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IN
1997, THE INTERNATIONAL WRITING PROGRAM
entered its third decade of continuous service to the writers of the
world. None of the preceding twenty-nine years can be characterized
as "typical," if only because of the rich human diversity that is the
program's wealth; but the IWP's thirtieth annual session at The University
of Iowa appears to have epitomized the program's characteristic goals,
of innovation and tradition, of affirmation and responsiveness to change.
Appropriately
enough, thirty writers (representing twenty-five nations) attended the
program in its 30th year, most of them from countries with whom the
program has fused its links over the years. Two-thirds of the participants
attended through support from the United States Information Agency,
which has been our major source of external funding almost since the
program's inception. The constituency characterized the program's efforts
at expansion and consolidation. Several of the participants came from
countries whose ties to the IWP were restored in 1997 after a long hiatus
(Yugoslavia, Greece, Uganda, Malawi, Paraguay). The past year also saw
the confirmation of connections initiated in recent years (Vietnam,
Slovakia, Togo). And for the second year in a row, the representation
between men and women was almost equal. The program's integration with
other academic units culminated this year with the placement of faculty
from Comparative Literature and English in each of the IWP panel discussions
as speakers or moderators. This felicitous balancing of elements - in
synergy with the astute nominations provided by the agencies working
with us - gave us a community of writers who, we believe, achieved in
full what we strive to jointly create each year: harmonious interaction,
a high level of intellectual exchange, individual productivity, visits
to other institutes across the nation, continuous occasions for dialog.
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While
the session proceeded with unprecedented smoothness, various administrative
transitions were taking place or set in motion. IWP Director
Clark Blaise, who has led the program since 1990, announced at the close
of the session his intention to retire in order to devote all his time
to his writing. A few weeks before the start of this year's program,
the USIA's Office of International Visitors reassigned its administrative
designations, and the coordination of the IWP project passed from the
hands of Helen Szpakowski to Audrey Annette Ford. And at the end of
September, IWP Program Associate Rowena Torrevillas and audiovisual
coordinator Lem Torrevillas went home to the Philippines on urgent personal
business that unexpectedly kept them from the program until the session
ended; they have since returned to their work with the IWP.
The University
of Iowa has begun the search process for Clark Blaise's successor. The
program will miss Clark. His staff and hundreds of writers worldwide
found in him a real friend, and have known his great warmth and generosity,
his encyclopedic grasp of subtle issues, and the breadth of his understanding.
The program has grown under his leadership: he gave the program a network
of international contacts and the patient development of worldwide funding
sources; his evenhanded leadership and ability to encourage, elicit,
and nurture his staff's best efforts have resulted in the creative expansion
of the program's reach during the years of his tenure. Since 1990, the
IWP has broadened its outreach to writers to include 112 member nations,
strengthened its academic offerings and forged multiple linkages with
other departments, and created publishing and broadcasting outlets unequaled
in the program's first quarter-century.
The number
30 sometimes designates the end of a news story. This thirtieth year
is just a chapter in the program's ongoing narrative: three months and
thirty writers with their share of discovery, suspense, unexpected turns
in the plot, a happy ending - and preparations underway for another
thirty chapters into the new century. The following report will provide
details of this unusual, but satisfying and successful, year.
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Profile
of the 1997 Participants
The thirty
participants arrived at the University of Iowa representing an unusually
high level of literary accomplishment. Among those whose works had been
published in this country and received international recognition were
British novelist Tibor Fischer,whose novel The Collector Collector (Henry
Holt, 1997) was named a "literary lions" selection in the July 1997
Book-of-the-Month Club listings, and South African fiction writer Marita
van der Vyver, whose novels have been published by Dutton (USA) and
Penguin, as well as editions in South Africa that have sold more copies
on their initial appearance than any other Afrikaans novel. Russian
novelist Aleksey Varlamov was winner of the "Anti-Booker Prize" in 1995;
the work of Christos Homenides (Greece) is being filmed in English;
Polish poet Adriana Szymanska holds her nation's most prestigious literary
prizes, including the Sep Szarsynski and Booksellers' Association Prizes.
Many of
them left positions of national consequence in order to accept the three-month
residency at Iowa. Chang Ta-chun (Taiwan) writes for two of Taipei's
major newspapers, is a television commentator, in addition to holding
a fulltime lectureship at Fu Jen University. Lilia Momplé (Mozambique)
is famous for her participation in her country's liberation movement,
and served on the UNESCO General Assembly in Paris, in addition to being
current president of the Mozambican Writers' Association. Lourdes Espinola
(Paraguay) is a leading force for cultural affairs as one of the three
most important women writers in her country.
These
individual accomplishments generated a collective spirit of collegiality
and graceful self-confidence: the writers of 1997 were remarkably harmonious,
sweet-spirited and mutually generous, and the session was outstanding
in the sense of community and cooperation the writers brought into all
their interactions.
