I write to inspire, inform, and connect. My novels include Amiga, The Remainders, and Christina's Portrait. I wrote a guide to impromptu speaking, Mastering Table Topics. No DMs. https://linktr.ee/maswriterhttps://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3mvjekom3gs2f2026 has lived up to its expected craziness and then some. How do we cope with the chaos we know is coming? As someone who has gone through my own troubled times, I've learned several tips that can help. https://www.matthewarnoldstern.com/current-affairs/how-to-cope-with-chaos.html15 Sep 2026 00:28 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvjekom3gs2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3mu2t6bt4nc2qYou can't understand the issues facing our country today without learning the history that shaped them. That's why studying history, like my granddaughter is doing in eighth grade, is so important. https://www.matthewarnoldstern.com/current-affairs/the-importance-of-history.html27 Aug 2026 12:14 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3mu2t6bt4nc2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3mtrcehl33s2sIn this excerpt from my upcoming novel Christina’s Portrait, Noreen and her friends discuss “safe” and “unsafe” neighborhoods in a changing San Fernando Valley in the 1970s. Look for Christina’s Portrait in November from @wordhavenpress.bsky.social. #booksky #ya www.tiktok.com/t/ZP87AWKdE/ https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP87AWKdE/23 Aug 2026 17:20 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtrcehl33s2shttps://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3msiqmhdmvs2aGrief reminds us that the only real legacy we have is the memories of us in those we've left behind. That's why every grief is different. https://www.matthewarnoldstern.com/insights/every-grief-is-different.html07 Aug 2026 14:16 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3msiqmhdmvs2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3mrupnq7xcc27The attack on Dr. Fauci has reopened a discussion about the COVID-19 pandemic, but not the one the right is expecting. It has forced us to look at the lives lost that we haven't adequately grieved for. This issue drives my novel, Christina's Portrait. https://www.matthewarnoldstern.com/current-affairs/remembering-the-pandemic-we-want-to-forget.html30 Jul 2026 15:05 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrupnq7xcc27https://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3mraduud7pk2aIn my July newsletter, which comes out tomorrow, I'll talk about my upcoming novel release, include part 1 of my interview with a @commodoreofficial.bsky.social techl writer, and share news about upcoming author events. Subscribe now so you don't miss out. https://www.matthewarnoldstern.com/newsletter.html22 Jul 2026 12:41 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3mraduud7pk2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3mr4xizcwac2aAn important lesson from this World Cup is that the higher you climb, the more you're exposed. Argentina should learn this, and so should all of us. https://www.matthewarnoldstern.com/current-affairs/the-higher-you-climb-the-more-youre-exposed.html21 Jul 2026 04:22 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr4xizcwac2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3mqwis2wefs2wI got a belated rejection notice a week and half after my novel Christina's Portrait was accepted for publication. It's a reminder the importance of persistence and embracing failure as a step towards success. https://www.matthewarnoldstern.com/insights/dressing-like-a-loser.html18 Jul 2026 14:42 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqwis2wefs2whttps://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3mqlrs3hius27After nearly 50 years in the works, Christina's Portrait found a publisher. The timing couldn't be more perfect because the issues discussed in the novel are becoming more relevant. #booksky https://www.matthewarnoldstern.com/christinas-portrait/the-50-year-novel-finds-a-publisher.html14 Jul 2026 08:24 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqlrs3hius27https://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3mprrmnwvtk2uWe need Disability Pride Month to protect the rights of people like my granddaughter—especially when those rights are under attack. https://www.matthewarnoldstern.com/current-affairs/why-we-need-disability-pride-month.html04 Jul 2026 00:12 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3mprrmnwvtk2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3moq2filljs25I wanted to ignore the World Cup this year, but something wonderful happened. The world came here and partied. Here's why this matters. https://www.matthewarnoldstern.com/current-affairs/the-beautiful-game.html20 Jun 2026 14:18 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3moq2filljs25https://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3mna745d5rk2xWith the fiasco that is the 250th anniversary celebration of the United States, I've been seeing a lot of people on social media ask, "What was the Bicentennial like?" As someone who turned 15 that year, I can tell you. https://www.matthewarnoldstern.com/current-affairs/when-we-celebrated-america.html01 Jun 2026 13:35 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3mna745d5rk2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3mk2mpba5fk2nI'm getting ready for the Commodore LA Super Show this weekend. I'll talk about it in my upcoming newsletter, coming Thursday, and how you can be a beta reader for my work-in-progress. Subscribe to my newsletter today so you don't miss out. #booksky https://www.matthewarnoldstern.com/newsletter.html22 Apr 2026 04:07 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk2mpba5fk2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3mhv5hljbtc2qIn