entertainment

Local writer examines the 'Strength of a Woman'

In researching subject, author finds himself

by Addison Scott

Originally printed 08/23/2007 (Issue 1534 - Between The Lines News)

When longtime Between The Lines writer Jason A. Michael decided to write a book about Phyllis Hyman, he did so because he wanted to share the song stylist and Broadway star's story with the world. But what he didn't know was what a powerful message the late singer, who took her own life in 1995, had for him.

"Telling this story has been such a journey of self-discovery," Michael said. "I can actually feel myself growing day by day, and to a large extent I thank Phyllis for that."

Like Hyman, Michael is bipolar, though he is determined not to meet the same fate she did.

"Thirty percent of those who are diagnosed as bipolar die by suicide, but I'm not going out like that," said Michael. "I consider myself a bipolar survivor. Friends have warned me that I shouldn't talk about it, that folks will think I'm crazy and not want to deal with me. But mine is a message of hope, and I feel compelled to share it. It's time to eradicate the stigma that mental illness carries."

Michael said he always felt drawn to Hyman's music, but that he had no idea just how much the two had in common.

"From the first time I heard Phyllis sing, I heard a note of pain in her voice and it spoke to me. I could relate, and it made me feel connected to her in a special way."

When Hyman died, Michael was working for a longtime friend of hers, Grammy-award-winning soul singer Betty Wright, in Miami.

"I saw that Betty was devastated but not shocked at how Phyllis's death came about," Michael said. "I guess my journalistic instincts kicked in and I said, 'there's got to be a story there.'"

Slowly, Michael started to research Phyllis and, bit-by-bit, the story began to come together.

"When the idea first hit me, I was still in college. I had no idea what I was doing, but I felt led to do it."

In 1997, Michael moved back to Detroit, his hometown, and finished school at Wayne State. He began writing for BTL in 1999, interviewing such notaries as the late actress and activist Yolanda King, then Detroit Police Chief Benny Napoleon and celebrities ranging from Dolly Parton to Patti LaBelle.

The dream to tell Phyllis's story never left him though, and in 2002 he began working on the project once again.

"The timing was right," he said. "The pieces began to fall into place and things started to happen."

But not everything went as planned. Michael went through two literary agents and still the book did not sell.

"We got incredible feedback on the writing, but no one thought there was a large enough audience for a book on Phyllis," Michael said. "I was encouraged to self-publish. But I fought doing that. Somehow it made the book feel less legitimate to me. Finally, though, I came to the realization that for reasons unclear to me, that's the way the universe wanted it to happen. So I formed my own company, JAM Books, LLC."

That, said Michael, was an important lesson he learned from his subject.

"Phyllis fought at all costs to always remain in control, often to her detriment," he said. "Through examining some of her pitfalls, I've learned how to avoid them. I discovered that sometimes - oftentimes - there are larger forces at work. I don't always have to call the shots. I need to be flexible, open and able to go with the flow."

Through studying Phyllis, Michael also learned a thing or two about self-empowerment. He realized, he said, that no one else was responsible for making him happy. That had to come from within.

"Phyllis was wounded. She came into this world with the deck stacked against her. But though she looked for help from different sources, including alcohol and drugs, she was the only one with the power to heal herself. Like Phyllis, I wanted to blame others for my pain - the father who disowned me for being gay, the fundamentalist family members who I felt didn't understand me. But, to be frank, that's bullshit. I had to forgive them for not living up to my expectations, forgive myself for not living up to theirs, and move on. I have to take full responsibility for my happiness, unhappiness or indifference. It's all on me."

Today, Michael says he is enjoying a quality of life he once thought impossible and feels the healthiest - mentally and physically - he's ever been. He says he hopes that Phyllis's story can likewise have a positive effect on those who read it, and encourage them to take stock of their lives.

"In many ways, Phyllis's story is a cautionary tale. But if the telling of it helps others, then her legacy will live on in a meaningful and powerful way."