hi, i'm matthew

Eclectic Writing From the Heart and Mind.
Click Here to read my Online Magazine "Curious Things for Curious people" on Medium.com
The Hudson River and a Bridge in Upstate NY

My not-so-much of a manifesto

A Beach Bar Somewhere in Florida
Where I was, Where I am, Where I hope to be...
It was said that I was born with a book in one hand and a pen in the other (my poor mother has never forgiven me but hey, at least it wasn't a typewriter...) A native New Yorker, I am now on staff at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL where I live with my partner and two cats. Shortly after the release of my first book, I was named 'Author of the Month' by Self Publishers Showcase for September, 2018. My first book, "26 Absurdities" was also chosen as a finalist in the 2019 American Fiction Awards and awarded a Bronze Medal in the 2021 Readers' Favorites International Book Awards. Since then I have published two more books and have written hundreds of news and opinion articles for Local and National news outlets. I also publish an online magazine on Medium.com. I hope to use my words to help others find their voices not only for humor, but for love, social justice, equality, and freedom for all. BREAKING NEWS: I was just awarded the 2023 'Best of Gainesville' award for Writing/Publishing.
My Books
Fiction: 26 Absurdities of Tragic Proportions: Inspired by Edward Gorey's "The Gashlycrumb Tinies" these 26 short tales tells the back stories of Gorey's most famous alphabetized children from Amy's stumble down the stairs to Zillah's death by gin. Tales from the Aether: 14 stunningly original, provocative and entertaining stories with meditations on the universe, being, and time and space that raises questions about the nature of reality and what it is to be human. Spirituality: Knowing God and Jesus: An engaging and practical set of scriptural studies designed to enhance faith and knowledge. Faith, Hope and Love can show us the SECRET way to a better life. Simple, Understandable and Non-Denominational, herein lies the secret of how the teachings of Love, Faith and Hope gives encouragement and freedom in a world beset by challenges.
My Articles on NewsBreak
Reading news is dead. Okay not really, regardless of how many podcasts there are now. I wrote a couple of articles about how reading too much news is bad for our health. It really is, I mean, first, we usually can't do anything about it so why do we let it trigger us? Plus the media really is trying to get under our skin, and they know how to succeed. I almost never read the national media anymore. (I do play Wordle, of course.) Newsbreak is a locally crowd-sourced news app designed to give the everyday person's viewpoint on the news. Clicking on the burning paper image on the left will take you to my Newsbreak App channel, you can join the currently 17K other smart and good-looking people who follow and read my daily take on the news, and yes that is how I make some money. As an Independent Journalist, Newsbreak helps me remain seperate from the advertisers and ideology or commercial agenda of big media. I always allow comments from readers, so you can have your say, too. Plus its always fun to read the loonies' comments.

WHAT The Reviewers SAY

I was astonished as to how the author could take one little line and make a full-fledged, sometimes intricate, tale from it. Best of all, though, was that all of these stores were told so casually, as if Mr. Woodruff was sitting in his rocker with a corncob pipe in his mouth, telling these macabre tales to his astounded audience.
OnlineBookClub.org Review of "26 Absurdities of Tragic Proportions"
Woodruff’s panache for writing shines in his short stories with the wildly imagined worlds, powerfully drawn realistic characters, and an unsettling portrayal of various happenings in his protagonists’ lives.
Prairies Book Review of "Tales from the Aether"

From curious things

Art for Better Health
In the United Kingdom, the National Health Service’s Arts on Prescription connects patients to cultural activities that match their interests — and funds their participation. Researchers there have linked community arts and
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Once Only the Subject of Science Fiction, Scientists Move Closer to Limitless Free Energy.
What some have called ‘a leap into the future’, late last year scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) made a significant breakthrough in nuclear fusion research, demonstrating an experimental
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Purple Street Signs to Honor Prince in Change to Road Name in Minneapolis.
Almost unanimously, Minnesota state legislators voted to rename a seven-mile stretch of the Minnesota State Highway 5 that goes through the Minneapolis suburbs of Chanhassen and Eden Prairie in honor of the artist formerly known as
Read more

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My most Popular NewsBreak Articles

Scientists at Livermore National Laboratory in California can now measure human effects on climate into the mid-to upper stratosphere with five times more assurance than previously.
Costing Florida residents $354 Million dollars, DeSantis refused to accept funding from Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act earmarked for Florida. U.S. Congressional Representative Kathy Castor (FL-14) accused Florida’s Republican Governor of being a ‘pickpocket’.
After the stinging rebuke last month by the pro-Trump House Freedom Caucus, who voted to remove Marjorie Taylor Greene two days after she got into a verbal floor fight with Freedom Caucus member Lauren Boebert,
With the legalization of recreational marijuana in Minnesota going into effect today, 24 states now have some sort of protection for users of recreational cannabis. These states are benefiting from a significant boost to
Centered around the worship of a colorful whale statue that is credited with breaking Utah’s historic drought, the Church of the Sacred Whale is attracting followers in the Mormon enclave.
After Disney opposed DeSantis’ legislation colloquially known as ‘Don’t Say Gay’ restricting what teachers and administrators can teach in Florida public schools, DeSantis punished them by taking away Disney’s self-governing Reedy Creek District by special legislation.
The LGBTQ Community Center in Greenwich Village was the site of a Drag Story Hour hosted by New York State Attorney General Letita James this past Sunday, which was protested violently, including by members of the alt-right Proud Boys group from Long Island.
Former President Trump has a lot to say about people and it seems it isn’t always backed up with hard facts. In an interview with Fox News early last year, Trump warned Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) against running for president in 2024 and threatened him with the release of unflattering information.