to work on writing daily, but at the same time you said you only want to work on producing quality work.  What do you see as “quality work?”  Also, do you think that it’s something you can achieve on a daily basis or is just the act of exercising your writing daily going to help you creating that “quality” material?

The term is completely subjective of course.  But for me, quality work is writing that meets a certain standard.  Whether it’s a blog entry, an artist profile, or an in-depth article, I think the reader should walk away having either learned something or being entertained.  If not, it’s a waste of time and why write?  Of course, adhering to such a critical standard can be maddening at times.  I wish I was able to just gush mountains of words and believe everything I write is valuable.  But I don’t.  I’ve always been a proponent of quality over quanity.

What the daily life of a freelance journalist like?

Everyday is busy.  I still hold down a daytime job as an editor, so my freelance work is interspersed in pockets of time-early morning before I set out for my day, lunchtime, and then often bleeds far into the night and almost always the weekends.  My sleep schedule is reduced to almost nothing at this point.  I’m usually pretty stoked if I get five hours.  If I didn’t like what I did, this type of demanding schedule wouldn’t be possible.

But as far as the work of being a freelancer is concerned, for me it’s defined by attention to detail.  I’m usually working on three or four projects at any given time.  So managing time to be able to meet multiple and competing deadlines is important.  I’m by no means an expert at it, but I’m getting better.  I said this to a friend the other day, that freelance writing is 90% hustle and 10% writing.  There’s tons of email correspondence, phone interviews, research, more research, and of course, reading.  Often, when I look back at the length of time that passes from when I pitch an idea to when it finally gets published, I can’t believe it.  That’s why doing the website is so gratifying.  It’s instant.

Have you ever dabbled in or wanted to do writing in different genres like fiction or even writing a film?

Dabbled is a good word.  I’ve got several half-finished short stories wasting away on old harddrives.  I also have a few rough outlines for screenplays.  Both are avenues I’d love to pursue in the near future.  First though, I think I need to get some other ideas out of my system.  Outside of my magazine work, the next creative projects I’d really like to pursue are either a book or a graphic novel.  The book would be the aforementioned darkly comedic memoir.  And as far as the graphic novel is concerned, Ihave a script I’ve really labored over.  But finding the right artist to collaborate with, and making sure our schedules work together has been a daunting challenge.

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