308 ratings | 201 reviews | avg rating:4.14

Stephen’s Year In Books

Stephen’s 2024 Year in Books

Take a look at Stephen’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to Stephen’s 2024 Year in Books

Stephen J. Matlock’s Followers (29)

Stephen’s Bookshelves

to-read (521)
currently-reading (40)
read (398)
african-american (25)
america (5)
american-studies (9)
black (15)
black-america (15)
black-language-in-the-mainstream (2)
black-male (8)
See all bookshelves »

Stephen’s Friends (107)

Elaine Matlock

262 books | 64 friends

Max McDevitt

1,944 books | 166 friends

Victoria Bastedo

69 books | 61 friends

Michael Alba Colbert

675 books | 47 friends

Carrie Houghton

2,682 books | 118 friends

Alicia

237 books | 73 friends

Becca Hilberg

256 books | 11 friends

Michael

220 books | 19 friends

More friends…

2025 Reading Challenge

2025

READING

CHALLENGE

Stephen Matlock has read 11 of 36 books.

31%

Stephen J. Matlock

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

Website

https://stephenmatlock.com

Twitter

stephenmatlock

Genre

History, Historical Fiction, Humor and Comedy

Member Since

September 2007

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/stephenmatlock

edit data

Stephen Matlock is a full-time editor and part-time author and gardener, often overwhelmed by both words and weeds. Along the way to adulthood (a promised destination and not a requirement of the journey) he has tried his hand at many things, from running a restaurant to technical writing, where the goal is to tell people what to do, but nicely. He lives with his wife in the Pacific Northwest and has seen his children fly away to build their own lives, although they do return regularly for food, advice, and help on finding what that pesky sound in the car engine means other than money. Like most people in his faith community, is still working out the details of what it means to follow Jesus.

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Stephen J. Matlock questions, please sign up.

Popular Answered Questions

I recently read your article about racism on Medium. Which do you prefer writing, fiction or nonfiction?

Stephen J. Matlock Wow. Hard question to answer. I prefer fiction for the freedom it gives me to make things up. (I'm told that non-fiction should be somehow attached to…moreWow. Hard question to answer. I prefer fiction for the freedom it gives me to make things up. (I'm told that non-fiction should be somehow attached to factual claims.)

When I write about non-fictive events, such as racism, I enjoy exploring this real world, but I find that non-fiction can feel limiting. Sometimes I write the story I want to tell as fiction because I can dive deeper into meaning and symbol and purpose.

So--I think fiction, but by a 60:40 ratio.(less)

flag

2 likes · like
Comment

Where did you get the idea for Stars in the Texas Sky?

Stephen J. Matlock Now there's a question....

I was raised in a part of the United States where we didn't talk about or acknowledge race. Which is actually most of the Un…moreNow there's a question....

I was raised in a part of the United States where we didn't talk about or acknowledge race. Which is actually most of the United States.

I was challenged by a friend to see him as he was: black. It was very upsetting to me because I'm a very nice person who doesn't offend people, and here I was offending him because I didn't recognize one of the more salient parts about his existence!

So I set out to learn about what I was deliberately choosing to ignore.

And boy howdy was I ignorant!

I started researching and reading and listening. I read a hundred books, listened to a thousand songs, watch dozens of movies, listened to an increasingly diverse and undiscovered set of voices speaking out.

I know! Here I was, living in this country, and an entire set of people were rendered invisible to me.

I did a lot of listening, and started building up the idea of a world living in parallel to mine, intermixed with mine, and yet never really touching mine.

I read and read and read, all sorts of original source documents. My library went from a nearly pure-white set of authors to an incredibly diverse set of viewpoints. I read narrative and poetry and song and newspapers and magazines.

What is this thing, to be black in America?

As a straight white Evangelical man, I had no idea, and *never needed to know*.

But I started to get some insight.

One point in the black experience struck me, hard, and that was Emmett Till. I had *never heard of him*. He was murdered a few years before I was born, and as far as I could tell, his death was unnoticed by everyone around me.

And yet...every single black American I talked to or listened to knew all about him.

An ordinary boy, thought to be living "safe" in the South, murdered by crazy, racist, ordinary Americans.

His story stuck with me, because I could remember being 12 or 13 and being harum-scarum, and *knowing* I was safe being cocky and confrontative and fun-loving.

