Brian’s memoir, Blood on the Tracks, chronicles his long journey from a conservative country boy to graduate student of criminal justice and law to disgruntled commander in Vietnam to double amputee after being run over by a munitions train whose activities he was protesting.
After serving in the Vietnam War, Willson became a radical, nonviolent peace protester and pacifist, and this memoir details his fight for drastic governmental and social change. Chronicling his personal struggle with a government he believes to be unjust, Willson sheds light on the various incarnations of his protests of the U.S. government, including the refusal to pay taxes, public fasting, and, most famously, public obstruction. On Sept. 1, 1987, Willson was run over by a U.S. government munitions train during a nonviolent blocking action in which he expected to be removed from the tracks. Providing a full look into the tragic event, Willson, who lost his legs in the incident, discusses how the subsequent publicity propelled his cause toward the national consciousness. Now, 23 years later, Willson tells his story of social injustice, nonviolent struggle, and the so-called American way of life.
Willson lives in Portland, Ore., where he cycles marathon distances on his hand-powered cycle. In fact, according to his blog, he plans to cycle from Portland to the Bay Area. His visit is cosponsored by KPFA Radio and several social justice organizations.
