Jack Matthews is easy to listen to; he likes what he is currently talking about – the publication of his first novel Arte Perdida, which translates to “Lost Art”. It has been, for Matthews, an eight-year labor of love. Now that the book has been published, he is on the road sharing his joy of research and writing at venues throughout the area.
On September 8, Matthews stopped by the Mattapoisett Public Library to talk about his book. A former Mattapoisett resident, the author has used the very shores of Mattapoisett Harbor and the town itself as a place of mystery and murder. What fun.
Matthew explained that the process of writing a book is no small task. But early in his life the love of reading was prominent, even necessary. “I’d go to the library with my mother and bring home stacks of books,” he remembered. As a youngster, he never imagined becoming an author. In fact, his life took several professional trajectories that included enlisting in the armed services during the Vietnam War, 34 years working for a non-profit organization, and later teaching at a college. Yet, somehow, somewhere along the way, a seed was planted – one that took many decades to germinate.
“I had a crazy idea to write a novel,” said Matthews. That thought bubble was formed more than 20 years ago. Then, eight years ago, he began to pull his thoughts together when a bit of spontaneous insight struck him during a return visit to his former home. “I was walking along and it came to me – it exploded in my head!” It was right here while walking along Water Street. The joy of that moment clearly delights him still.
But books don’t write themselves, and Matthews set the bar very high for himself. He wanted his novel to be believable and steeped in historical details that could not be refuted. Years of research ensued.
The plot of the novel follows the mystery surrounding the gruesome findings of various body parts turning up around Mattapoisett. It’s the story of works of art stolen by the Nazis during the bombing of Berlin and spirited away, eventually, to Mattapoisett. But to get from point A to point B, Matthews took his cast of characters and readers on a journey that includes such ports-of-call as Hamburg, Germany (think: third largest port in Europe), Bell Island, Newfoundland, New Bedford, and finally Mattapoisett.
The story isn’t just a romp through Europe; it is a very well researched and believable mystery.
To ensure he could give his readers detailed scenes, scenes that described locations to perfection, Matthews, along with his daughter, traveled throughout Europe. He also spent significant time understanding the inner workings of German U-boats and submarines, he said, “In case someone reading the book knew how they operated.”
Matthews also used members of his family to populate the storyline, such as the main character, Manny Pereira, a disabled decorated Vietnam vet. He used an aunt’s name and several other members of his family to add layers to the story. During his travels, as he met people and engaged with them in conversation, Matthews found more characters that could add context and interest to his evolving story.
Not wishing to give too much away from the book itself, Matthews focused on the process of writing, the necessity of being organized, and how and when inspiration strikes. “You’ve got to write it down right away.” He talked about the “hooks” used to keep the reader engaged and how he used people in his story to accomplish that. The people he knew and the people he would meet along his eight-years of writing Arte Perdidabecame the story, heavily seasoned with his love of the area. Matthews is a natural-born storyteller equally at ease with writing as well as speaking.
To learn more about Arte Perdidaand its author, Jack Matthews, you may visit his Facebook page: “Jack Matthews, Author”.
By Marilou Newell