Matthew Nienow lives in Port Townsend, Washington with his wife and two sons, where he builds boats and custom wooden paddle boards. Born in Los Angeles, Nienow spent most of his youth in Seattle before venturing off to the midwest for college. He holds a BA in English from St. Olaf College, an MFA in Poetry from the University of Washington and an Associates degree in Traditional Small Craft from the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding.