SUNY Potsdam Hosts Award-Winning Author T. Coraghessan Boyle ’68 for Public Reading & Visits to Classes at his Alma Mater
Author T.C. Boyle ’68 will return to SUNY Potsdam for a free public reading and book signing on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m., in the Black Box Theater, located in the Performing Arts Center.
The State University of New York at Potsdam will welcome back T. Coraghessan Boyle ’68, the award-winning author of more than 30 books, for an upcoming campus visit.
Boyle will offer a public reading to kick off his return to campus, on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m., in the Black Box Theater, located in the Performing Arts Center. This free session is open to the public, and will be immediately followed by a book signing and reception in the PAC Lobby.
During his visit to his alma mater, Boyle will join open classes in the Department of English and Communication, and connect with students and faculty in small groups.
“We are thrilled to welcome back the celebrated American novelist and short-story writer T.C. Boyle ’68, for his first visit to campus in 10 years. This will present a special opportunity for the public to join T.C. for a reading of his work, and allow current students the opportunity to learn from a top professional in the world of literature,” said SUNY Potsdam President Dr. Suzanne Smith.
About the author:
T. Coraghessan Boyle ’68 is the author of 30 books of fiction, including, most recently, “Blue Skies” (2023), “I Walk Between the Raindrops” (2022), “Talk to Me” (2021) and “Outside Looking In” (2019). He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English and history from SUNY Potsdam in 1968, where he met his wife, Karen Kvashay ’69. Boyle went on to complete his MFA at the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop in 1974, and earned his Ph.D. in 19th century British literature from the University of Iowa in 1977. He has been a member of the English Department at the University of Southern California since 1978, where he is a Distinguished Professor of English.
His work has been translated into more than two dozen foreign languages, including German, French, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Hebrew, Korean, Japanese, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Polish, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Finnish, Farsi, Croatian, Turkish, Albanian, Vietnamese, Serbian and Slovene.
His stories have appeared in most of the major American magazines, including The New Yorker, Harper's, Esquire, The Atlantic Monthly, Playboy, The Paris Review, GQ, Antaeus, Granta and McSweeney's, and he has been the recipient of a number of literary awards, including the PEN/Faulkner Prize for best novel of the year (“World's End,” 1988); the PEN/Malamud Prize in the short story (“T.C. Boyle Stories,” 1999), and the Prix Médicis Étranger for best foreign novel in France (“The Tortilla Curtain,” 1997). He currently lives near Santa Barbara with his wife and three children.
About SUNY Potsdam:
Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America’s first 50 colleges—and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.