Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Good Will Writing


Here's a fun fact: Despite the enthusiasm with which I perform my role as Digital Community Builder, my ultimate goal in the world of book publishing is to one day be a big-shot acquiring editor. Or even just a regular-shot acquiring editor, but if you're going to dream you might as well dream big, right? As part of the editorial team here at Berrett-Koehler, I'm already on a solid path towards my intended profession, with a passenger-seat view of the acquisitions and editorial processes. However, there's a considerable difference between watching and doing, and I'm ready to start thinking like an acquiring editor, even if I'm not yet acting as one. As such, the Bonnie Blog is taking on a new form. From here on out, this space will be dedicated to my ideal Berrett-Koehler book projects, signings made even sweeter because they aren't hindered by the constricts of reality. In that vein, I present you with the first of many imagined manuscripts: A memoir by my dream celebrity author, Mr. Matt Damon. (Remember what I said about dreaming big?)


As many of you already know, I have an unabashed and unending interest in celebrity and popular culture. However, my enthusiasm for Mr. Damon goes beyond the normal excitement garnered by popular performers. On top of being a very good actor (and why not just say it -- a very good looking guy), I have come to the solid conclusion that Matt Damon is also a very good person. BK's mission to create a world that works for all seems to be something the actor also supports -- he just doesn't know it yet.

Born in Massachusetts in 1970, Matt Damon is an actor and screenwriter, whose career really took off following the success of the film Good Will Hunting, from a screenplay he co-wrote with longtime friend Ben Affleck (who will, of course, be contributing both foreword and endorsement).

Damon's Wikipedia page points out that he grew up near historian and author Howard Zinn, with whom he developed a close personal relationship. I can't help but believe that such early proximity to a noted progressive thinker had a major impact on the young Damon, who is also a political activist and a major philanthropist. These roles, more so than those he takes on in film and television, are really what draw me to Damon as an author.

Interviews with Damon reveal that he has taken part in philanthropy since the ripe old age of 12, when he started putting his allowance to work. "I got $5 a week when I was a kid, but I never spent much money on anything. My mother was involved in all sorts of causes, and when I was about 12, I started sending a little bit every month to one of them. I learned then that you find one thing that matters to you, and it changes your whole mind set," he told Parade magazine in 2009. To this day, it's clear that Damon still ascribes to that philosophy. The actor founded H20 Africa Foundation, which has since merged with WaterPartners to create Water.org, a nonprofit committed to providing safe drinking water and sanitation to people in developing countries. Together with other well-known actors, Damon founded Not On Our Watch, an organization that focuses global attention and accumulates resources to stop and prevent mass atrocities such as in Darfur. The list of Damon's philanthropic contributions goes on and on, from his support of the ONE Campaign to fight AIDS and poverty in Third World Countries, his ambassadorship on behalf of OneXOne, a non-profit foundation committed to improving the lives of children around the world, and his position as spokesperson for Feeding America, the largest USA-focused hunger-relief organization.

While working to better the lives of those around the world is admirable enough, I'm also impressed by Damon's commitment to the well-being of his family, especially his attitude towards raising responsible women. "I think what's important for kids to know is that your decisions here on earth matter, your behavior matters, and how you treat other people matters. If I had a bucket list, I'd say raising my four girls to be strong, good women would be number one," he said recently.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a man actively working to create a world that works for all. Even though he's only 40 years old, he's lived a life full enough to fill more than a single book, so why not give one to Berrett-Koehler? The content will be great, he's got a wicked sense of humor, and we already know he can write!

You heard it here first: I'm signing Matt Damon!