Matt Wirzburger

Amesbury, MA

Matt Wirzburger

Amesbury, MA

I spent years overseas in various countries. But it was my Peruvian experience that provided the inspiration for my novel, Gringo. Lima was where I arrived in my late twenties after a year of PhD work in Latin American history. Brimming with confidence and carrying just a hundred bucks in my pocket, I fell in love, married and became a dad for the first time. By most standards, I was knowledgeable about Latin America prior to my Peruvian stay. I completed my Master's at Tulane University in Latin American studies, researched my thesis in colonial archives in Southern Mexico, studied a semester at the University of Costa Rica, and wrote college newspaper articles in war torn Nicaragua. But those years pale in comparison to my experience raising a family in Lima .Raising a family, paying bills on time, navigating the idiosyncratic path of Lima's unique cultural waters as a new family member pulled me from the periphery to the very core of this continent. Drawing from these intense memories, I have created a main character shot through with human weakness, smug in his preconceptions, and overconfident in his ability to manipulate those around him. And I throw this proud gringo into the economic pit in which most Peruvians struggle to survive on a daily basis.

http://www.amazon.com/Gringo-Matt-Wirzburger/dp/1612961533/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358161157&sr=8-1&keywords=gringo+matt



  • Work
    • ABRHS; EMARC
  • Education
    • B.A. at UT-Austin; M.A. at Tulane