Among the contributors are John Ashbery, Mark Bibbins, Rafael Campo, Marilyn Hacker, Rachel Hadas, Gerrit Henry, Anselm Hollo, Patricia Spears Jones, Bernadette Mayer, W.S.
Merwin, Eileen Myles, Eugene Richie, Paul Schmidt, David Trinidad, Jean Valentine, Anne Waldman and Rosanne Wasserman.
[9][10] Newman's book is also the source of the lyrics for the oratorio October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard, composed by Curtis Heard.
Written by Max Ember and directed by Tim Hunter, it stars Cy Carter as Shepard, Brendan Fletcher as Aaron McKinney, and Ian Somerhalder as Russell Henderson.
The film was praised by TV Guide's Matt Roush for its emotional range, its examination of homophobia, and the unique investigation at its center, saying that viewers would be "enlightened" by it.
The film won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2002 in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for Stockard Channing's performance as Judy Shepard.
The film's cast also includes Kristen Thomson, Joseph Ziegler, Makyla Smith, Damien Atkins, and Wendy Crewson.
The film seeks to illuminate the decisions Judy and Dennis Shepard had to make as to whether the death penalty should be sought for their son's killer.
It also shows the experiences and hardships Matthew endured throughout his life from junior high through college, including his first kiss, his first boyfriend and a rape scene.
Filmmaker Beverly Seckinger, who grew up in Laramie, was compelled to return to her hometown to see how this event affected the site of her own closeted adolescence.
Along the way she confronts "God-hates-fags" Westboro Baptist Church Reverend Fred Phelps, who condemns Shepard and all homosexuals to a merciless eternity in hell.
Through Seckinger we also meet grieving students, teachers, parents, and clergy, working to make the community a safer place, speaking out and taking action.
"[18] Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine premiered simultaneously at both the Mill Valley Film Festival and the Washington National Cathedral on October 4, 2013.
"Book of Statues", a poem about Matthew Shepard by Richie Hofmann,[20] was Academy of American Poets Poem-a Day on October 12, 2016.