Brian Doyle: Essayist and Riveting Storyteller
Brian Doyle, essayist and editor of Portland, the University of Portland’s magazine, prefers not to read from his published books. ”I like to read you things that you can’t find in books already,” he told the audience at the Hoffman Center on September 19.
And so he did. Stories he’s picked up from his own experiences as husband, father, brother, and son, as well as from other people. Like the story he captured from a nurse about naming babies who are stillborn or died shortly after birth.
After moments that brought tears to both audience and storyteller–from laughter as well as a heartbreaking tale– he closed his part of the evening with a story about his encounter with the Dalai Lama. They argued about sports, of all things. With an ending that’s too great to mention here, because that would just spoil it. The next time he’s in town be sure to make a point of going.
