October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepardby Leslea Newman This novel consists of a collection of 68 poems that are meant to be read as one body of work. Leslea Newman wrote these poems after Matthew Shepard, a 21 year old gay male at the University of Wisconsin, was murdered during the university's Gay Awareness Week. Newman was the keynote speaker for the week and she was haunted by this young man's death. The poems are written from multiple perspectives such as the fence Matthew was tied to, the stars that watched over him, the deer that kept watch beside him, and Matthew himself. The first teaching implication that came to mind is a poetry slam. The format of this book is unique in that it is a collection of poems and also a novel. Poetry slams allow students to work on fluency because they practice and rehearse the poem for several days and then perform it in front of their peers. Learning about different LGBT vocabulary (gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, transgender, intersex, asexual, ally, homophobia, and heterosexism) is another teaching implication of this text. This set of vocabulary is important for students to know so they can understand LGBT better and discuss it in appropriate ways. Students can spend time visiting GISEN.org to learn about respect, acceptance, ally behavior, and safe space then share what they learn with their peers. This novel is a great tool to use to bring up sensitive issues about LGBT with students.
This novel consists of a collection of 68 poems that are meant to be read as one body of work. Leslea Newman wrote these poems after Matthew Shepard, a 21 year old gay male at the University of Wisconsin, was murdered during the university's Gay Awareness Week. Newman was the keynote speaker for the week and she was haunted by this young man's death. The poems are written from multiple perspectives such as the fence Matthew was tied to, the stars that watched over him, the deer that kept watch beside him, and Matthew himself. The first teaching implication that came to mind is a poetry slam. The format of this book is unique in that it is a collection of poems and also a novel. Poetry slams allow students to work on fluency because they practice and rehearse the poem for several days and then perform it in front of their peers. Learning about different LGBT vocabulary (gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, transgender, intersex, asexual, ally, homophobia, and heterosexism) is another teaching implication of this text. This set of vocabulary is important for students to know so they can understand LGBT better and discuss it in appropriate ways. Students can spend time visiting GISEN.org to learn about respect, acceptance, ally behavior, and safe space then share what they learn with their peers. This novel is a great tool to use to bring up sensitive issues about LGBT with students.