[1] Lynn Manning's life turned upside down when he was left blind after being shot in the face in a Hollywood bar in 1978 when he was 23 years old.
[5] His poetry has appeared in many magazines and anthologies, including Staring Back: The Disability Experience from the Inside Out[citation needed] and Grand Passion.
The work illustrates his story from being a young child in poverty to his life today as a blind man writing poetry and plays and appearing in television and commercials, depicting the suffering and hard times he encountered throughout his years.
[7] Manning appeared in Extant's tour and a further, unaffiliated production at the Millfield Theatre in London in July 2008.
As a sensei of the judo program at the Braille Institute of Los Angeles, he taught martial arts to children and adults who are visually impaired.