Unlikely Brothers tells the story of two very different men, their lives, and the revelations brought by a twenty-five year friendship. Mattocks’ story is one that Free Minds members found it easy to relate to: in his life he’s gone from homeless youth, to grade-school dropout, to neighborhood drug dealer, to DC Jail inmate, to, finally, involved father and published author.

“There was always a voice in my head,” the author told the book club, referring to his eight months in jail, “saying ‘keep planning.’ There were other voices too, but I ignored them.” The power of those plans is now evident in Mattocks’ appearances on the Today Show, the Diane Rehm Show, and a packed reading at Politics & Prose Bookstore.

But fame hasn’t been easy for Mattocks, especially given the content of his books. “The hardest part of writing this book was bringing back all the stuff I did. I would break down. Every day, doing interviews, I get choked up — but I bite my tongue. I have to.”

Since their audience was a published author, the members of course shared their poetry — the poems they read are up on the writing blog right now.

Mattocks’ story resonated with the young poets, especially when he described his early life. As he was leaving the unit, Free Minds poets lined up to shake his hand and thank him for coming. “You inspire me so much,” one writer, D’Angelo, said.

Later, Mattocks expressed admiration for the Free Minds poets. “This is a talented bunch, and confident,” he said, clearly moved by the atmosphere of book club. At the Politics & Prose Bookstore reading later that week, he recounted his time with the young men of Free Minds, calling it “One of the most powerful experiences I’ve ever had.”

Watch interview with Mattocks here.

Leave a Comment





This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.