walking inside circles
South Metro 1, November 14, 1989, Winnipeg

BOOK CARRIES STRONG MESSAGE
By Linda Wilson

A former River Heights resident was back in town to launch her first book and to participate in last week’s writer’s festival. Angela Hryniuk did readings from her book, Walking Inside Circles, a poetic narrative text about the emotional effects of incest on a young girl. The readings were held at the University of Manitoba, Times Change Cage and the Word on Stage Festival.
There aren’t a lot of graphic details about sexual abuse in her book and she says many people have asked her why she didn’t include them. She didn’t because “It’s everyone’s story” she says. Although Hryniuk is currently the editor of a Vancouver magazine, she worked for many years as a street youth worker and a suicide and rape crisis councilor. She also counselled teenage prostitutes. Hryniuk’s book is written in a unique format, using a narrative voice to recount past events and poetic prose to project the feelings of the young victim.

“The poetic prose is certainly analytical, about life and pain and healing.” The book carries a strong message to victims of sexual abuse, telling them not to be silent and warning them it does not help to forget. There is no healing in silence.
Some victims talk about it, some write about it and some publish their writings to help educate people. But, not everyone has to publish, she adds. The publication of Walking Inside Circles was a case of being in the right place at the right time. Hryniuk attended Vancouver’s West Word two-week writing workshop, where Ragweed Press editor Libby Oughton, heard one of the first readings from the incomplete book. Oughton asked Hryniuk to send her the manuscript when it was finished.

Gynergy, the feminist branch of Ragweed, published the book earlier this year. Hryniuk is now working on her second novel, which is in a collage form consisting of letters, journal entries, maps, poetry and prose.