I know last week I told you how hugely affected I was after reading Neal Shusterman's Unwind. You're going to start thinking I have a bit of a problem with the way books affect me. But first, give me a chance to explain.
So it's April, and for those of you who don't spend 5 out of 7 days a week in a library, that means it's National Poetry Month! I thought I should check out some novels in verse (or stories written in poetic form) so I could share them here with you, dear readers.
I went to the library catalog and did a quick search with the term "novels in verse." On that first page of hits was a title that grabbed me. I'm not sure why. But I went to the shelf and picked it up and read it.
And then I heard about another collection of poetry from a couple of my colleagues, so I thought I'd pick that up too.
And then I heard about another collection of poetry from a couple of my colleagues, so I thought I'd pick that up too.
Whoa!
You kind of want me to go on, don't you? You're wondering what happened. Did something jump out of one of the books?
I almost don't want to ruin the enjoyment of either of these books for you, gentle readers. I don't want to alter the experience that each of you have when you read one of them (or hopefully both of them).
I promise if you read them, you will be moved.
Number 1. October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard by Leslea Norman. For those of you who might not remember, Matthew Shepard was the 21-year-old gay college student who was lured out of a Wyoming bar, savagely beaten, tied to a
fence, and left to die. That was in 1998.
October Mourning is a collection of 68 beautiful, riveting, and sometimes heartbreaking poems -- in various forms -- that tells the story of Matthew's murder from the imagined perspectives of Matthew, the murderers, other people, and even the fence to which Matthew was tied.
In fact, if you read no other poem in this very moving collection, read "The Fence."
Number 2. The Rose That Grew From Concrete by Tupac Shakur. This is a book of poems written by the famous rapper when he was only 19 years old, before he became famous. I'll admit that I haven't read this one yet, but it's on my pile to read this weekend. But seriously, I feel the tears well up inside me when I remember my colleague Bill reading the poem "The Power of a Smile."
I'm starting to remember why I loved, loved, loved poetry so much when I was younger. I remember the attraction; I remember the pull. And it doesn't matter where you stand on the "issues" these books might raise. (Although yes, you'll probably think a lot after reading both.)
This is poetry.
Read them and be moved.
--Suzy
I almost don't want to ruin the enjoyment of either of these books for you, gentle readers. I don't want to alter the experience that each of you have when you read one of them (or hopefully both of them).
I promise if you read them, you will be moved.
October Mourning is a collection of 68 beautiful, riveting, and sometimes heartbreaking poems -- in various forms -- that tells the story of Matthew's murder from the imagined perspectives of Matthew, the murderers, other people, and even the fence to which Matthew was tied.
In fact, if you read no other poem in this very moving collection, read "The Fence."
Number 2. The Rose That Grew From Concrete by Tupac Shakur. This is a book of poems written by the famous rapper when he was only 19 years old, before he became famous. I'll admit that I haven't read this one yet, but it's on my pile to read this weekend. But seriously, I feel the tears well up inside me when I remember my colleague Bill reading the poem "The Power of a Smile."
I'm starting to remember why I loved, loved, loved poetry so much when I was younger. I remember the attraction; I remember the pull. And it doesn't matter where you stand on the "issues" these books might raise. (Although yes, you'll probably think a lot after reading both.)
This is poetry.
Read them and be moved.
--Suzy
