Communities D.Y. Béchard '97
His first novel, Vandal Love, was awarded the Commonwealth Writers' Prize
"My professors taught me to read literature deeply and to appreciate its enduring themes," says D.Y. Béchard '97, who completed his Plan of Concentration in literature and writing. "In this regard, I think that Marlboro has continued to influence my outlook on the world." He adds, "Its classical yet dynamic education set the foundations for my approach to learning."
After graduating from Marlboro, D.Y. attended several graduate schools to "work with as many writers as possible," and earned a master's degree from Middlebury College and one from the University of Guelph in Ontario.
D.Y.'s literary debut, a novel entitled Vandal Love (Doubleday Canada) has met with rave reviews and has been translated into French and Arabic. After comparing him to Jack Kerouac and William Faulkner, the Canadian newspaper, The Hour, wrote that Vandal Love was "a searching and mystical novel imbued with sensitivity and grace. It has thrust Béchard centre stage as an up-and-coming literary contender and a new voice to be reckoned with." In 2007, Vandal Love was awarded the regional Commonwealth Writer's Prize for the best first book in Canada; it then went on to win the overall prize for the fifty-three countries of the British Commonwealth.
For his own part, D.Y. attributes much of his writing prowess to his education at college, saying, "I learned to make research and study speak to my literary goals."