Marianne Murphy Zarzana
  • Home
  • Writing in This Moment: Blog
  • Poets & Writers I Read
  • Poem Gallery

Writing That Saves Lives: Prayers for Bobby & It Gets Better

3/31/2011

0 Comments

 
Over the Christmas holiday, I read the heartbreaking yet inspiring book, Prayers for Bobby: A Mother's Coming to Terms with the Suicide of her Gay Son by Leroy Aarons. One of my gay students had written about it in an essay, and I knew I had to read this true story, especially in light of gay students who had been bullied and committed suicide last fall. The book made for intense reading with many of Bobby's journal entries and letters from his mother woven into the text. Bobby's dream was to become a writer. Now he is gone, but his words--read by millions--live on to fight ignorance and save lives.

Tonight I watched the DVD of the Lifetime movie, Prayers for Bobby, which recently became available.  In the movie, Bobby's journal excerpts are used effectively as voice-overs. Sigourney Weaver gives an award-winning performance as Bobby's mother, at first unable to accept her son and after his suicide eventually becoming an national activist for PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbian and Gays). I encourage you to read the book, watch the movie, and share both with parents, teachers, and family members. 

On a similar note, last weekend I listened to the National Public Radio show, "Fresh Air" with host Terry Gross, when she interviewed Dan Savage and Terry Miller who created the 
"It Gets Better" campaign. 
 
They have taken some of the 10,000 videos they received, transcribed them and recently published a book titled It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living.

Here's an excerpt from one of the reviews posted on amazon.com:

"The obvious benefit of a book like this will be for all of the LGBT kids in schools that don't have Gay-Straight Alliances (most of them), that don't have sympathetic staff, that have students who are all desperately just trying to fit in (most of them)...but it will be really helpful for the straight kids, too. For every straight person who's a bully, there are probably twenty who just don't notice what's going on around them. They aren't purposely ignoring the gay kids who are getting bullied, but they don't notice it either, because they're wrapped up in their own lives. So while this book will no doubt be a lifeline for LGBT kids who don't feel like they have any allies, it could be a powerful eye-opener to all of the straight kids who simply haven't thought about this issue. 

"I've ordered copies to donate to our local middle school and high school, but I'm also going to have my 15 year old son read it. His orientation?...I don't know yet, but either way, it will help him to see another person's point of view more clearly. And when you begin to understand, and to empathize, you begin to end bullying, and you begin to 'grow' children who understand the challenges of those around them, and who will be more likely to stand up for others. Please buy this book!"


0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Author

    I love to play with words. To capture moments on the page. To explore the physical and spiritual geography of what I call "fly-over country." I write from imagination, observation and my own experience of wandering in fly-over country--the literal, physical spaces of my life on the Minnesota prairie and the inner territory of the soul. 

    I teach writing at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minnesota. I enjoy cooking and traveling with my husband Jim, reading, practicing yoga, playing tennis, biking, hiking and gardening.

    Archives

    December 2019
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2016
    July 2016
    October 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010

    Blogroll
    Arts Beat
    A Year of Being Here
    Bearded Vegan
    Becky's Blog
    Better World Books
    Birth Breasts and Beyond
    Carrie Etter
    Christine Stewart-Nunez
    Dana Yost
    Heroic Yes! Productions
    James A. Zarzana
    Landing on Cloudy Water
    Nicole Helget
    No Ideas But in Things
    Story Guru
    The Marsco Saga
    Write Right

    Categories

    All
    African American Writers
    African-American Writers
    American Life In Poetry
    Awp
    Dance
    Family
    Favorite Poems
    Favorite Writing Blogs
    Global Studies
    Good Articles
    Good Articles About Writing
    Good Blogs
    Good Books
    Good Essays
    Good Movies
    Good Plays
    Good Poems
    Good Quotes
    Good Video Clips
    Guerilla Art
    International News
    International Writers
    Irish Writers
    James A. Zarzana
    Libraries
    Literary Awards
    Literary Journals
    Mankato
    Memoir
    Mindfulness
    Minneapolis
    Minnesota Public Radio
    Minnesota State University-Mankato
    Mnsu
    Msu
    National Public Radio
    Nd
    Notre Dame
    Poetry Foundation
    Public Art Projects
    Publishing Resources
    Readings
    Shameless Plug
    Shameless Plugs
    Smsu
    Storytelling
    Ted Kooser
    Websites
    Writer
    Writer's Almanac
    Writers I Read
    Writing About Family
    Writing About Food
    Writing About Music
    Writing About Words
    Writing And Community
    Writing And Faith
    Writing And Politics
    Writing And Romance
    Writing And Sexuality
    Writing And Sports
    Writing And Teaching
    Writing And Technology
    Writing Contest
    Writing Groups
    Writing Prompts
    Writing Workshops
    Yoga
    Young Readers
    Young Writers

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.