Matt O'Donnell

Matt O'Donnell is the Director of Writing Programs at Santosha Maine, located at Santosha on the Carrabassett. He has a robust background in writing and education, having graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from the College of the Holy Cross and earned a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Poetry from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Born and raised in Maine, O'Donnell co-founded From the Fishouse in 2004, a non-profit audio archive dedicated to emerging poets, emphasizing the oral tradition of poetry. Before joining Santosha full-time in July 2022, he spent over twenty-two years at Bowdoin College, where he served as editor of Bowdoin Magazine and directed a telemark and learn-to-ski program for the Bowdoin Outing Club.12

In addition to his literary pursuits, O'Donnell is involved in various physical activities; he is a certified yoga instructor (RYT-500), holds certifications as a Professional Ski Instructor of America (Level 3), and is a qualified instructor in mountain biking and Spinning. He currently resides in Phippsburg, Maine, with his partner and their two dogs.13