I discovered a rather fabulous man but sadly it was because he had died in Uganda. Matthew Power was clearly a talented writer but more than that, it seems he was some kind of superb human being.
His friend, Abe Streep, wrote an article about him and titled it Relentless Generosity - the amazing true-life adventures of Matthew Power. I can't recommend the article highly enough but then again, my interests may be different to yours.
Abe's final paragraph has stayed with me, long after I finished the article. It seemed like wise and real advice to me. And from all that I've read since, it seems to capture what Matthew was all about ...
In the past couple of days, I’ve found myself thinking back to a night at the Brooklyn Inn, one of Matt’s favorite bars. This was last year. I had fallen in love with someone who lived far away and sought out Matt’s advice. The crooked grin vanished, and his brow furrowed. “The thing about life,” he said, “is that one day you’ll be fucking dead. Lay it out.” I bought a one-way ticket to Colorado, and Matt drove me to the airport. For this, among so many other things, I will be eternally grateful.
Read through a few of Matthew's articles and you'll see it for sure ... he laid life out. Excuse Us While We Kiss The Sky was surely a favourite.