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 AmericanBookFest.com
Courtesy Boy: A True Story of Addiction has been named among the top six creative nonfiction books of th 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.”