Twelve
of the thirty hold teaching and administrative responsibilities in the
academic world. Argentine fiction writer Jorge Accame teaches Greek
and the classics; Malaysian playwright/fiction writer Zakaria Ariffin
handles scriptwriting classes at the National Art Academy in Kuala Lumpur;
Mawule Kuakuvi (Togo) heads the division of academics in the registrar's
off ice at the University of Benin. Fully half (fifteen) of the writers
work primarily with newspapers, publishing, arts administration, curriculum
development, or are affiliated with the administration of literary or
editorial organizations. Other, non-literary or para-literary careers
were represented this year: Marina Palei (Russia) is a medical doctor;
Lourdes Espinola is a dentist; Ly Thi Lan has edited work for television
and produced compact disks for English-language teaching in Vietnam;
Egyptian poet Mohamed Metwalli works from the English news Service of
Radio Cairo; Jasmina Tesanovic (Yugoslavia) co-founded the first women's
publishing house in Serbia.
Thirteen
women attended the program, a slight decrease from last year's equal
gender balance. Five of the 25 nations had two representatives (Hungary,
Mexico, Poland, Russia, Singapore). The median age of the 1997 participants
is 40. All the writers have published at least one book previously (and,
for a few, such publication was against great odds, given the economic
or political difficulties in their respective homes). We feel, too,
that the University of Iowa and the city changed the participants' understanding
of this country: writer-evaluations remark on their amazement at the
helpfulness and friendliness of people in the streets, Iowa as a paradise
for writers. Most of them attended the program in mid-career, and all
returned to their homes with enhanced professional credentials, as well
as fresh and firsthand information about current American writing, and
a network of literary contacts for life, unlike any other the literary
world can offer.
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New
Developments in 1997
The
IWP Webpage. The program now has a site on the world wide
web, at http://www.uiowa.edu/~iwp. Lissa Lord of the University of Iowa
Information, Research and Instruction Services (IRIS) worked with IWP
coordinator Rowena Torrevillas to create the site, using the technical
facilities of the University of Iowa Libraries as well as a variety
of design resources that Ms. Lord had made from contacts as distant
as Australia. The page went online late in the summer of 1997. Designed
to be periodically updated, the page contains a variety of information
(how one might apply to attend, the text of the current annual report,
photographs and biographic data on current participants and examples
of their writings). The site was a winner of the Majon Web Select "Seal
of Excellence Award," and has reached browsers across the world. The
IWP journal 100 Words also has an affiliated web site.
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Joint
projects with other departments.
In 1997,
the IWP panel discussion series called upon the resources of faculty
from the Department of English and the Program in Comparative Literature
to serve as moderators or discussants. This is the first time that we
have been successful in tapping the resources of faculty colleagues
for each of the five discussions held during the session. This aspect
of the program will be discussed more extensively late in the report.
The Program
in African-American World Literature extended its cooperation to the
program throughout the semester, assigning a research assistant, Viviane
Diamitani, to coordinate activities for the five sub-Saharan participants
in the IWP. The authors from Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Togo
and Uganda were provided a range of activities that included interviews
and visits with university of Iowa students and faculty, and numerous
talks to students in local primary and secondary schools. The program
director, Prof. Fredrick Woodard, invited all of the program writers
to his home for a cultural afternoon, with food and African drumming,
and they also viewed the Devonian fossils recently uncovered in the
Coralville reservoir near his home.
International
Programs (formerly the Center for International and Comparative Studies)
continued its highly productive collaboration with the program. IWP
writers took part in the International Mondays series, among them Dr.
Kirpal Singh (Singapore). International Programs also held its annual
reception-reading for the IWP, and co-sponsored the final discussion
in the IWP's 1997 panel series, "Archetypes of the Millennium." We are
particularly happy that the spring-residency project "From a Writer's
Eyes" continues this spring - the fourth consecutive year that IWP authors
have returned to the University of Iowa for a spring semester affiliation
as scholars with International Programs. Steve Sharra (Malawi) and Aleksey
Varlamov (Russia) were selected for the 1998 International Programs
spring residencies. The Program also continues to share a joint housing
arrangement with the Office of the Associate Provost for International
Programs. The responsibility of filling our quota of Mayflower apartments
for our semestral lease has been shared with other departments, notably
International Programs (who house visiting scholars in available IWP-allocated
rooms and entirely in the spring, utilizing IWP housing equipment).
The Council
for International Visitors to Iowa Cities (CIVIC) hosted its annual
picnic honoring the IWP writers, an event that is invaluable in the
opportunity it gives for our visitors to meet friends from the Iowa
City community, and more importantly, to learn about volunteers and
the central role they play in American civic life. The Iowa City Foreign
Relations Council also featured several IWP authors - Lila Momplé
(Mozambique), Marita van der Vyver (South Africa), and Kirpal Singh
- at their luncheon lecture series.
