While often not as quick to come to mind when discussing “the arts” as painting or sculpture, literature is as much an art as any visual or performance medium. Thus, this month’s artist spotlight highlights the accomplishments of Kyriacos Vidalakis ‘25, a Loyola senior whose passion for writing has already earned him the distinction of being a published author.
Kyriacos (Kyri) is known among classmates as an avid basketball fan and for being deeply devoted to Greek culture and philosophy, themes that often influence his creative process. At Loyola, Vidalakis started and leads the Writer’s Workshop Club, a collaborative club where students bring personal writing projects to receive input and refine them. “We have writers bring in their personal projects, and we give them feedback and criticism to make sure it’s the best it can be,” Vidalakis explains. His club also works closely with Windowpanes, Loyola’s quarterly art magazine, to help showcase the creative writing of students.
One of his most notable accomplishments is his recently published book, Murky Waters, which was written over the last four years. Drawing from his transformative experience at Missouri Military Academy at twelve years old, the novel chronicles his rigorous military training, including crawling under barbed wire and rappelling down 50-foot walls. Sent by his father to instill discipline, Vidalakis credits the camp with testing his perseverance and faith.
Vidalakis’ book depicts that it was not the fun and easy times in life that shaped his faith but rather the arduous obstacles he encountered. He hopes to impart to his readers that faith and perseverance can triumph even in difficult times.
After his final year at Loyola, Vidalakis looks forward to continuing his creative journey in college and beyond, and he intends to continue evolving as a novelist. “I hope to have another novel published by one of the four major publishing houses, and I want to continue my writing,” he shares.
Aspiring writers at Loyola can draw inspiration from Murky Waters, which is now available for purchase on Amazon.