Foikis, who held two university degrees (one in economics from the University of Berlin, and the other in literature from the University of British Columbia), was already well known throughout the city for his off-kilter antics. His aim, according to interviews with The Sun and The Province, was “to spread joy and confusion” while at the same time “mock the four pillars of society: money, status, respectability, and conformity.”
Foikis died in 2007 at the age of seventy-two, in a sad but fitting end, after he fell from a wall while dancing to a band in Victoria’s inner harbour.
Fool’s Gold: The Life and Legacy of Vancouver’s Official Town Fool is the second release in Jesse Donaldson’s 49.2: Tales from the Off Beat, an ongoing series dedicated to celebrating the eccentric and unusual aspects of Vancouver.
PRAISE FOR FOOL’S GOLD:
“a lively, colourful, illuminating, and sometimes heartbreaking tale about one of Vancouver most peculiar residents.”
— Charlie Smith, The Georgia Straight
Jesse Donaldson is an author and journalist whose work has appeared in VICE, The Tyee, The Calgary Herald, the WestEnder, the Vancouver Courier, and many other places. His first book, This Day In Vancouver, was a finalist for the Bill Duthie Booksellers’ Choice Award (BC Book Prizes). He currently lives near Mount Pleasant with Abbey, the world’s best dog.
