National Book Award Winner Phil Klay Scheduled to Speak in Boise on April 9

United States Marine Corps veteran Phil Klay wowed critics and readers alike with his short story collection Redeployment, winner of the 2014 National Book Award for Fiction.

Boiseans will get a chance to hear from Klay in early April, when he appears at the Egyptian Theater - he'll be there on Thursday, April 9, at 7:00 p.m. The event is sponsored by Boise Public Library, Rediscovered Books and the Friends of the Boise Public Library. A book signing will follow the presentation.

"If all wars ultimately find their own Homer, this brutal, piercing, sometimes darkly funny collection stakes Klay's claim for consideration as the quintessential storyteller of America's Iraq conflict," National Book Award judges wrote of Redeployment.

The powerful collection of short stories takes readers to the front lines of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the book and in his public lectures, Klay explores the complex feelings of brutality, faith, guilt, and fear that a soldier experiences during war, as well as the isolation and despair that can accompany a soldier's homecoming.

The topic should resonate with the local community. Veterans account for approximately one in five men aged 18 years and older in Ada County. According to U.S. Census 2013 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, over 29,000 male and female veterans reside in the county. That includes approximately 12,500 who served in the Gulf War from late 1990-on, plus 10,000 Vietnam War veterans and 3,800 who served during the Korean War or WWII.

Tickets for the event will be available starting Monday, March 16, at the Main Library, Rediscovered Books or online at https://phil-klay-author-visit.eventbrite.com. They'll also be available at the Collister, Cole & Ustick and Hillcrest branch libraries starting March 17. The tickets are free, but are required due to limited seating.

For questions about tickets or the event, email [email protected], call the Library at 972-8255, or visit www.boisepubliclibrary.org/calendar. For more information on Phil Klay, visit www.prhspeakers.com. The Egyptian Theater is located at 700 West Main Street in Boise.