He was not safe, and what he did to deserve being beaten and tortured and drowned, at 13, was simply to use his speech therapy and his confidence to speak to a white lady in the South.

And I was in a writers' group that met weekly to talk about their writing. One of the things we did every week was to get a prompt, then write for 15 minutes, and share the flash fiction.

I got the prompt "The car ran through the STOP sign as if it wasn't there..."

That led to the gem of the idea. A car driving through the STOP sign is a sign of a man who does not obey the rules.

What would it be like to be young, and see that the rules you were taught about weren't really the real rules? How do you grow up as a boy into a man, and discover what those real rules are? How is it that STOP signs don't stop cars, admonitions of respect and love don't cause love and respect, commands to be good and true and kind from your religion don't make you *be* good and true and kind?

That prompt had me writing furiously for fifteen minutes, and the entire world of Henry Valentine fell into place.

I knew I had a story in those 1000 words.

And I started plotting out the ideas. Henry Valentine, raised to believe in law and justice, sees the impunity with which those laws and justice are ignored for expediency and revenge and the lust to destroy others. He's 13, and he must grow up to understand that the world of adults which promised him safety and order and respect was actually just a thin veneer on what *actually* happens in the world.

I fleshed out the story over the next year, and then I finished with the story of a young baseball player in a small town in East Texas. I set in in Texas rather than Mississippi so that I could avoid direct comparisons between my story and Emmett Till--I did not want to pretend I understood that story at all--and I just let the characters introduce themselves and go through their lives.

There are bumps along the way, twists and turns and betrayals, and care and love and honor. Henry learns what is in his heart, and learns that you end up doing the right thing when you let your heart tell you what to do.

I sign the copies of my book with the words of Henry, never spoken in the book: "Your life is as big as your heart is."

You won't live until you understand this. When you understand this, then all of life is before you, to bring about healing and care and love, no matter if you are a young man in 1950s racially segregated East Texas, or an old guy living in the racially segregated United States of America of 2018.(less)

flag

2 likes · like
Comment

See all 13 answers from Stephen J. Matlock…

Combine Editions
Stephen J. Matlock’s books

Average rating: 4.35 · 46 ratings · 21 reviews · 6 distinct works

	Stars in the Texas Sky 4.24 avg rating — 34 ratings — published 2012 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	River of Dreams: Essays, Short Stories & Flash Fiction 4.25 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2013 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Free-flowing Stories by Sheri J. Kennedy (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Rachel Barnard (Goodreads Author) (Assistant Editor), Kathleen Gabriel (Goodreads Author) (Assistant Editor) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Mountains of the Moon: Thoughts about the Journey 4.67 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2014 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	When the Stars First Fell it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Take a Mind Trip by Catharine Leggett (Goodreads Author), Ronna L. Edelstein, Bill Mesce 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Stephen J. Matlock…

531 posts
Stephen J. Matlock's Blog

Non-Violent Protests Are American

We have the Constitutional right to peacefully assemble, to petition the Government to listen to and respond to our grievances, and the right to say what we will without prohibition. (James Madison, primary author of the First Amendment

View more on Stephen J. Matlock's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on September 29, 2025 15:30

View all 531 posts »

Stephen is Currently Reading

Stephen Matlock is currently reading

The First and Last King of Haiti: The Rise and Fall of Henry Christophe

by Marlene L. Daut (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Sep 21, 2025 01:00PM

Stephen Matlock is currently reading

Deceptive Calm

by Patricia Skipper

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jun 29, 2025 12:10PM

Stephen Matlock is currently reading

This Thing of Ours: (A Coming-of-Age Young Adult Novel that Confronts Racism, Classism, Homophobia, and Book Banning)

by Frederick Joseph

bookshelves: african-american, black-america, black-male, cultural-criticism, multicultural, racial-identity, race-awareness, racism, currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Stephen Matlock said: " I'm still reading, so this review will change over time, but just a few things:

should a reader feel this strongly reading mere words? this story causes a consistent tightness in my chest, of pain, of longing, of suspense, of fear, of wanting - wantin ...more "

