The Meaning of Matthew: My Son's Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed

by Judy Shepard Narrated by Judy Shepard

Overview

Unabridged CDs * 7 CDs, 9 hours

The mother of Matthew Shepard shares her story about her sonâ¿¿s death and the choice she made to become an international gay rights activist.

Editorial Reviews

On the night of October 6, 1998, 21-year-old University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard was beaten and tortured near Laramie for being gay. By the time he died several days later, this gentle, optimistic man had become the symbol of hate crimes in America. Since that day, Matthew's mother, Judy Shepard, and her husband have worked tirelessly for gay rights, traveling around the country to advocate hate crime legislation and foster tolerance. In The Meaning of Matthew, Judy writes with striking candor about her son, her grief, and her humane response to an unthinkable tragedy.

Kirkus Reviews

A mother's memoir of her young son, his murder and the effect on a galvanized public. Born on Dec. 1, 1976, Matthew Shepard died on Oct. 12, 1998, the victim of a murderous attack because he was gay. His death became a significant juncture in the cause of gay rights. Shocked sympathizers from across the country spoke out in memory of the small, vulnerable young man who was brutally pistol whipped and bound to a fence to die in Laramie, Wyo. Now his mother, who has become a vocal activist in support of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender causes, presents the back story to those tragic events. She begins with a simple portrait of a sensitive, empathetic kid who was into dress-up and playacting. His father was an oil engineer working in Saudi Arabia; Matthew was schooled in Switzerland. During a high-school trip to Morocco, he was beaten and raped. After returning home, he became lonely and clinically depressed. His two killers, intent on robbery, picked him up in a Laramie tavern and inflicted grievous injury to the innocuous young man. Never regaining consciousness, he died in a hospital a few days later. Life turned surreal for his family. In the media storm they rightly feared exploitation. There were instances of bigotry, but there was also a wellspring of public support and compassion. The author poignantly recalls the days after her son's death and the subsequent trials of the killers. "There are still nineteen states where crimes motivated by the victim's sexual orientation (actual or perceived) are not considered hate crimes," writes the author, "and there are thirty states where it's still okay to fire people because of their sexual orientation." Shepard is working diligently toassure that the Matthew Shepard Act, still stalled in Congress after a decade, gets passed, and she hopes her son's story becomes a necessary catalyst for change. Honest and inspiring. Agent: Jay Mandel/William Morris Agency

From the Publisher

Praise for The Meaning of Matthew

“This book is beautiful: heartbreaking, honest, and written with a lovely open voice that makes the familiar story of the Shepard family's loss all the more devastating.”—Newsweek

“The courage of Judy Shepard is unfathomable...but her message prevails: Tolerance and love must always overcome hatred.”—Entertainment Weekly

“[This] towers over the majority of books written about high-profile issues and events...Judy Shepard is one woman telling one story—which she does with eloquence and heart.”—Chicago Sun-Times

“Honest, brave, and beautiful! This books breaks your heart. It is as much Matthew's story as it is the story of a woman's awakening to her position and power in history, as a mother, as a human rights activist, as a citizen. And it's told with the clarity and non-nonsense wisdom that have become Judy's trademarks.”—Moisés Kaufman, author with the member of Tectonic Theater Project of The Laramie Project

“In this extraordinary volume, a courageous, eloquent, and devoted mother tells the world the deeply moving story of her son, Matthew Shepard, whose tragic death in 1998 shocked the conscience of our country. Ever since that horrible hate crime, Judy Shepard has dedicated her own life to promoting tolerance and understanding. Now, in her own beautiful words, Judy gives us all a greater understanding of Matthew and the larger meaning of his life."—Senator Edward M. Kennedy

“Gives us a chance to know the young man whose brutal death started a movement that inspired the enactment of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Law. Raw, honest and real, with some surprising new details never before published.”—Kathi Isserman, Curve Magazine
 
“Shepard writes in a quiet, graceful voice about love, acceptance, and having a hole in one's heart the size of a missing child...While Matthew became a national symbol for homophobic victimization, for Judy Shepard it is the story of a mother and the tragic loss of her son.”—Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172224812
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	08/20/2009
Edition description:	Unabridged

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