Remembering Mattie's Message
by Mike KrumboltzNov 2, 2009
On Monday, "Good Morning America" ran a segment on poet Mattie Stepanek. Mattie died several years ago at the age of 13, a victim of muscular dystrophy. His mother, Jeni, continues to suffer from the condition. But that hasn't stopped her from honoring Mattie by publishing a book of his poetry.
Or should we say "another book?" While he was alive, Mattie published a number of poetry collections — and important people noticed. Mattie could count Jimmy Carter, Oprah Winfrey, and Maya Angelou among his fans. Mattie was also a spokesperson for Jerry Lewis' annual telethon that raised massive amounts of money for people with muscular dystrophy.
Mattie's mother's book, titled "Messenger," will focus on Jeni's memories of her son. Included are journal entries, unpublished poems, letters from fans, and photos. Web searchers have taken notice. Lookups on "mattie stepanek" have surged into breakout status and related queries on "mattie stepanek poems" and "mattie stepanek photos" are also flying high.
Many of Mattie's poems touched on the topic of world peace. On "Good Morning America," Jeni Stepanek said that although her son passed away five years ago, Mattie's life wasn't about loss. "This is the story of his message, which is still alive and well in this world."
You can read an excerpt from Jeni's book here.