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Losing Matt Shepard

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In the two years since Matt Shepard's murder roiled our national consciousness, the shock and the emotion that spurred a thousand candlelight vigils have ebbed, leaving a space for thoughtful reflection on the lasting meaning of this tragedy in our common life. One of those reflective events is "The Laramie Project," a theatrical meditation on the people of Laramie and how Shepard's death has affected them.

Those of us who can't get to New York City now have a similarly valuable reflective text in Beth Loffreda's thoughtful book, _Losing Matt Shepard: Life and Politics in the Aftermath of Anti-Gay Murder_. Loffreda writes from a unique perspective: she joined the faculty of the University of Wyoming just before Shepard's murder, and thus brings the insight of an outsider to her careful observations of the aftermath: the vigils, media coverage, and trials.

But most importantly, she brings us the voices of Laramie's residents, both those who knew Matt and those who grew to know his life after it ended. Her focus is not on the private details of Shepard's life, but how his life and death affected and illuminated the political and human landscapes of this Wyoming town. Avoiding easy answers, Loffreda keeps before us the complexities of the lives and communities she documents. With elegant and careful prose, she sets before us the scenes and testimonies she has gathered, reflecting on these events with a clarity that does not preclude passion.

In the end, Loffreda claims, the legacy of Matt Shepard (for those who did not know him personally, but were nonetheless affected by his death) is that he impelled such reflection and conversation: "When the town lost Matt, a stranger to most of its residents, it found someone to remember, and to remember turbulently, intimately, often unwillingly, and always with difficulty and disagreement. If Matt bequeathed Laramie anything, he bequeathed us the passion and necessity and freedom of dissent. And as the town continues to remember and forget, to speak the languages of tolerance and admonition both, we should all hold that inheritance close."

Those who look for ways to remember Matt Shepard and to deepen their understanding of the meaning(s) of his life and death would do well to begin with a careful reading of this thoughtful and caring book.

It seems both so long ago and so yesterday that a young gay man was ruthlessly tortured and killed on a lonely Wyoming road, torching a national controversy that became interwoven into our national quilt. In her book, "Losing Matt Shepard", Beth Loffreda successfully examines the threads of this event, its effect on Wyoming, Laramie, and the people closely involved.

Loffreda doesn't merely rehash the events, but extends and relates them in a matter of fact way that brings a deeper understanding to the entire horrific event. We see the event through many different groups eyes, through his friends, special groups, Laramie residents, Wyoming residents, national media, and even hate groups. It's through this multi-faceted examination that we are drawn deeper into this tragedy.

And then at this moment, Loffreda brilliantly takes us around the crime scenes with a sheriff so devoted to Matt and solving this crime, he becomes a true hero in this story. The placement of this section is criticial; just when we yearn for this information, she gives it to us, painting us a picture of the last hours Matt spent on this Wyoming plain, and his eventual death. It chilled me reading it, and moved me deeply. You want to run into the pages to save this poor soul who suffered because of who he was.

Read this book. Understand the consequences. Make sure nothing like this ever happens again.

Beth Loffreda has created a very clear picture of the events which occurred immediately following the death of Matthew Shepard, as well as the continuing struggle that both gay and straight individuals face when trying to create a community where everyone is accepted and comfortable. What she did not do, for which I am extremely greatful, was to write her book with any blatent prejudice toward either side. (NOTE: It is, however, written from a supportive and gay-positive view point). Her work was fair and honest, and I believe she truly tried to accurately represent the feelings of everyone who was affected by the events of October 1998.

The book does not dwell on the death of Matthew, although there are some heart-wrenching discussions about it. Rather, Loffreda has focused her attention on the fallout of his death. She discusses the trials of the four "kids" involved in Matt's death, including specific legal issues and arguments raised by both sides in the trials. She discusses the feelings of members of the gay community in Laramie and Wyoming, as well as out-of-state visitors during that time. She discusses the continuing struggle over implementation of bias and hate crime legislation, both within Wyoming and at the Federal level. She discusses other issues such as race, economics, etc. which must also be considered in conjunction with the "gay issue." She also touches on the part played by religious organizations, from the antics of Fred Phelps to the support and love shown by local churches. Throughout every discussion, often based on conversations with Laramie residents, she tries to be fair to all and show the fact that there is no hard and fast answer to be found here.

A good friend purchased this book for me as a gift, for which I am truly thankful. He warned me that it might make me angry (as I tend to get worked up about discrimination and bias issues), but that it was an excellent book. I agree 100%, and encourage everyone to take the chance and read it. You will not be disappointed.

