Vermont College of Fine Arts

Matt de la Peña

Matt de la Peña is the author of four critically-acclaimed young adult novels – Ball Don't Lie, Mexican WhiteBoy, We Were Here and I Will Save You – and the picture book A Nation’s Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis (illustrated by Kadir Nelson). Matt received his MFA in Creative Writing from San Diego State University and his BA from the University of the Pacific, where he attended school on a full athletic scholarship for basketball. de la Peña currently lives in Brooklyn, NY. He teaches creative writing at NYU and visits high schools and colleges throughout the country.