In Memory of Mattie J.T. Stepanek, Young "Heartsongs" Author

I was sorry to hear about the death of thirteen-year-old Mattie J.T. Stepanek on Tuesday, June 22, 2004. He died of dysautonomic mitochondrial myopathy, one of the types of diseases being researched by the Muscular Dystrophy Association. From an early age, Mattie expressed himself through poetry. In his brief lifetime, he had five Heartsongs books of poetry published.

It is not surprising that Mattie chose poetry to express his thoughts about peace, tolerance, and other issues. Both children and adults often find that they are able to express themselves through poetry in ways they can't through prose.