Protected: on hearing Luke Comb’s cover of “Fast Car” for the first time, over the P.A., as students walked into my class

Matthew E. Henry (MEH) is an educator, essayist, and the author of seven poetry collections, including the forthcoming Promises to Keep (Wayfarer Books, 2026). He’s editor-in-chief of The Weight Journal and nonfiction editor at Porcupine Literary. MEH’s publications include Barren Magazine, Had, Massachusetts Review, Mom Egg Review, Ploughshares, Stone Circle Review, Terrain, Whale Road Review, The Worcester Review, and Zone 3. MEH earned an MFA yet continued to spend money he didn’t have completing an MA in theology and a PhD in education. He writes about education, race, religion, and burning oppressive systems to the ground at www.MEHPoeting.com.