Michael Patrick Mac Donald

5th February 2018

A Lesson from Michael

“We have to find ways to talk about trauma or it will consume us” 

Michael draws on traumatic childhood experiences where he lost siblings to poverty and crime in South Boston to inform his writing and activism. Amongst other things he helps people to tell their stories, to deal with trauma and positively transform themselves and their communities.

Michael is an acclaimed author. His book, All Souls, tells his own families tragic story of growing up in violence and poverty on the streets of Irish America’s Southie (South Boston).

We first met when he brought a group of Boston based students to the New Lodge and Shankill Road areas of Belfast in 2017 to meet with working class Protestants and Catholics we were organising with around housing, jobs and social security.

Michael in turn connected us to activists all over Boston

Video: Extracts from Michael’s book ‘All Souls’