AP+Michael+Patrick+McDonald

Michael Patrick MacDonald AIM: Paige Michael Patrick MacDonald is the author of the powerful memoir, //All Souls//. His story revolves around growing up in the dangerous area of South Boston where poverty and crime were daily hurdles. Michael Patrick MacDonald’s website states the goal of his book was to produce the reshaping of society. In the biography listed on his website it states, “ he continues to work for social change nationally, collaborating with survivor families and young people.” //All Souls// has received positive reviews stating how moving and harrowing his story is as well as the impact his voice has had on communities ( Boudreau, Annmarie .) Macdonald’s writing is intended to inspire communities to avoid the level of violence and crime in which he grew up around.

AUDIENCE: Amber Michael Patrick MacDonald, having grown up in a life full of "poverty, crime, and addiction" (Dieboll). spent many years as an activist towards anti-violence and improving the social community. In Boston he helps to influence many upon his beliefs and ideas, and focus on those who have been through the same troubling events that he has. MacDonald also helps to "give a voice to... survivors of violence and the drug trade" (American Program Bureau). Through his writing and speaking as an activist, he focuses on those who need inspiration and have been through hard times involving violence, or "survivors" as he is known to call them. MacDonald strives to move those people in a way that help them move forward and grow in their lives, and help stop these violent acts that have impacted hundreds of people. His audience are those who seek inspiration or guidance towards a less-violence word, and those who want to help make a change in their lives, or the lives of others.

CULTURE: Rofida Many cultural aspects within South Boston throughout the 1970’s to the 1990’s that inspired him to write All Souls influenced Michael Patrick MacDonald. Throughout South Boston there were many cultural issues that influenced the community, especially the due to the extreme impact that the mob had upon the community. According to MacDonald’s website, “ After losing four siblings and seeing his generation decimated by poverty, crime, and addiction, he became a leading Boston activist…” (Diebboll). The “crime” and “poverty” that MacDonald witnesses within his community, illustrates the type of cultural that the author grew up in. The cultural was impacted by “crime”, which then caused a “generation” to become “decimated”, thus further impacting the community and creating a seemingly endless cycle of problems for South Boston.

In order to make a change within his community MacDonald realized that he needed to make a change within the cultural of his community. For that reason he established multiple organizations that advocated and worked towards non-violence and lower poverty rates within the community of Southie. According to the About the Author section of //All Souls,// “He helped launch many of Boston’s antiviolence initiatives, including gun-buyback programs and the South Boston Vigil group, and he continues to work nationally with survivor families and young people in the antiviolence movement” (MacDonald). By “launching” various programs intended to stop the spread of violence within the community of Southie, MacDonald is “helping” to change the cultural of the community. Through advocating “antiviolence”, MacDonald is aiding others within his community to become more aware of the cultural that has affected that community, and given others the opportunity to fight against it. HISTORICAL: Ally Michael Patrick McDonald is from South Boston’s Old Colony housing project. With in his life he lost four of his siblings and was stuck in a generation decimated by poverty, crime, and addiction, he became a leading Boston activist. He is an Irish-American activist against crime and violence and he is the author of his memoir the book //All Souls//. He was the originator of “gun-buyback program” in Boston. He also founded a group called the “South Boston Vigil Group” this groups “works with survivor families and young people” who are apart of Boston’s anti-violence movement. He life now currently consists of devoting his time to writing and public speaking, he also teaches several classes at “Northeastern University in Boston”. The history of his life caused him to become the writer he is today he uses his past experiences to write his books.

WORKS CITED Boudreau, Annmarie. "Just Published." //Beacon Press: Independent Publisher of Serious Fiction and Non-Fiction//. 2 June 1999. Web. 28 Mar. 2012.

Dieboll, Erin, and Michael MacDonald. "Michael Patrick MacDonald : Biography and Speaking Information." //Michael Patrick// //MacDonald : Author of All Souls and Easter Rising//. 2009. Web. 28 Mar. 2012.

Macdonald, Michael Patrick. //All Souls: A Family Story from Southie.// Boston: Beacon Press, 1999. Print

"Michael Patrick MacDonald." //Speakers Bureau//. American Program Bureau, 2012. Web. 28 Mar. 2012.

"Michael Patrick MacDonald." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. Web. 27 March. 2012

"Michael Patrick MacDonald : Biography and Speaking Information." //Michael PatrickMacDonald : Author of All Souls and Easter Rising//. Web. 27 March. 2012.