September 19, 2003

Boise State, Irish Consul General Present Irish Studies Conference

A reading by Belfast poet Medbh McGuckian highlights the 19th meeting of the American Conference for Irish Studies/West to be held Oct. 10-12 at The Grove Hotel, 245 South Capital Blvd in Boise. The conference is presented by the Office of the Consul General of Ireland and Boise State University. Boise State organizers include Helen Lojek, english department, Kenneth Coll counselor education professor, Michael Blain, chair of the sociology department, Leslie Durham, theatre arts, and Angie Blain, adjunct sociology professor. In addition to McGukian’s reading, attendees will hear from Ronald J. Russell, a professor at Trinity College in Dublin, or environmental issues from an Irish perspective. Other topics covered at the conference include Irish drama, Ireland’s women, the Irish in Western North America, parallel lessons from Irish and Lakota experiences, Ireland’s West and Irish tourism. The Friday, Oct. 10, schedule concludes with a performance of Samuel Beckett’s “Endgame” at Boise State University. Presented by the theatre arts department and directed by theatre professor Ann Hoste, “Endgame” is an absurdist play named for the final stage of a chess game where the outcome is already known. The show runs through Oct. 12. For more information on the conference or to register, visit http://english.boisestate.edu/hlojek -30- Contact Helen Lojek Department of English 208 426-1328 Media Contact Kathleen Craven communications and marketing 208 426-3275