Newman, L. (2012). October mourning: A song for Matthew Shepard. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. It’s Gay Awareness Week in Laramine and tragedy has this the small town. Twenty one year old Matthew Shepard is found tied to a wired fence out in the middle of nowhere hanging on for his life all because he was gay.
Through the
pages filled with poetry, Newman is able to capture different points of views
of those who lived in the same town, Laramine. As she struggles with the event
of Matthew Shepard, Newman expresses her reaction of his death through the form
of verse. From the bartender, to the police involved in the case, to the actual
individuals who were responsible for his horrific and gruesome death, Newman
brings to life the story of one individual who suffered at the hands of hatred
due to sexuality to the readers.
The poetic touch
of each encounter, surfaces emotions that the reader and “character” can make a
connection to, whether it is anger for behaviors, sadness for the actions of
hatred, or disgust at those who caused this event to reach its national
appearance. The text is so well written that the reader can visualize each poem
and hear the “character” tell their story of Matthew and his terrorizing death.
Reviews
*Starred
Review* On October 6, 1998, 21-year-old Matthew Shepard, a gay student at the
University of Wyoming, was lured into a truck, driven into the country,
savagely beaten, tied to a fence, and left to die—which he did, five days
later. In the 68 poems that make up this novel-in-verse, Newman re-creates the
events and circumstances surrounding this unspeakably vile hate crime and
offers a moving tribute to a young man she regards as a martyr. Her poems are
told from multiple points of view, including that of the fence, the rope that
bound the boy, and a doe that stood watch over him. The beautifully realized
selections are also written in a variety of forms, ranging from haiku to
villanelle, from concrete poetry to rhymed couplets. Each form (discussed in an
appendix) matches the tone and mood of its content, creating an almost musical
effect that is both intellectually and aesthetically engaging. Written with
love, anger, regret, and other profound emotions, this is a truly important
book that deserves the widest readership, not only among independent readers
but among students in a classroom setting, as well. Most importantly, the book
will introduce Matthew Shepard to a generation too young to remember the tragic
circumstances of his death. Grades 8-12. --Michael Cart
I remember this
event making the news as I was a sophomore in high school. I grew up that “batting
for the other team” was not accepted at all. This was something we did not
watch or pay attention to as it was not something that was seen as appropriate.
As I read this book of verse, I was sadden and angered that such an event
happened, that no one stepped in to stop something, that an individual lost his
life because of ignorance and hate.
This book will
definitely be a recommendation to my students as they leave for high school as
a resource of humanity at a weakness. The different points of views throughout
the book, will be able to show them the different mindsets of individuals and
how thoughts and actions do have an impact on what we do in our lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment