Matthew O'Brien

Writer, editor, teacher. Author of Beneath the Neon, My Week at the Blue Angel, Dark Days, Bright Nights. Founder of Shine a Light and O'Brien Editing Services.

[Matthew O'Brien @beneaththeneon]

“Foreclosure” is about a journalist (a composite of me and a few people I know) who lost his job, wife, and home during the Great Recession. He absentmindedly returns to the house and decides to enter it and explore it, looking “for closure.”
https://t.co/X9EMF9fLpM

[Matthew O'Brien @beneaththeneon]

https://t.co/sm8beLevjL

[Matthew O'Brien @beneaththeneon]

On April 15, I will be returning to West Georgia for the first time since graduating thirty years ago. I’ll be in conversation with two professors about my journey from Carrollton to Las Vegas to San Salvador. To register for the event, please see the link in the comments.

[Matthew O'Brien @beneaththeneon]

@McloughlinJA @NewCritique Thanks, James! I enjoyed working with you on this story. Best!

[Matthew O'Brien @beneaththeneon]

I thought you all may be interested in the latest issue of The Perch. Titled Substance, it features poems, fiction (including my vignette “Coming Clean”), etc., that present diverse perspectives on substance use and the recovery process.

https://t.co/hFUSbRe12m

[Matthew O'Brien @beneaththeneon]

@KristaDiamond @BrianRouff Interesting. I re-read that story several years ago and was not sure it held up as well as some of the others in that collection. But I do appreciate your kind words and support.

[Matthew O'Brien @beneaththeneon]

Another one of my Vegas stories has been published. “Coming To” is about a down-on-his-luck, longtime Las Vegas resident who finds some salvation at a strip-mall church.

Thanks to @KristaDiamond and @BrianRouff for their feedback on the story!

https://t.co/nJVAnP037j

[Matthew O'Brien @beneaththeneon]

@KristaDiamond @BrianRouff Very cool! Thanks! Which story/essay?

[Matthew O'Brien @beneaththeneon]

One of my Vegas vignettes, "The Arrival," is currently live on Twenty-two Twenty-eight’s website. Take it for a spin—it’s only 500 or so words long—and let me know what you think. (Thanks to @VeronicaKlash and Ed Komenda for their help on this one!)
https://t.co/JYByCRcZEC

[Matthew O'Brien @beneaththeneon]

This holiday season, skip the long lines at the big, brick-and-mortar stores and support a small business owned and operated by someone you “follow” on Twitter/X! Give the gift of editing! For more info about the OES gift card, please comment or send me a DM. Happy holidays!

[Matthew O'Brien @beneaththeneon]

In advance of the F1 race on the Strip, several homeless people were evicted from the underground flood channels. Then, minutes into last night's practice, a loose manhole cover caused the session to be cancelled. That's one of the purest examples of karma I’ve seen in a while.

[Matthew O'Brien @beneaththeneon]

I’ve reached the age where I decide what book I’m going to read next by the size of its font. And the winner is … The Killing Hills by @chris_offutt. Judging by what I know of his work (e.g., Kentucky Straight), he’s a criminally underrated American writer.

[Matthew O'Brien @beneaththeneon]

Monday morning (post-breakfast, pre-shower) observation: Writers who say they don’t “like” or “believe in” editors are usually the ones who need them the most. #OBrienEditingServices #OES

[Matthew O'Brien @beneaththeneon]

@HubCityPress https://t.co/9h3oW7BYyq

[Matthew O'Brien @beneaththeneon]

Si habla español y está interesado en aprender más sobre los canales de inundación subterráneos de Las Vegas, sobre los cuales he escrito extensamente, lea este artículo detallado de Leire Ventas de BBC Mundo.
https://t.co/rxnhkDRnRC

[Matthew O'Brien @beneaththeneon]

@xDeToXx702 I do not have any thoughts on this, really. Just skipped through the first 20 minutes or so of the video. If I find time to watch more of it, I will let you know.

[Matthew O'Brien @beneaththeneon]

Every three months, my dad emails me to let me know a royalty check has arrived in the mail. And every time I receive that email, I’m surprised. Thanks to everyone who has recommended these two books to a friend, has rated or reviewed them online, etc., and continues to do so!

[Matthew O'Brien @beneaththeneon]

One of the benefits of having a home office with a balcony is I can finish an editing job, and then take five steps to my right and decompress. After absorbing this view, I’m ready to move on to the next project!

#OBrienEditingServices #OES #RemoteWork #ElSalvador

[Matthew O'Brien @beneaththeneon]

@BookDevon I provided my author site in my previous comment: https://t.co/mqgAT1ZBif. You should be able to find info on my books there. Best!

[Matthew O'Brien @beneaththeneon]

Does your résumé need to be updated, reorganized, and edited? Are you trying to revive a short story or book? Is your bio or website not generating the response you had hoped? Surf the recently updated OES site and see how we can help you! https://t.co/mlJtBesieq