Jun 05, 2025 08:46PM · see review

rss
Stephen’s Recent Updates

Stephen Matlock finished reading Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13 hours, 13 min ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Stephen Matlock is currently reading The First and Last King of Haiti: The Rise and Fall of Henry Christophe by Marlene L. Daut (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 21, 2025 01:00PM · like
Stephen Matlock is now following Irvin Weathersby Jr. Author of In Open Contempt: Confronting White Supremacy i...
Sep 05, 2025 01:43PM · like
Stephen Matlock and 3 other people liked Emma's review of In Open Contempt: Confronting White Supremacy in Art and Public Space: "This book was incredibly personal. Weathersby reflects on his experiences throughout his life starting from childhood, connecting them to the way he perceives art and monuments. He describes how artists have responded to white supremacy and created w" Read more of this review »
Sep 05, 2025 01:42PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of In Open Contempt by Irvin Weathersby Jr.. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — In Open Contempt by Irvin Weathersby Jr. <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Stephen Matlock and 6 other people liked Em's review of In Open Contempt: Confronting White Supremacy in Art and Public Space: This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Sep 05, 2025 01:42PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of In Open Contempt by Irvin Weathersby Jr.. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — In Open Contempt by Irvin Weathersby Jr. <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Stephen Matlock rated a book it was amazing In Open Contempt: Confronting White Supremacy in Art and Public Space by Irvin Weathersby Jr. (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
My god this is a beautiful book. Beautiful as to the skill of the writing in language and in invoking imagery. Beautiful as to the emotional journey we take with the writer as we meander through history and art and culture, stopping along the way to ...more
Sep 05, 2025 01:41PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of In Open Contempt by Irvin Weathersby Jr.. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — In Open Contempt by Irvin Weathersby Jr. <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Stephen Matlock wants to read Kind Hearts and Coronets by Roy Horniman	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 19, 2025 11:22AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Kind Hearts and Coronets by Roy Horniman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Kind Hearts and Coronets by Roy Horniman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Stephen Matlock is currently reading Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 29, 2025 12:10PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Stephen Matlock rated a book really liked it Discipline by Marc Avery (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 28, 2025 01:18PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Discipline by Marc Avery. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Discipline by Marc Avery <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Stephen Matlock finished reading This Thing of Ours by Frederick Joseph	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 12, 2025 11:20PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of This Thing of Ours by Frederick Joseph. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — This Thing of Ours by Frederick Joseph <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Stephen's books…

Stephen’s Quotes

“You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read.”
― James Baldwin

3898 likes

“Truth is sometimes more important than the facts.”
― Gary Copeland Lilley

tags: truth

2 likes

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
― H. Jackson Brown Jr., P.S. I Love You

tags: actions, disappointed, disappointment, dream, dreams, explore, misattributed-mark-twain, sail

60176 likes

“Friendship ... is born at the moment when one man says to another "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . .”
― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

tags: friendship

88052 likes

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
― Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches

Stephen’s Year In Books

Stephen J. Matlock’s Followers (29)

Stephen’s Bookshelves

Stephen’s Friends (107)

2025 Reading Challenge

Stephen J. Matlock

Goodreads Author

Learn more
Ask the Author

Popular Answered Questions

Combine Editions
Stephen J. Matlock’s books

531 posts
Stephen J. Matlock's Blog

Non-Violent Protests Are American

Stephen is Currently Reading

rss
Stephen’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

See a Problem?

Preview — In Open Contempt by Irvin Weathersby Jr.

See a Problem?

Preview — In Open Contempt by Irvin Weathersby Jr.

See a Problem?

Preview — In Open Contempt by Irvin Weathersby Jr.

See a Problem?

Preview — Kind Hearts and Coronets by Roy Horniman

See a Problem?

Preview — Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper

See a Problem?

Preview — Discipline by Marc Avery

See a Problem?

Preview — This Thing of Ours by Frederick Joseph

Stephen’s Quotes

recent posts
Stephen’s Groups

Stephen’s Friend Comments

Stephen J. Matlock’s Followers (29)

Stephen J. Matlock

Goodreads Author

Popular Answered Questions

rssStephen’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

See a Problem?

Preview — In Open Contempt by Irvin Weathersby Jr.

See a Problem?

Preview — In Open Contempt by Irvin Weathersby Jr.

See a Problem?

Preview — In Open Contempt by Irvin Weathersby Jr.

See a Problem?

Preview — Kind Hearts and Coronets by Roy Horniman

See a Problem?

Preview — Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper

See a Problem?

Preview — Discipline by Marc Avery

See a Problem?

Preview — This Thing of Ours by Frederick Joseph

rss
Stephen’s Recent Updates