Matthew Burgess author page

Matthew Burgess biography

Matthew Burgess is a poet, educator and children’s author. He writes picture books and poetry for young readers, including Words with Wings and Magic Things, As Edward Imagined: A Story of Edward Gorey in Three Acts, Bird Boy and The Bear and The Moon. He is an associate professor of literature and creative writing at Brooklyn College, has worked as a poet-in-residence in New York City public schools, and serves as senior editor of Teachers & Writers Magazine.

Enormous Smallness: A Story of E. E. Cummings, illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo, was published by Enchanted Lion Books on 28 April 2015. The 64-page picture-book biography introduces young readers to the poet Edward Estlin Cummings and includes a chronology, five dated poems, an author’s note and acknowledgements.

The Red Tin Box, written by Matthew Burgess and illustrated by Evan Turk, was published by Chronicle Books on 4 April 2023 as a 64-page children’s eBook. Enormous Smallness: A Story of E. E. Cummings was a Junior Library Guild selection and an ALA Notable Children’s Book.

Bird Boy, illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani, was published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on 20 July 2021 for readers aged 4 to 8. Words with Wings and Magic Things, illustrated by Doug Salati, was published by Tundra Books on 18 March 2025 for readers aged 5 to 9; it was selected as a 2026 ALA Notable Children’s Book and a 2025 White Raven Award title.