Verseday and October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard

I am very excited to be hosting Verseday today.  Welcome Verseday readers! Today, I will be discussing October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard, by Massachusetts author Leslea Newman. Told in verse, October Mourning is a fictionalized retelling of the events surrounding Matthew Shepard’s brutal murder and its subsequent impact on his local and global community.

 

In October Mourning, Newman works with the verse form to tell Matthew’s story. Verse allows her to shift narrators seamlessly in the space between poems, and Newman writes from the perspectives of a fence, a parent, a murderer, and others. Poetry is an excellent form for exploring inner monologue and deep-seated emotion. Newman’s poetry allows readers to delve completely into the minds of the many people and objects impacted by Matthew’s death.

 

October Mourning is eighty-five pages of pure art, but readers never forget that the story is grounded in reality. Throughout the book, Newman uses real quotes to highlight parts of her poems. She also includes an extensive resource list and notes, and approaches her subject with respect. Make no mistake, part of this book is about a murder. There is violence here. There are swears and derogatory terms. This is a book for young adults and adults, not small children. But Newman never glorifies the violence, or depicts it in a distasteful way. She eases readers into the brutality of events, and focuses more on emotional impact than gory description. Her tact is one reason out of many to admire her writing.

 

October Mourning is an emotional book to read and talk about, but I think it is important to do so. As both a member and an ally of the LGBTQ community, I have heard Matthew Shepard’s name for years. He is spoken of at rallies, vigils, moments of mourning and celebration. I knew him as a name, as a victim, as a rallying point. This book was the first time I met him as a young man. Whether you are looking for an amazing and powerful read, or to learn more about a pivotal moment in our recent history, I highly recommend this book.

 

In fact, I recommend October Mourning so highly that I am giving away a copy of it for Verseday. (To find out more about Verseday, a weekly blog event celebrating verse in its many forms, click here.) To enter for your free copy, comment on this post or tweet about it (be sure to tag me @tuttlesarah) by 11:59 PM on Sunday (July 21). I will select a winner at random, and mail them a copy of October Mourning.

 

Check back on Monday afternoon to see if you won, claim your prize (hopefully!), and see a list of other verse novels I recommend for children and young adults.