Hello dear readers, once again I have a wonderful new guest blogger to introduce to all of you. She leads many lives, all of which sound, as we New Englanders say, wicked fun. She’s immensely talented and has the honor of being my boss at Speakaboos (that’s how much of a pleasure it is to work with me folks). But enough out me, here’s some stuff about the lovely and talented Christina, this week’s guest blogger! Christina Zagarino is a content producer for Speakaboos by day, secretary for CMA by night, and fan of Mister Rogers for life. Prior to working in children’s media, Christina studied educational theater at NYU and was an arts education administrator and teaching artist at the New Victory Theater on 42nd Street, where she honed her juggling skills and developed a deep love for circus arts. Christina received her Master’s degree from Tufts University in Child Development in 2011, and was a 2010 recipient of the Fred Rogers Memorial Scholarship which allowed her to produce a series of five interstitials that used circus arts to promote physical activity (www.bigtopfitness.com). Stay tuned for the upcoming Speakaboos app, available in the AppStore this month! Take it away, Christina!
Matthew Shepherd. Does that name ring a bell? Lesléa Newman described at Books of Wonder on the evening of Wednesday, April 17th, that some young people she has met don’t know who Matthew Shepherd was. That’s one reason why her book is so important and timely.
Lesléa Newman is the author of October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepherd, a collection of poems in honor of Shepherd through the voice of inanimate objects, or “silent witnesses,” that surrounded the events of his death in 1998. When Lesléa began speaking about her new book, I wondered what her connection to Shepherd (or “Matt”) was and why she was so inspired to write the collection of poems. http://www.amazon.com/October-Mourning-Song-Matthew-Shepard/dp/0763658073/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366399401&sr=8-1&keywords=october+mourning
Lesléa is the author of the groundbreaking children’s book, Heather Has Two Mommies (http://www.amazon.com/Heather-Has-Two-Mommies-Anniversary/dp/1593501366/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366399420&sr=1-1&keywords=heather+has+two+mommies), as well as a short story collection A Letter to Harvey Milk (http://www.amazon.com/Letter-Harvey-Milk-Stories-American/dp/0299205746/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366399476&sr=1-1&keywords=a+letter+to+harvey+milk), among many other titles under her belt. Her award-wining books with GLBT themes, as well as her commitment to the GLBT community, led her to Shepherd’s university in 1998 where he was planning the school’s Gay Awareness Week. She reminds us in one of her poems: “It was gay awareness week. He was caught unaware.” Lesléa was scheduled to speak, but arrived several days after Shepherd was kidnapped and attacked, eventually dying because of a hate crime against his sexuality.
Lesléa mourned with Shepherd’s fellow students and experienced, first-hand, the need for change. October Mourning both honors the memory of Shepherd, as well as promotes acceptance in a world that suffers from the bullying of those that are different.
Lesléa’s progress as an author is creatively inspiring. When she decided to write Heather Has Two Mommies, she couldn’t find a publisher that was willing to take the project on. So, with a friend’s help, she fundraised the book herself and self-published. It reminded me of what might now happen on Kickstarter. The book launched her into a mix of praise and controversy, and ultimately, success, making her a modern pioneer in children’s literature. Her personal success story reminded me that some of my favorite picture books such as And Tango Makes Three are now published and welcomed into families’ homes because of Lesléa.
October Mourning is an eloquent and wise collection of poetry 15 years in the making. Lesléa’s commitment to Matthew Shepherd and his story are evident in each word, as well as in the solidarity ribbon given to her by Shepherd’s schoolmates in 1998, which she wore proudly on her left arm throughout the event.
Children's Media Association 