Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 I went to Laramie, Wyoming, to research a screenplay about the October 1998 murder of gay college student Matthew Shepard. The story had been told again and again in the media, and the media had painted a harrowing picture of the crime.

#2 I was drawn to Matthew's story because of the contrast between his parents' forgiveness and McKinney's brutality. His parents showed him mercy, even though he had shown them only hate.

#3 I had only been to Wyoming once before, in 2000, when I was visiting the Ucross Foundation for a writing residency. I was blown away by the quiet solitude and the friendly people.

#4 I struggled to understand the brutality of the Matthew Shepard murder when I was in my mid-thirties and single. I remembered how safe I felt when I was in my twenties, but I also recalled those nights when I wandered out alone to bars in Ucross.