MIKE MATSON
Author, Columnist
Mike Matson has more than 30 years of professional communication and systems experience. His career has spanned three somewhat similar, but distinct fields – journalism, politics, and advocacy.
As a reporter, he covered politics and government for a Topeka TV station and later served as Communications Director and Press Secretary for Governor Bill Graves. Mike also managed marketing and outreach for the Kansas Leadership Center, a Wichita-based philanthropy which enhances the capacity of individuals and teams within organizations.
Mike writes a twice-monthly opinion column for the Manhattan Mercury. He and his wife reside in Manhattan, Kansas.
A Message from the Author:
"Thirty years after my last ingestion of chemicals, I inventoried the traits and behaviors connected with my addiction, chronicled my early adult life, and wrote a book.
My motivation is to help those suffering and their loved ones connect the dots between the destructive traits and behaviors—and the potential for addiction. In so doing, infuse some fresh air into the oppressive stigma that clings to addiction and mental health.
Addiction itself is not linear. It’s an insidious mosaic of multi-layered behaviors, circumstances, traits, and events that leads eventually to a perspective that can only be gleaned, accurately and wholly, in hindsight. Courtesy Boy is the reconstruction of that mosaic.”
Reviews:
“Alcoholism and addiction have probably touched everyone in America. In that sense, Mike Matson's story is one for us all. Matson tells his personal story with humanity, humor, and real introspection. His story is one that inspires us toward an understanding of self.”
Kevin Willmott, Academy Award winning screenwriter of BlacKkKlansman.
“With humor, self-awareness, and a deep sense of the spirit and faith that ultimately saved him, Mike Matson shares the harrowing story of how his youthful success in broadcasting was intertwined with a growing alcohol dependency that nearly ruined his life. If your dreams and hunger have ever taken you down a destructive path—or if you know someone like that—Mike’s story is sure to connect.”
Alex Heard, Author, Editorial Director of Outside magazine, former editor of Wired and The New York Times Magazine
From American Book Fest.com:
𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘺: 𝘈 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 has been named among the top six creative nonfiction books of the year by AmericanBookFest.com, an online publication providing coverage for books from mainstream and independent publishers to the global online community.
"𝘔𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘰𝘯'𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯, 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘭, 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺."