Elegy for the Tech

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Elegy for the Tech

Virginia Tech students

A year ago at the Blacksburg campus of Virginia Tech, creative writing lecturer Fred D'Aguiar was sitting in his office when disturbed English major Cho Seung-hui killed 32 people and himself in what was America's deadliest shooting.

D'Aguiar, who in the past had taught the shooter, also lost one of his other students and a close colleague.

Following the tragedy, D'Aguiar, an award-winning poet and strong believer in the healing power of artistic expression, wrote a poem 'Elegy', in which he tried to put into words his feelings and experiences of that terrible day.

Since then, as 'The Tech' has returned back to everyday life, he has continued to work closely with his students, encouraging them to write about their experiences and their emotional journey.

In this programme we follow Fred D'Aguiar as he reflects on the emotional journey he and his students have taken over the last 12 months.

First broadcast on April 16 2008


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