October Mourning - A Song or Matthew Shepard by Leslea Newman
Want a book that even your dormant or non-readers will not put down? Have them read October Mourning. This has been on my to-read list all semester. I finally was able to borrow the book from one of our teacher's classroom libraries on Friday and only because tomorrow is the last day of the school year so students reluctantly are turning their books back in to him.
Summary by Goodreads
WINNER OF A 2013 STONEWALL HONOR!
A masterful poetic exploration of the impact of Matthew Shepard’s murder on the world.
On the night of October 6, 1998, a gay twenty-one-year-old college student named Matthew Shepard was lured from a Wyoming bar by two young men, savagely beaten, tied to a remote fence, and left to die. Gay Awareness Week was beginning at the University of Wyoming, and the keynote speaker was Lesléa Newman, discussing her book Heather Has Two Mommies. Shaken, the author addressed the large audience that gathered, but she remained haunted by Matthew’s murder. October Mourning, a novel in verse, is her deeply felt response to the events of that tragic day. Using her poetic imagination, the author creates fictitious monologues from various points of view, including the fence Matthew was tied to, the stars that watched over him, the deer that kept him company, and Matthew himself. More than a decade later, this stunning cycle of sixty-eight poems serves as an illumination for readers too young to remember, and as a powerful, enduring tribute to Matthew Shepard’s life.
A masterful poetic exploration of the impact of Matthew Shepard’s murder on the world.
On the night of October 6, 1998, a gay twenty-one-year-old college student named Matthew Shepard was lured from a Wyoming bar by two young men, savagely beaten, tied to a remote fence, and left to die. Gay Awareness Week was beginning at the University of Wyoming, and the keynote speaker was Lesléa Newman, discussing her book Heather Has Two Mommies. Shaken, the author addressed the large audience that gathered, but she remained haunted by Matthew’s murder. October Mourning, a novel in verse, is her deeply felt response to the events of that tragic day. Using her poetic imagination, the author creates fictitious monologues from various points of view, including the fence Matthew was tied to, the stars that watched over him, the deer that kept him company, and Matthew himself. More than a decade later, this stunning cycle of sixty-eight poems serves as an illumination for readers too young to remember, and as a powerful, enduring tribute to Matthew Shepard’s life.
My Thoughts
Why does this book get checked out so much from our high school classroom libraries? Simply because it is short, in poetic verse, and so powerful. The way in which Leslea Newman puts Matthew Shepard's murder into verse will grab readers of all sorts. As a teacher I want my students to understand how their actions can have serious consequences. I want them to be cognizant of each other's feelings and beliefs and above all to respect one another. The messages in this story are so important and need to be heard. When I ask students why they ALL have given it five stars, they tell me, "Just read it, Mrs. Sethna. You will understand." And I agree. So if anything, take the kids advice this summer: just read it. And then, get a copy and put it in your students hands.
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