Remarkably balanced and fair discussion of the deep issues raised by Matt Shepherd's brutal murder. In exploring Matt's murder, the author explores the whole notion of intolerance and discrimination and reveals how complex and multilayered the issue of intolerance is. Ms.Loffreda also doesn't pull any punches in discussing the well-intentioned, but despairingly token, efforts launched by celebrities and the "in-groups" in response to Matt's death; such as the well-known 60's Folk music group that came to Wyoming to perform in Matt's memory...and left organizers a fat 42 thousand dollar "appearence fee"...also refreshing is Ms.Loffreda's questioning of the "assimiliationist" tendencies of some Rights organizations that pretend to speak for sexual minorities; as one interviewee at the University of Wyoming told her, "I don't want gay rights, I just want the same rights as my co-worker down the hall..." Most of all, Ms.Loffreda reminds her readers of the importance, and protection for, dissent in society. She tells us that tolerance for dissent is one of Matt's legacies to the rest of us...indeed so...

I have purchased more copies of this book than any other in the past 10 years. Beth Loffreda has done a remarkable amount of research, interviews into the murder of Matthew Shepard. When you read this book, try to remember that you live in the United States in the 21rst Century and not back in Germany in the 1930's. The treatment of gay people in parts of this country is absurd and this book should be a textbook in Sociology classes in campuses around the country. How can someting like this happen today? Loffreda tells the story from many points of view and as mentioned before did a masterful job. I was in tears while reading this book - I became angry, and also learned to love Matthew Shepard - a person I never met. Please read, weep, and learn

After seeing Moises Kaufman's " The Laramie Project " I found this book. The author digs deeper and paints with a broader brush than the play.

Her command of the English language is outstanding. She is non judgemental, but is consistently sympathetic to the problems of the Gay Community and of all minority groups. The book combines an overview of the facts with close scrutiny of the attitudes and opinions of the major players in this classic tragedy.

She is careful to avoid sweeping conclusions vis a vis the final affect of Mathew's death. I may seem cynical but nothing changes in this arena. Hate survives. My advice to all minorities:
Be vigilant, stay strong, be prepared to retaliate, and stand tall. The Fred Phelps types are pitiful and beyong contempt.

Incidentally, I am a straight grandfather; been around for 75 years.

In researching the death of Matt Shepard, one thing becomes abundantly clear. Members of the media were able to spin his death, and Laramie, to suit their needs. To get a clear picture, indeed ANY picture, it must come from those who lived it. Like the Tectonic Theatre Project's play "The Laramie Project", Beth Loffreda's book provides just that picture. Although she did not know Matt, she has open access to many of those who did. And, as a Laramie resident, she is able to relate, first hand, what really went on in the hearts and minds of of a townspeople wrongfully indicted by many as "redneck" and "backwater".

This is certainly one of the best books that I've had the opportunity to read. It presents the subject matter in the context of a two fold manner: the personal impact of the death of Matthew Shepard, and that of activism. From the point of being gay, there are a myriad of emtoions, as attested to by the numerous interviews that Professor Loffreda conducted and to which she dedicates pages. From the point of understand human nature, she reviews the fears and concerns of numerous gay men and woman who only want the ability to love who they love without being encumbered. I was shocked by the vividness with which she related how Matthew Shepard was beaten and eventually died. I was struck by how anyone could do such a thing to another human being, and feel anything but revulsion for the commission of such an act. Perhaps one could be repelled by gay men and women, but to act thus denies any sense of human dignity. Professor Loffreda did an excellent job of trying to present both sides of such a human tragedy as the death of Matthew Shepard.....this is certainly an even tempered read. Please, look at this book in the objective tone that it was written. Professor Loffreda, congratulations--well written, and a testament to the struggle that gay men and women still endure!

This book is great in that it was written by a Univeristy of Wyoming and LAramie resident who was there whan Matt was killed. Beth goes past the media's misconceptions of our small town and explines how everyone was affected and how the town was changed by one man. It's not a book to read to elarn about Matt and his struggles in rural Wyoming, but the aftermath of the murde rand how the country was focused on Laramie for the time.

Beth does a great job of explaining how, despite what the media said, the town did change afterwards and that Laramie is not a bunch of rednecks and hicks who were passive about the murder and trials one and two years later. While the media is not longer foused on Laramie, this bok is a legacy to our town and so that the world can remember Matt and how his life and tragic death affected not only our small town, but the entire country.

If your looking for a book that chronicles Matthews life then this is not the book for you. But if you want a book that gives you an indepth look at what was going on before and after his death then it is the book for you. It goes indepth on the trial and the towns reactions. There are even some interviews with real people from the Gay and Straight communities.