The Meaning of Matthew:
My Son's Murder in Laramie
and a World Transformed
by Judy Shepard
About the Book
Today, the name Matthew Shepard is
synonymous with gay rights, but
before his grisly murder in 1998,
Matthew was simply Judy Shepard's
son. For the first time in book
form, Judy Shepard speaks about her
loss, sharing memories of Matthew,
their life as a typical American
family, and the pivotal event in the
small college town that changed
everything.
The Meaning of
Matthew follows the Shepard
family in the days immediately after
the crime, when Judy and her husband
traveled to see their incapacitated
son, kept alive by life support
machines; how the Shepards learned
of the incredible response from
strangers all across America who
held candlelit vigils and memorial
services for their child; and
finally, how they struggled to
navigate the legal system as
Matthew's murderers were on trial.
Heart-wrenchingly honest, Judy
Shepard confides with readers about
how she handled the crippling loss
of her child, why she became a gay
rights activist, and the challenges
and rewards of raising a gay child
in America today.
The
Meaning of Matthew not only
captures the historical significance
and complicated civil rights issues
surrounding one young man's life and
death, but it also chronicles one
ordinary woman's struggle to cope
with the unthinkable.
About the Author
In 1998, Judy Shepard lost her
son, Matthew, to a murder motivated by anti-gay hate.
Turning tragedy into a crusade for justice, and determined
to prevent Matthew's fate from befalling others, she
established The Matthew Shepard Foundation to help carry on
his legacy.
Activist speaker Judy Shepard has
appeared in two Human Rights Campaign advertisements urging
an end to anti-gay violence and promoting a
greater understanding of gay issues. She is also actively
involved with Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and
Gays (PFLAG). In this capacity, she has written an open
letter to schools across the country urging officials to
make schools safer for gay students by promoting tolerance
and diversity.
Most
recently, Judy Shepard authored the
New York Times
best-selling book,
The Meaning of Matthew: My Son's
Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed,
a moving, intimate look at how her life, and the entire
fight for equal rights, changed when her son was killed.
Purpose of the Program
The purpose of the New Student Reader
Program is to orient new students to our academic community
at Salisbury University by having a common reading
experience with fellow classmates, faculty, staff and
upper-class students who serve as orientation team peer
leaders.
The goal of the New Student Reader
Program is to engage students in discussions, projects,
curricular and co-curricular opportunities generated by a
common reading experience.
Timeline
Thursday, August 22nd
|
5:15 - 6:30 pm |
Dinner for Essay Contest winners and their families
with the author Judy Shepard, the
President and other University Officials |
|
Held in the Worcester Room in the Commons |
| 7:00 -
8:00 pm |
Community Lecture and
Book Signing with
author Judy Shepard |
|
Location to be
determine. |
Friday, August 23rd
| 9:00 -
10:00 am |
Convocation
Convocation Speaker, Judy Shepard |
Held in Red Square.
| 10:15
- 11:15 am |
Small group discussions led by faculty and
staff |
Held in various
classrooms on the SU campus.
| 11:30
- 12:30 pm |
Academic Open Houses |
Held in respective Academic
Schools.
| 12:30
- 1:30 pm |
Brunch on the Lawn (new students & faculty)
Campus book signing by author Judy Shepard |
New Student Reader Committee Members
Lawanda Dockins-Mills,
Co-Chair – Fall 2004
Associate Dean of Students/Student Affairs
Melissa Boog,Co-Chair -
Spring 2012
Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs/Academic
Affairs
Vaughn White – Fall 2004
Director/Multicultual Student Services
Leigh Ann DePope – Fall 2009
Faculty/Serials/Electronic Services Librarian
Nancy Michelson -
Fall 2010
Faculty/Education
Elizabeth Kressin - Spring 2012
Coordinator of Student Records/Registrar's Office
Jonathan Colon -
Spring 2012
Advising Services Coordinator/Fulton School of Liberal Arts
Andrea Booth -
Spring 2012
Administrative Assistant/Guerrieri University Center
Office
Samanta Greenberg - Summer 2012
Student
Maida Finch - Fall 2013
Faculty/Education Specialties
Christine Smith - Spring 2013
Editor/Publications
Tammy Donaway - Spring 2013
Undergraduate Programs Coordinator/Perdue School of Business
Sara Elburn - Spring 2013
Lecturer, Teacher Education
Christy Weer - Spring 2013
Faculty, Management and Marketing/Associate Dean, Perdue
School
of Business
Diane Davis -
Rejoining Committee Fall 2013
Faculty, Dept. of Health Sciences/Director, Medical
Laboratory Science
Program
For additional information
about the public event or about the New Student Reader
Program, please contact Lawanda Dockins-Mills, Co-Chair, New
Student Reader Committee
at 410-543-6100.
2012-2013 book - Picking Cotton
2011-2012 book - Picking Cotton
2010-2011 book -
Hope in the Unseen
2009 - 2010 Book - Journey from
the Land of No
