International Writing Program Annual Report 2007 University of Iowa Dedicated to the memory of Norine Zamastil Photos and graphics (from left to right) top row Kazuko Shiraishi (1976), calligraphy by Ramon Lim, Hauling and Paul Engle (1970s), Uli symbol second row from the top calligraphy by Cheryl Jacobsen, Elena Bossi (2007), Zapf dingbat, Veronique Tadjo and Mathilde Walter Clark (2006) second row from the bottom IWP participants on the Shambaugh House porch (2005), Uli symbol, Shambaugh House, calligraphy by Cheryl Jacobsen, ˆ bottom row peace sign,ˆ Arvind and Wandana Mehrotra (1971), calligraphy by Cheryl Jacobsen, Tomaz Salamun (1971) TABLE OF CONTENTS Greetings from Iowa City 2-3 The Fall Residency 4-7 Field Trips, Receptions, & Cultural Visits 8-9 Fall Residency Activities by Writer 10-12 Writer Portraits 13-15 The 40th Anniversary 16-17 Select Anniversary Schedule 18 2007 participants 19-25 The Middle East Reading Tour 26-34 Paros: The New Symposium 33-35 Program Support 37-41 Honor Roll of Contributors 42 Photos in this report are by Tom Langdon, Kelly Bedeian, IWP staff, and friends. GREETINGS FROM IOWA CITY A Letter from IWP Director Christopher Merrill. 2 The 40th session of the International Writing for writing and fellowship. Since then, the IWP Program (IWP) marked an extraordinary milestone has hosted nearly 1100 writers from more than in our program’s history. This fall, the IWP hosted 120 countries, making ours the oldest and largest forty writers from twenty-seven countries, who residency of its kind. At every turn, the IWP took part in one of the most dynamic residencies strives to connect artists; to create understanding ever. These writers gathered in Iowa City to that transcends national, political, and cultural write and research; to translate and undertake boundaries. For this reason, the IWP has been collaborative projects; to interact with the called “The United Nations of Writers.” And in community. The centerpiece of this year’s residency 2007, the program truly lived up to the nickname. was our 40th Anniversary Commemoration, This report opens a brief window on the program; which took place during the week of October 7. for more information about the writers we hosted, To celebrate the program’s past and future, the and to listen to recordings of their many public IWP invited a special contingent of acclaimed performances, I invite you to visit the IWP website authors, critics, publishers, and thinkers from http://iwp.uiowa.edu, and the Virtual Writing all over the world to participate in a variety of University audio archive http://writinguniversity.org. events. The conversation was at times dizzying. With every success the IWP deepens its mission, For forty years, the IWP has been a home-away- seeking ever more innovative ways to bring writers from-home for professional writers of all stripes. together. In 2007 we hosted our second symposium In Iowa City, long recognized as one of the most on the Greek island of Paros, convening writers literary cities in the U.S., IWP participants from the U.S.and other countries to explore the become part of the vibrant community of students, topic, “Justice.” We also took a select group of teachers, artists, and literary professionals who American writers on a reading tour of the Middle make this city such a tremendous place to live and East, during which these writers met their literary work. In 1967, IWP co-founders Paul and Hualing counterparts in Jordan, Syria, Israel, and the West Nieh Engle began with an ambitious vision: to Bank. Preparations for the 2008 symposium, on unite fiction writers, poets, essayists, playwrights the subject of “Home,” and another Middle East and screenwriters from every corner of the earth Tour, are underway right now. And in summer 2008, the IWP will partner with the University of 3 Iowa’s Young Writers Studio to bring a dozen high school students and two renowned faculty writers from Arabic-speaking countries to participate in a special writing workshop called Between the Lines. Our goal is to nurture new connections between writers and readers in this strategic region. Thank you for supporting the IWP. As always, I invite you to attend the many events that take place during our fall residency. We look forward to another marvelous year. Warm regards, Christopher Merrill Director THE FALL RESIDENCY The mission of the IWP is to provide talented writers with the time and tools necessary for creating great art. In all its endeavors, the program echoes E.M. Forster’s urgent call, “only connect.” In a world where suspicion and distrust often hinder conversation, the IWP offers writers a forum for exploration and dialogue that transcends national, political, and cultural borders. To bring writers together in the spirit of hope and fellowship is the IWP’s most cherished project. 