Mason Lewis Woodruff was born on August 30, 1952, in Decatur, Texas. He graduated from the local high school there in 1970, earned a B.A. in History from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1974, and a J.D. from Texas Tech School of Law in 1983. Other than his years in college and law school he has spent his life in his home town of Decatur, where he practiced law from the summer of 1983 through December of 2019. Upon retirement he undertook the project of gathering and self-publishing the poetry, parables, fables and short stories he had quietly produced through his lifetime, to preserve for his children, grandchildren, extended family and friends ... and whoever else may become interested. This project has become 'COLLECTED WORKS OF ME' (chronological fragments of my mind and moods), Volumes One through Eight. As of March 2022, Mason is happily married to wife, Karen; father of Bennett, Leslie and Cameron; and grandfather to Cadence, Joshua, Jax, Willow, Jessie, and Maddie.