Renowned Local Writer and Activist Speaks To Upper School Students

A hush fell over Corkin Auditorium as South Boston native Michael Patrick McDonald began reading from his award-winning memoir All Souls: A Family Story from Southie. McDonald's book, an Upper School summer reading book, tells the story of his life growing up with his numerous brothers and sisters in the housing projects of South Boston. McDonald's fascinating memoir describes the climate of his predominately Irish Catholic neighborhood in the years following Boston's busing riots and the tragic effects of drugs, crime, suicide, and murder that befalls many of his siblings and neighbors.

Throughout his talk, McDonald discussed the alienation and pain he experienced following the deaths of his siblings. He continued by explaining the various turning points in his young adult life that allowed him to stop running away from the grief and tragedy of his childhood, and instead face his family's tragic reality.

Now an activist in the fight against inner city crime and racism, McDonald helped launch Boston's successful gun-buyback program, founded the South Boston Vigil Group, and "works nationally with survivor families and young people in the anti-violence movement." His goal, he explains, "is to help people find a common group or identity across race, ethnicity, and class."

"This is a story not about getting out or trying to escape, but about getting back in order to give something back," McDonald said. "The best part about being an activist is how easy it is to bring people together. It is amazing to see that even people who have survived overwhelming tragedy are still willing to give back."

McDonald recently published his second memoir, Easter Rising: An Irish American Coming Up from Under, which he says is about "finding his voice as an activist and a writer."