Matthew Kerns — Author

Matthew Kerns is a historian, author, and digital archivist from Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he lives with his wife, children, and one dog (Ada), as well as their cruel overlords, four cats (Antony, Coltrane, Dexter the Shadow, and Frankie).

 

He grew up traveling in the western United States while listening to Steely Dan, pastimes that over the years have turned into writing about western history and following Steely Dan on their 2000 tour. His most recent public project is the Walter Becker Media Project (walterbeckermedia.com), as reported in Rolling Stone.

 

Amongst his accolades, Mr. Kerns was twice the recipient of Media Play #8171's Employee of the Month (May 1998 and August 2001). He manages the popular western podcast Dime Library (dimelibrary.com) and the Texas Jack Facebook page (facebook.com/jbomohundro). He has had multiple articles about Texas Jack published in The Texas Jack Scout, the triannual publication of the Texas Jack Association. His first book, Texas Jack: America's First Cowboy Star, was released on May 1, 2021, from Two Dot Books, followed by a cover story on Texas Jack in the April 2022 issue of Wild West Magazine.

This piece not only captured the interest of readers but also the attention of prestigious institutions. It was awarded both the Spur Award from the Western Writers of America and the Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy and Western History Museum in Oklahoma City, marking Kerns as a significant voice in Western American literature.