THIS PAGE is an index of longer prose pieces inspired by Matt's story. Each item listed here has its own separate page. I have listed them in the order in which their authors sent them to me.
Karen Deal Robinson: My Memories of October 1998
The author wrote this piece expressly for my site. It was the first full-page essay and is a good illustration of the kind of material I'm looking for.
Alopex: What Matthew Shepard Means to Me
John Patrick Day: Learning About Matthew — and From Him
John, a dear friend I met in 1999 through Internet discussion forums dedicated to Matt's memory, wrote this piece at my request. He and I ironed out a few minor details, and then I put it into cold storage. I am grateful that John knew — before his passing in March 2007 at his home in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada — that I wanted to use his material. It originally had no title, and I gave it the title it bears now.
I had previously hoped to upload the piece around October 23 or 24, 2008. Now, finally, on October 12, 2011, here it is. John's good friends Gary and Paula e-mailed me a number of photos of Edmonton — and some of John himself — to select from. For now, I'm uploading the essay the way it was in cold storage since March 24, 2007, with the photo of Matt. When I have time to view again the other shots Gary and Paula sent me, I will add some of them.
J. H.
AS WITH POETRY and shorter essays, these should be heartfelt tributes to Matt — or reflections on his life and death
— without personal invectives, political agendas, or graphic details of the crime scene. I am especially interested
in pieces that tell how Matt's story affected you personally.
I am happy to see your work. Even if you have already contributed to this page or the poetry page, feel free to send other items my way. You may e-mail them directly to me. See the e-mail and other links at the bottom of this page.