5Q Poet Interview Series: Lesléa Newman

Our 5Q Poet Interview series for National Poetry Month continues with this interview with Lesléa Newman about her new book, October Mourning. Graduate student Brittany Snyder offers this interview (plus) with Lesléa.

Meet Lesléa Newman
Lesléa Newman is an award winning author/poet who has written over sixty books for audiences of all ages. She is not only well respected among adults, but has the ability to captivate children and young adults as well. With such topics as lesbianism, discrimination and prejudice- Lesléa’s work provides foundations for thought provoking discussions, emotional connections, and lasting change. Newman has provided her expertise to various college campuses and has watched one of her most well-known works, A Letter to Harvey Milk, come to life as a musical for the stage. Her most recent work to be published is: A Sweet Passover in spring of 2012 and October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard in Fall of 2012.

Official Website of Books for Young People: http://www.lesleakids.com
More Information: http://wordswimmer.blogspot.com/2011/09/one-writers-process-leslea-newman.html

October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard
This novel in verse takes readers back to the cold, unforgiving night of October 7th 1998. Shortly after midnight, twenty-one year old Matthew Shepard was brutally beaten, tied to a fence and left to die. Matthew was discovered more than eighteen hours later by a bicyclist. Judged for being different, Matthew was a victim of a crime so full of hate that over a decade later his story continues to touch lives and send a message. Not only will the city of Laramie, Wyoming forever be changed, but our country too as it is constantly reminded of the importance of acceptance and compassion.

Lesléa Newman brings to life the objects of this horrific night in this beautifully written verse novel. For example, the stars that were watching over Matthew, the fence post to which he was tied, and the deer that happened to see the whole murder are given a voice to be heard. Readers will revisit the night of October 7th with an entirely new, insightful perspective through Leslea’s creativity and vocabulary. This novel is sure to reach new audiences to encourage and advocate for acceptance, open-mindedness and compassion.

Interviewing Lesléa Newman
1. Quite simply, what do you enjoy most about writing poetry?

Poetry is my first love. There's something about poetry that goes straight to the heart. I love playing with language, and poetry is all about language. I'm a big fan of formal poetry (sonnet, haiku, pantoum, etc.) both the reading of it and the writing of it. There's no better training for a writer of any genre! Writing in form helps contain intense emotion. The writer must pay attention to every single word of the poem, which has to earn its space on the page. And when you finally get a poem right -- which can take weeks, months, or even years --it's very satisfying. There's no feeling like it in the world.

2. In a society that is nowhere near as open minded and accepting as it should be, your work stands out as groundbreaking and to some even controversial. At what point did you decide to explore such topics as homosexuality, hate crimes, and discrimination?

I don't know that I ever made a conscious decision to do so. I just started to write, and what came out of my pen were poems and stories about the things that matter to me. (And by the way, I still write with a pen.) As a writer, I take my (self-appointed) job very seriously. I have been given a voice, and with that voice comes responsibility. There are those whose voices have been stolen and silenced. My job is to speak for those who can no longer speak. I also take very seriously the mission of "tikkun olam" which is the responsibility of every Jew. "Tikkun olam" means repairing the world. I hope through my writing, I am repairing the world by making it a safer place for all.

3. From what I understand, October Mourning tells the story of a young man being brutally beaten and murdered for being different. It is no doubt a story of hate yet you bring to life different perspectives that have the potential to give beauty and hope as well. Where did the inspiration to write such a book come from?

On October 12, 1998, I traveled to Laramie Wyoming to be the keynote speaker for Gay Awareness Week. A few days before my arrival, Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, robbed, brutally beaten, tied to a fence, and left to die. He was found 18 hours later, and taken to the hospital, where he never regained consciousness. He died the day I arrived on campus. He had been part of the school's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered Association that planned my visit. His attackers taunted him for being gay. My life story is joined with Matthew Shepard's life story forever. I must speak out in his name, and contribute to his legacy by making the world a better place. When I wrote the book, I turned to the silent witnesses of the crime to tell the story: the fence he was tied to, the moon that watched over him, the deer that kept him company all through the night.... As a poet, I looked for images that held the story. The book is not a factual reporting of the crime; rather it is my interpretation of its meaning and its impact on myself and on the world.

4. Due to the nature of the topic, this book could very well be for adult readers only. How important was it to create a book that could reach young adult readers as well?

When I wrote the book, I was not thinking about audience. I never think about audience when I create; I think about story. After the book was finished, I started giving readings from it. And adults reacted strongly to the poems. When I began giving readings at high schools as part of an anti-bullying presentation I offer entitled, "He Continues to Make a Difference: The Story of Matthew Shepard" I saw the enormous impact Matt's story has on teens, and decided it was vital to reach out to that audience. There is so much bullying going on in schools across the country and it just has to stop. When I thought about how high the stakes are, especially taking into account all the recent suicides of teens who have been bullied because they are or are perceived to be gay, the decision to publish the book as a YA became obvious to me. When I go into a school, at the end of my presentation, I ask members of my audience to commit to doing one thing to make the world a safer place for LGBT teens and allies, and I have been very moved by the passion with which the teens who have heard my talk commit to doing things (or to stop doing things) in the name of peace.

5. Lastly, do you have any words related to October Mourning that you would like to share with readers before or after they read this novel? What do you hope readers take away?

I hope most of all that readers will realize that Matthew Shepard was a real person with hopes and fears and dreams, and that his loss is irreplaceable. I hope readers will be inspired to take action so that what happened to him will never happen to anyone else, and that no family will ever have to go through what his family went through. I hope readers will be inspired to speak out when they see or hear anti-gay language or behavior. And I hope that readers will be moved to write their own poetry on social issues that are important to them.

Poem Preview
The Fence (that night)

I held him all night long
He was heavy as a broken heart
Tears fell from his unblinking eyes
He was dead weight yet he kept breathing

He was heavy as a broken heart
His own heart wouldn’t stop beating
He was dead weight yet he kept breathing
His face streaked with moonlight and blood

His own heart wouldn’t stop beating
The cold wind wouldn’t stop blowing
His face streaked with moonlight and blood
I tightened my grip and held on

The cold wind wouldn’t stop blowing
We were out on the prairie alone
I tightened my grip and held on
I saw what was done to this child

We were out on the prairie alone
Their truck was the last thing he saw
I saw what was done to this child
I cradled him just like a mother

Their truck was the last thing he saw
Tears fell from his unblinking eyes
I cradled him just like a mother
I held him all night long

from OCTOBER MOURNING: A SONG FOR MATTHEW SHEPARD ©2012 by Lesléa Newman. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.

Ideas for Sharing
Because the nature of these poems is so serious I wouldn’t clutter the message by using tricks or strategies for sparking the students’ interest… the poems would do that on their own. I would begin though, by providing background knowledge on Matthew Shepard and giving students ample time to share their feelings before, after, and during the initial poem reading. With bullying being a continued problem within schools, this subject will hit home for just about everyone.

Basic background knowledge including Matthew’s age, gender, location, would be given to students. I would ask them to find similarities and connections that they could share with Matthew. I would then read the poem and allow time for reflection.
Because natural inquiry and curiosity is so important in both the classroom and library, students would then be given time to explore information on their own to hear the rest of Matthew’s story. From there, we would continue reading Leslea Newman’s novel through group and individual readings.

More information on Matthew’s life and how we all can work to make a positive difference in accepting and embracing diversity can be found at: http://www.matthewshepard.org/our-story


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Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2012. All rights reserved.