Mark O'Brien (poet)

Mark O'Brien (July 31, 1949 – July 4, 1999) was an American journalist, poet, and advocate for the disabled. He has been the subject of two films: Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien, and The Sessions (2012). In the latter drama, he was portrayed by John Hawkes. The film won the audience award in the U.S. Dramatic category at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012.

The Sessions was based on his essay, "On Seeing a Sex Surrogate", which appeared in the Sun magazine in 1990. O'Brien was seeing Cheryl Cohen-Greene, a notable sex surrogate. They remained friends until his death.