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Michael Paul Mason (page 2 of 2) Page 2 of 2
At this point, you probably have few hairs left to pull. If you continue to meet with denials of service, don't give up. The governor has an office, so write him a letter. Your city has a newspaper, so call and ask a journalist for a few minutes. Explain your story clearly and concisely. You won't need to embellish it or turn it into a melodrama, because you will have a notebook filled with the facts.
If this bit of advice feels like a tremendous burden, and if you feel discouraged, then I think I've done my job. Behind the discouragement, you will find an outrage that is not only permissible, but vital to your humanity. It is the same outrage that has burned in the hearts of saints and peacemakers and civil rights leaders. It is an outrage born of frustration and desperation and a profound sense of injustice. It is an outrage born of love.
Written exclusively for BrainLine by Michael Paul Mason. Adapted from his book Head Cases, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, LLC. Copyright © 2008 by Michael Paul Mason. All rights reserved. To view or the book, go to www.amazon.com. For more information about author and brain injury case manager Michael Paul Mason, go to www.michaelpaulmason.com.
Michael Paul Mason has served as an editor for two literary publications, and has appeared on several national media outlets, including the Lehrer Newshour, CBS News, and NPR's Morning Edition.
His writings have appeared in several newspapers and magazines, including Discover, The New York Times, and The Believer. Mason remains active as a lecturer and speaker. Mason has also built a reputation for noteworthy journalism. When Mason's article, "Dead Men Walking", appeared in Discover magazine, it ignited a national debate about the treatment of brain injured soldiers. Mason has since traveled to Iraq to report on healthcare and humanitarian issues.
Mason's first book, Head Cases: Stories of Brain Injury and Its Aftermath is an exploration into the harsh realities endured by brain injury survivors. While currently a brain injury projects manager at the Neurologic Rehabilitation Institute at Brookhaven Hospital, Mason continues to advocate on behalf of Americans with brain injury and is involved with several national legislative initiatives.
He is currently the founding editor of This Land, a monthly magazine based in Tulsa. He is also at work on a non-fiction book called The Human Assembly: The Discovery, History, and Industry of our Parts, Tissues, and Organs.
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