Matthew Mendoza: DIY Prison Project

DIY Prison Project is Mathew Mendoza’s first book of poems. His poems and stories have appeared in Atlanta Review, Big Muddy, Comstock Review, Apalachee Review, Muse, Tacenda Literary Review, and Evening Street Review.
Matthew was a finalist for The Insider Prize and has won prizes from PEN America.
His plays have been performed at festivals in NYC and Lexington, KY. You can listen to the podcasts at Open-Door Playhouse.
Matthew’s play “What’s Prison Like?” was a Webby Award Honoree in the Crime and Justice category. and even though he finished 4th in the voting (out of 5) he is proud to be one of the first inmates ever nominated for a Webby award.
Recently, PEN America interviewed Matthew as part of their PEN Ten interview series. https://pen.org/?s=matthew+mendoza
Matthew’s play “Life Below Zero” will be staged at Theater 154 in NYC on Sept. 15 – 20 2026 by voices inside play festival.
“Zen and the Art of Civil Commitment” was runner up of the 2026 Insider Prize for nonfiction.
Guest Judge Elizabeth McCracken said “It is also, without sentiment, falsity, or self-importance, about looking for redemption inside of prison through both words and deeds, art and other people.”