Spring Break
Writing without need for 'change'
Jessica Turnio
Issue date: 4/15/09 Section: Focus
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Kilroy, who has been called a quirky and exciting author by literary critics, was born, raised and educated in Dublin, Ireland and got her degree in creative writing from Trinity College Dublin. She is the author of All Summer (2003), which was short-listed for the 2004 Kerry Group Irish Fiction Award and the winner of the esteemed Rooney Prize for Irish Literature, and Tenderwire (2006), which was nominated for the 2007 Hughes and Hughs Irish Novel of the Year Award along with the Kerry Group Irish Fiction Award.
Claire Bracken, of Union College, introduced and credited Kilroy with being a "fresh, compelling new voice in contemporary Irish Fiction." Kilroy prefaced her reading by telling the audience that "All Names Have Been Changed" is set in the 1980's, mid-recession, as it was seen as a time of flowering for authors. "All Names Have Been Changed" tells the story of a writer, Glen, and his journey to complete a book. The narrator of the story is a male student of Glen.
As Kilroy read from her book, her voice was expressive and lively. The audience was very much engaged in her reading and found humor in parts of the reading. It was hard not to imagine what she was describing, as her vivid words made the story tangible to the listener.
"The reading was very enjoyable", said 6th-semester English major Jesse Swider.
When Kilroy was done reading, she took questions from Bracken and from the audience. She confessed that one of the most challenging parts of writing "All Names Have Been Changed" was dramatizing the art of writing, since the process of writing isn't exactly "novelistic". It is a challenge that comes with having art as a main topic of her books. She said that "writing is very interesting to writers, and the aim was to make it as interesting to non-writers or people who haven't devoted their lives to writing."
Kilroy went into great detail about the process of writing and what it meant to be a female writer of Irish literature. Rachael Lynch, an associate professor of English at the UConn-Waterbury campus, said afterwards, "what really struck me is how deeply she reflected on being a writer."
Kilroy's reading was followed by a book signing out in the lobby.
"I really liked the reading, it was smart and very funny," said Alex Thompson, a 6th semester English major. "I'll definitely look for her book on the shelf."
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