America Tonight with Kate Delaney: Matt Mulligan, “Tomatoes and Peppers: A metaphorical tale for anyone who cares about kids”
by ReadersMagnet | August 1, 2025 | radio interview | 0 Comments
Matt Mulligan uniquely understands navigating through a world that often expects conformity. He was born prematurely at 28 weeks, has undergone nearly 30 surgeries, and was diagnosed with learning differences at the age of 40.
Matt’s experience prompted him to write his book Tomatoes and Peppers: A metaphorical tale for anyone who cares about kids, which delves into how the attitudes, opinions, and assumptions of others, based on differences both seen and unseen, can become the real challenge children face. He aspires for the book to act as a channel for empathy and comprehension between individuals facing challenges and the society in which they live.
In his exclusive interview with Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Kate Delaney on “America Tonight with Kate Delaney,” Matt talked about his uplifting and informative book, along with how he reprogrammed his brain not to beat himself and how to handle his learning disability.
Growing Through Life’s Different Seasons
Each individual’s life is a tapestry woven with myriad experiences, shaping a one-of-a-kind journey. While some may bask in prosperity, everyone encounters their own set of obstacles. These hurdles can manifest in diverse forms, spanning financial hardships to health crises, each serving as a test of resilience.
Tomatoes and Peppers is a symbolic story that explores the relationship between children with differences of all types and the world around them. Matt’s book came together when many things converged while he was driving to his internship for his graduate degree many years ago. He brilliantly used tomatoes and peppers in his book because of their nature.
“Tomatoes need lots of support as they grow. And peppers, because of the kind of plant peppers are, they need less support,” Matt explained. “And they grow through the season. And we value them. And we don’t label the tomato as different because it needs more support. And that’s where the idea sprouted, if you forgive the pun. I like puns. So I’m really, really good with that.”
Matt wants his readers to learn that everybody has differences and challenges. And while everyone seeks to fix problems, he suggests helping one another. Just like tomatoes, some people need support.
“I think the essential question needs to change from that idea to a simpler one. How can we help? Because that involves the individual who is going through whatever they’re going through,” he said.
Challenges Help Us Grow
Getting his degree and going into his field of interest was rewarding for Matt. He shared that coaching and therapy allowed him to bring out his genuine self and everything that makes him different. Matt believes that every challenge that he has endured and learned from helped me grow. He also wants to encourage people to own up to what makes them unique.
“In general, I see a lot of people apologizing for who they are, apologizing for the way they move through the world,” said Matt. “People focused on trying to control or fix things outside themselves. All our power, all our agency, exists in us. And our ability to control things really ends at the end of our nose.”
Matt uses his voice and expertise to help others, including the youth. Since completing his graduate program, he has worked as a paraeducator with struggling kids. Such an experience inspired and helped him complete his book. In his interview with Kate, he disclosed many more ideas for helping others.
“I have lots of ideas about education policy and how things might change to make things, you know, better for the teachers and the staff and the administrators and the paraeducators. I won’t forget the paraeducators who work so hard every day with kids who need so much support, and they deserve it,” he stated.
A Shift in Perception
People go through a lot of things and strive to learn from many sources. Many of Matt’s readers read his book as it offers a sentimental opportunity for a shift in perception. Matt firmly believes that people’s perspectives shape the world, helping it improve.
“My life has continued to improve because of the way I’ve learned to move through it. We can’t choose our circumstances, but we can choose our path,” Matt said. Learn how to understand a better world for children with Tomatoes and Peppers: A metaphorical tale for anyone who cares about kids, now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and ReadersMagnet Bookstore. Listen to Matt Mulligan’s full radio interview with Kate Delaney on ReadersMagnet’s official YouTube channel.