4 In fall 2007, forty writers from twenty-seven politics. Today, the IWP continues to break new countries gathered in Iowa City for a residency ground. In 2007, the program hosted its first that marked a watershed moment in our program’s participant from Malta, poet Simone Inguanez, and history. More than four decades ago on the banks of its first from Montenegro, fiction writer Ognjen the Iowa River, Chinese novelist Hualing Nieh Engle Spahi´c. These writers joined in one of our largest urged her husband Paul (having lately completed his fall residencies ever, featuring participants from tenure as director of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop) Malaysia and Indonesia; Jamaica and Haiti; New to facilitate a residency for international writers Zealand and South Africa; Hong Kong and The on the University of Iowa campus. It was a time of Philippines; Egypt and Syria; along with particularly conflict, anxiety, and upheaval in the U.S. and on the robust representation from Russia (six writers world stage, with the Cold War and other tensions in total) and other countries. The IWP renewed drawing a seemingly impenetrable barrier between its many productive relationships with sources of U.S. writers and their literary counterparts around public and private support, and embraced new the world. Who, then, could fault Paul’s initial connections with embassies and arts councils response to Hualing that day: “An international around the world. It was an equation that added writing program? What a crazy idea!” up to countless new collaborations, friendships, and artistic exchanges during this important Forty years later, we find ourselves still happily anniversary year. carrying out Paul and Hualing’s “crazy” mission, having hosted yet another group of gifted writers Each fall, the various writing units, research this fall in Iowa City. For our co-founders, the centers, and academic departments at the 1967 International Writing Program residency University of Iowa enrich the IWP residency in was a season of firsts; those early years witnessed countless ways. Members of the UI community the program become a haven for writers living and work collaboratively across genres and disciplines, working behind the Iron Curtain. Many of the first always looking to foster new opportunities for participants had never visited the U.S. before, nor creative growth. In 2007, our writers contributed had they enjoyed the opportunity to share ideas in powerfully to this ongoing project, taking part in an atmosphere unbound by censorship and national nearly 100 public events and treating audiences Open World Cultural Delegates from Russia Maria Galina (far left) and Leonid Kostyukov (left) meet new friends in Iowa City. to wonderful readings and performances of fostered a meaningful presence that will be felt in 5 their work. A few of the highlights included the the community for years to come. September 7 live broadcast of Know the Score on Iowa Public Radio, featuring IWP Program And Iowa City responded in kind, welcoming our Director Christopher Merrill and István Lászlo writers to the Midwest in a variety of special ways. Géhér (poet, Hungary), Verena Tay (playwright, On September 5, the Center for International Singapore), and Peter Kimani (fiction writer and Visitors to Iowa Cities (CIVIC) hosted a dinner journalist, Kenya); Global Express, a night of staged for the writers at Divots Bar & Grill (Brown Deer readings and dramatic performances at the UI Golf Course, Coralville). And on September Theatre Building on October 6, directed by Maggie 20, the writers gathered at the home of Michael Conroy; Jamaican poet and novelist Kei Miller’s Judge (of the UI School of Journalism and Mass October 22 launch of his new poetry volume, Communication) and his wife Masae for The There Is an Anger That Moves (Carcanet); and Indian First Annual “World Comes to Iowa” Soiree. It physician and fiction writer Kavery Nambisan’s was an evening of food, music, and conversation televised October 30 presentation to the Iowa attended by several UI faculty and local artists City Foreign Relations Council entitled “Health who welcomed the writers to town. Meanwhile, Care: Why It Should Not Be a Luxury Item.” At post-graduate fellows from the Iowa Writers’ every turn, our writers captivated audiences by Workshop and NonFiction Writing Program invited offering their unique perspectives on writing, the writers to participate in two literary salons culture, and world affairs. IWP writers visited (September 27 and October 16) at the Church St. classrooms (including the undergraduate course, House, a new center for writing and hospitality at International Literature Today), read from their the UI. work at Prairie Lights Bookstore and the University of Iowa Museum of Art, and participated in spirited These salons focused on issues in contemporary panel talks at the Iowa City Public Library. Soon, poetry and fiction writing, and were attended by many of their public readings will be archived on graduate students and faculty from the Writers’ the Virtual Writing University website and other Workshop and other UI writing programs.