BU Creative Writing

We’re so excited for Jordan Coriza (Fiction ’08) who has won two contests for his novel The Dead Phone!  Jordan won the Craft on Draft contest back in May, but he was recently interviewed by Dead Darlings, and you can check that out here.

Jordan was also selected to be the Hotel Commonwealth’s Writer-in-Residence.  The prize is a two-week stay at their “Reader’s Suite,” outfitted in honor of author Ben Mezrich.  Here’s a great video of Jordan accepting the award!  You can read more about the contest here and here.

Jordan took the time to share a little about his novel with us.  He says:

THE DEAD PHONE is a historical novel set during Argentina’s Dirty War (late ’70s), when tens of thousands of people disappeared at the hands of the military government. The book tells the story of Rosa Alvarez, a homemaker and devoted mother who widows at the beginning of the story. Ravaged by the loss of her husband, she must overcome emotional and financial challenges to survive. When she finds an old phone in her late husband’s tool shed, she uses it to call him. Word gets around, and neighbors begin to flood my protagonist’s house bearing gifts of cash and valuable objects in exchange for time with her otherworldly phone. A man who is looking for his missing wife offers Rosa a meaningful friendship and a sense of possibility. Together, they begin a hunt for the disappeared. The journey proves as dangerous as it is helpful. But the junta has eyes everywhere, and undesirables like Rosa are swiftly sucked off the streets every day. Filled with suspicion, grief, and doubts, Rosa has to move decisively yet carefully, for if she, too, is taken, many will lose access to the phone. Then, just as she’s pondering a life-altering plunge, Rosa faces a stunning turn of events. What might be a victory to others may just be the realization of her deepest fears.

Thanks, Jordan, and congratulations!  We’re looking forward to reading The Dead Phone when it hits shelves.

Jordan Coriza’s stories have appeared in the Chicago Quarterly Review, the Worcester Review, The Bare Life Review, and elsewhere. His debut novel, THE DEAD PHONE, is a historical fiction set in Argentina during its last military dictatorship. Though he calls Boston home, he’s lived in Argentina, Brazil, and spent time in Italy. A seasoned translator, he makes a living as a communications professional for a nonprofit global health organization. Find him on Twitter @JordanCoriza.