Why did Matthew McConaughey Write a Book of Poetry?

Matthew McConaughey ’s first poem? Well, it has a debatable origin.

"The first poem I wrote, I won the seventh grade poetry contest. But I didn't write it,” he tells PEOPLE, sharing a vintage McConaughey family anecdote.

After showing his mom, Kay McConaughey , his poem, “She was like, 'eh,'" he recalls. Kay, 93, the no-nonsense matriarch (who joins Matthew, 55, onscreen in the new AppleTV+ movie The Lost Bus ) raised the stakes. “She pulled another [professionally written poem] out and goes, ‘How about this?’”

Young Matthew nodded: “I said, it's good.”

“She says, ‘Write that ,’” says Matthew, recalling initial confusion. “She goes, ‘Did you like it?' Yeah. ' This mean something to you?’ Yeah . 'Then it's yours. Write that.' And sign my name to it?"

“I did,” he admits wi