Open Word: Readings and Ideas

Artist: Craig Boyko

Date: November 17 and 19, 2009

November 17, Open Space 510 Fort St. 7:30pm followed by an interview with Victoria writer Lorna Jackson.

November 19, University of Victoria, MacLaurin building, rm D283, 2:30pm

Admission by donation

Open Space, in partnership with the University of Victoria, hosted Victoria writer Craig Boyko on November 17 and 19 as part of its literary series Open Word: Readings and Ideas. On Tuesday, November 17 Boyko read at Open Space, followed by an interview with Victoria writer Lorna Jackson. On Thursday, November 19 at 2:30 p.m., the University of Victoria Department of Writing will host a second public reading by Boyko.

Craig Boyko read from his first book Blackouts. Blackouts is a collection of short stories loosely linked by themes of figurative blackout: erasures and absences in the lives of an impressively varied set of characters.  These characters include a middle-aged man looking back on his days as a twelve-year-old arcade king, an actress auditioning for supporting roles in TV commercials, and a political informant in Soviet Russia. Boyko’s stories are fast-moving but precise; witty and completely
believable.

Craig Boyko’s stories have been nominated for the Journey Prize four times and published in many of Canada’s literary magazines, including Grain, The Malahat Review, PRISM International, Descant and The New Quarterly. Born and raised in Saskatchewan, Boyko received degrees in English and Psychology from the University of Calgary. He lives in Victoria.

Open Word: Readings and Ideas is funded by The Canada Council for the Arts, CRD, KOTO Restaurant, Open Space and the University of Victoria Department of Writing.