my March newsletter, which comes out tomorrow, I talk about my interview with @thebookmash.bsky.social, how I'm using a Bruce Hornsby album in another writing project, baseball's opening day, and upcoming events. Subscribe now so your don't miss out! https://www.matthewarnoldstern.com/newsletter.html25 Mar 2026 13:00 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhv5hljbtc2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3mfjzosqsv22zIn my interview with Miranda and Ashleigh of @thebookmash.bsky.social, I talk about being a vocational author, using author feedback, and how a vintage computer inspired my novel Amiga and work in progress, Escape from Arzack's Castle. Read it here: https://thebookmashpodcast.com/blogs/spoilers-shenanigans-season-2/amiga-matthew-arnold-stern23 Feb 2026 16:03 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfjzosqsv22zhttps://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3mfeu4j7j3s2xDon't forget: I'll be at The Open Book - Northridge tomorrow, Sunday, February 22 from noon to 3 pm. I hope to see you there!21 Feb 2026 14:40 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfeu4j7j3s2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3meyems3erk23My February newsletter has news about my upcoming events, including my author event at the The Open Book - Northridge on Sunday, and samples of my novel, Christina's Portrait. Subscribe today so you don't miss out, and look for my newsletter on Thursday. https://www.matthewarnoldstern.com/newsletter.html16 Feb 2026 15:31 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3meyems3erk23https://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3me4jtvxmjc2oSteven Miller was inspired by an anti-immigrant French novel. Tech bros use Atlas Shrugged as gospel. The Birth of a Nation revived an infamous hate group. If we don't use our writing to call for justice, we're ceding public consciousness to cruel ideas. https://www.matthewarnoldstern.com/current-affairs/seeking-justice-through-fiction.html05 Feb 2026 13:50 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3me4jtvxmjc2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3mdxjskzct227I got a golden ticket! I interviewed @drinksinthelibrary.bsky.social at Green Cheek Beer. Listen to my interview on YouTube as we discuss Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, changing books over time, media literacy, and more! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MeOh3kLh1s&list=PLNm1E8vewGwNsSTyMIHOROVagHf-Ty3_V03 Feb 2026 14:06 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdxjskzct227https://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3mdm3m3una22gI'm coming back to the San Fernando Valley! Join me at The Open Book Northridge on Sunday 2/22 12–3 pm.30 Jan 2026 00:52 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdm3m3una22ghttps://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3md55cj6znn24Take a break from doomscrolling and hear about the song that inspired me the most and how I fit it into my novel. Here's the story about "Keep The Fire" by @thekennyloggins. https://www.matthewarnoldstern.com/creative-writing/how-i-fit-an-inspirational-song-into-my-novel.html24 Jan 2026 02:13 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3md55cj6znn24https://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3mct5qrkh7c2zMy upcoming newsletter has an interview with @authorbaileyjohnson, author of Don't Leave Me Behind, updates on my beta review, and upcoming events. Subscribe now so you don't miss out, and look for my January newsletter on Wednesday. https://www.matthewarnoldstern.com/newsletter.html20 Jan 2026 02:54 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3mct5qrkh7c2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3mcli7kt4tq2vWhen this is all over, what will it be like? https://www.matthewarnoldstern.com/current-affairs/when-this-is-all-over.html17 Jan 2026 01:40 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcli7kt4tq2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3mccxm7cl6k2yI used to be a big Dilbert fan. I even referenced it in my first novel, Offline. That was until Scott Adams fell so far down the far right rabbit hole that I couldn't support him anymore. Now, that he's dead, I'm looking back and reflecting. https://www.matthewarnoldstern.com/current-affairs/cancelling-dilbert.html13 Jan 2026 16:22 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3mccxm7cl6k2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3mc34y6pv6c23This is a frightening time, but such times are character tests, as I wrote at Halloween. Fear should drive us to action. https://www.matthewarnoldstern.com/insights/fear-itself.html10 Jan 2026 13:36 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3mc34y6pv6c23https://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3mbwvhdqmna2iHow can we sit and write when the world is going to hell? The answer comes from an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. https://www.matthewarnoldstern.com/current-affairs/there-are-four-lights.html08 Jan 2026 21:11 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbwvhdqmna2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3mbuqoof7l22eThey will not stop with Renee Nicole Good. They will not stop with Venezuela. They will not stop until somebody stops them.08 Jan 2026 00:40 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbuqoof7l22ehttps://bsky.app/profile/maswriter.bsky.social/post/3mbldy4yh3g23Venezuela? If there's a country that has a corrupt, criminal tyrant that needs to be removed, it is ours. https://www.matthewarnoldstern.com/current-affairs/all-of-us-are-the-baddies.html04 Jan 2026 06:59 +0000at://did:plc:3dbeqw3344vfzigs7jpsjtec/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbldy4yh3g23