Matthew Hamilton was a US Peace Corps Volunteer for four years. He first served in Armenia from 2006-2008. Currently, he is a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines and will finish his tour in November 2010. Prior to his Peace Corps service, Matthew was the Periodicals Assistant at Belmont Abbey College Library. Prior to that, he was the Office Manager for North Carolina State House Representative Patrick T. McHenry during his congressional campaign and then a Legislative Assistant in McHenry’s Washington office after he won the election in 2004. Matthew is a 1999 graduate of Belmont Abbey College with a Bachelors of Arts degree in History. His honors included the Anselm Biggs Scholarship Award and the Dean’s List. After graduating from Belmont Abbey College, Matthew was clothed as a Benedictine Monk in 2000. While a monk, he wrote, “Deepening Union: The Life and Achievement of Father Thomas Oestreich, O.S.B. It was published in The American Benedictine Review, June 2005 issue. After living a life of prayer, solitude, and study for four years, Matthew decided to leave the monastery. Born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, but raised in four other states, Matthew has a yearning for travel. When he is not teaching, Matthew enjoys spending his time reading, writing, and researching his next country to visit. Matthew's work of fiction and poetry can be found at The Battered Suitcase, Blink Ink, Six Sentences, Metazen Magazine, Crow's Nest Magazine Atticus Review, and other venues. His chapbook, "Land of the Four Rivers," is forthcoming from Cervena Barva Press. Matthew is pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing at Fairfield University, CT. He is a poetry reader for the online literary magazine, Mason's Road.