Book Review for OCTOBER MOURNING by Leslea Newman

Book Review by Allie Davis
MLIS 5653 Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Newman, Leslea. 201. October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard. York, PA: Candlewick Press. ISBN  9780763658076

Connect with the Author 
http://www.lesleanewman.com/

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
     The book October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepherd was inspired by the actual events surrounding the death of Matthew Shepherd, a young, gay college student in Wyoming.  Shepherd was coerced and kidnapped by two men who pretended to be gay.  They robbed him, beat him with the butt of a pistol, tied him to fence-railing, and left him to die.  Shepherd had been helping plan the University of Wyoming's Gay Awareness Week which included the keynote speaker, author Leslea Newman.  Newman says that her book that followed speaking at this event does not in any way represent the "statements, thoughts, feelings, opinions, or attitudes of any actual person.  All monologues contained within the poems are figments of my imagination; no actual person spoke any of the words contained within the body of any poems. Those words are mine and mine alone" (Introduction).  They are not objective reporting of the actual events although she does give annotative citations and suggestions for further readings at the end of the verse novel for many of the poems' topics.  The poems themselves take the reader through the beginning of Shepherd's last night of life through his death and the mourning of those he left behind.  They are deep, emotional, sentimental works that will leave even the hardest person sad and clinging to loved ones. Each poem is told through the perspective of someone who would have come in contact with him that night: the murderers, the police chief, his parents, his cat, and his lover, to name a few.  Whether a reader is a gay rights activist or not is irrelevant when reading this book.  It is meant to educate, memorialize the work started by Matthew Shepherd, and to help people in all walks of life fit in and be accepted.  
     This novel in verse is told through many different poetic formats.  Each poem is structured in a way to draw the reader into its depth, make the reader feel the mood of the speaker, and to fit the theme of the poem itself.  For example, the poem "Stars"on page 18 "is a concrete poem.  In a concrete poem, the appearance of the poem-how it physically takes up space on the page-adds to its meaning.  In this poem, the words are scattered across the page to represent stars scattered across the sky" (Explanation of Poetic Forms, 106). It is the perspective of the stars in the sky that October night who were light years away and could not help.  Using multiple points of view from the many people who would have been involved in this horrific event leads to an overall understanding that this was not just another "gay" guy.  No matter his sexual preference, he did not deserve to die the brutal death that was administered to him by the two men now serving life sentences in prison for murder.  He was human, and humanity turned its back on him that night.  His death, however, was not entirely in vain.  His death opened the window of opportunity for people to reevaluate the events of that night, to change the course of humankind's treatment of people who are different than ourselves.  Many people have stepped up and stepped in to continue the work started by Matthew Shepherd, to honor his memory, and to continue his legacy.  Through people continuing his efforts and those like the book, October Mourning, many advancements for the rights of LGBTQs have been made since that night in 1998.  
             Overall, I feel like this short, powerful book is one worthy of being added to any classroom or library.  It is one that can be read over and over again.  Its poems can be used to identify with grief on many levels, and they are worthy of use in many different ways including oral speaking, research, critical essays, and more.

AWARDS  

• Audie Award (Nominated for Award in 2013)
• Stonewall Honor Book
• New York State Charlotte Award (Nominated for Award in 2014)
• SCASL Book Award (South Carolina; Nominated for Award in 2014

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

• Booklist, "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." (C) September 15, 2012
• School Library Journal, "Matthew Shepard, a gay college student, died nearly 14 years ago, of wounds inflicted during a violent beating. Just before his brutal attack, he and other students had been planning a Gay Awareness Week; Newman was the keynote speaker at this event, which took place a week after the assault...What impact will the depiction of such an event have on today's teens, many of whom were just born at the time of its occurrence? Put simply-a tremendous impact...Many teens will see how very far we've come, while others will see how far we still have to go. Either way, the book will be a valuable addition to poetry and fiction collections" (C) Nov. 1, 2012
• Voice of Youth Advocates, "... Less than a week after Matthew's death, the author of October Mourning was scheduled to give a speech for Gay Awareness Week-at Matthew's former university. This speech had been arranged way before Matthew's tragic death, but the importance and meaning of the speech completely changed. This book was written as her way of dealing with his death and its impact on the world. In addition to the almost seventy unique poems, valuable supplements are available at the end of the book. The epilogue explains the author's fated keynote speech for Gay Awareness Week at the University of Wyoming, where Matthew Shepard attended college. The notes section contains references to factual documents that inspired-and were used in-each particular poem. "Explanation of Poetic Forms" reveals each poem's form and explains each in detail. Some poems are modeled after other poems, and the inspiration is given due credit. This is a powerful book that is useful not only to promote tolerance and peace but is also a great way to study poetry forms and authors, as well as writing itself. This is a must-have book for school and public libraries." (C) Dec. 1, 2012.

CONNECTIONS

Use as an introduction to homosexuality, crime, murder, Gay Awareness Week, poetry, and poetic forms.
https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=31848
https://medium.com/@matthewsplace1/
https://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/FINAL%20RESOURCE%20Matthew%20Shepard.pdf

Gather more Leslea Newman titles to read such as:

• The Best Short Stories of Leslea Newman. ISBN 1-55583-775-1
• Just Like a Woman.  ISBN  0-9702152-3-1
• I Carry My Mother. ISBN: 0-692-27705-6

Gather other Stonewall Honor Book titles to read such as:
·       McLemore, Anna-Marie. When the Moon Was Ours. ISBN 9781250058669
·       Downham, Jenny. Unbecoming. ISBN  9780545907170
·       Stevenson, Robin. Pride: Celebrating Diversity & Community. ISBN 9781459809932