Other
languages and literature departments brought our writers to their programs
for lectures in classes or readings, most notably the Department of
Spanish and Portuguese and the Russian Department. The Department of
Spanish and Portuguese, together with Torre de Papel, presented the
eight Spanish-speaking and Luçophone IWP authors at two "Noches
de Escritores" on October 7 and 9. Venezuelan author Arturo José
Gutiérrez is returning to the campus for a month to do workshops
with the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. His residency is provided
by a grant from the Stanley Foundation. A similar fellowship from the
Stanley Foundation is being held by Aleksey Varlamov, for collaborative
work with the Russian Department; he is concurrently at the University
of Iowa through the International Programs/IWP spring residencies.
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New
projects.
The program
has initiated an archival and document preservation project, through
the resources of the University of Iowa Libraries' unit in preservation
and conservation. Rowena Torrevillas is working with Regina Sinclair,
head of the unit, and Edward Shreeves of Special Collections, to explore
means by which the written materials of writers over the past thirty
years can be reproduced for storage. The program has kept extensive
files of writers' manuscripts - copies of talks, translations, writing
projects produced during writers' residencies over the past three decades
- and we have had occasion to provide these texts (and other files pertaining
to the writers) to scholars from other institutions conducting research
on specific authors. Over the years, these materials have been "mined"
for use in IWP anthologies, but beyond their publishable potential,
they have a continuing - and increasing - archival value. Most are in
the perishable form of typewritten carbon-copy flimsies and quickly
fading "ditto-machine" reproductions (others are handwritten), and we
are concerned that their deterioration would deprive the program, and
posterity, of an irreplaceable resource.
The program
is producing a brochure, which gathers together written excerpts solicited
from writers who have taken part in the program over the past ten years.
A combination of fundraising instrument, thirty-year celebration, and
"farewell party" in written form for the outgoing director, and a the
brochure will attempt to document the life-changing impact that the
IWP has had on its writers. Clark Blaise sent out a general letter at
the close of the year, and the responses that have arrived are being
organized by Jane Bradbury, who is working on this project.
The program's
consultant for playwrights, Prof. Shelley Berc, offered a workshop on
creativity for the first time, which utilized the resources of the visiting
writers, and provided a chance for authors to interact with students
from range of course majors. She discusses this workshop in her report,
which appears later.
As mentioned
above, this year the IWP enjoyed enhanced opportunities to extend the
on-campus residencies and share the expertise of selected authors through
fellowships given by the Stanley Foundation. Arturo José Gutiérrez,
Venezuelan poet, and director general of the Rómulo Gallegos
Latin American Studies Center in Caracas, and Aleksey Varlamov, assistant
professor of Russian literature at Moscow State University, are the
first holders of these Stanley grants to the IWP. Both writers were
at the 1997 session through subsidy from the US Information Agency.
The program
was also awarded a National Media Fellowship from the Council for the
Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) for a second consecutive
year. The fellowships were advertised last year, when the program session
was already well advanced, so the Council agreed to extend the fellowship
opportunities for the year following.
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Ongoing
Activities
The
course, International Literature Today.
The class
is offered to upper level graduate and undergraduate students from a
range of disciplines, and uses text materials taken from the writings
of each of the IWP participants. It was developed in 1986 by Daniel
Weissbort and Frederic Will, with eight students attending. Thirty-five
students were enrolled in the class in 1997, which was held on Monday
afternoons from September 8 through October 20; most of the program
members went to each session as well. Peter Nazareth, who co-teaches
the course with Clark Blaise and Rowena Torrevillas, provides the following
report:
The class,
International Literature Today, in the Fall of 1997 was one of the best
of the International Writing Program. Nearly all of the writers gave
presentations. The samples of writing that were distributed for each
class contained concise, brilliant and sometimes provocative examples
of the writing of the writers. The writers all have excellent presentations
which led to intense discussions and sometimes controversy, as between
Christos Homenides of Greece and Goretti Kyomuhendo from Uganda. The
papers turned in by the students contained a great range, dealing with
both the writings and the presentations; the most provocative participant
was Christos because students who analyzed his work, supporting their
analysis by reference to his questioning of Goretti, ranged from those
who thought he understood women very well to those who thought he was
a sexist who absolutely did not understand women. Some of the students
chose to focus their final papers on women's writing, centering their
discussion on five of the women writers. Others contrasted the work
by the two Hungarian writers. One excellent piece analyzed the work
of Marina Palei (Russia), by showing that, for all the influences on
her writing and its brevity, her work was in the tradition of Tolstoy
and Dostoevsky. One student, analyzing the work of Mohamed Metwalli,
said it was the most brilliant among the writers. There was something
for everybody and by everybody. The writers themselves were surprised
at what was written about their work; some of their reactions ranged
from those who thought the students produced very fine writing, to those
who thought that Americans did not understand their culture and situation.
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Weekly
seminars and discussions.
The discussion
series was held on Wednesday afternoons at the John Gerber Lounge (304
EPB), and we introduced an innovation this year by placing a faculty
member (from the Department of English or of Comparative Literature)
on each panel. Several of the panels were videotaped and broadcast over
the local cable networks. The topics were formulated by program coordinator
Rowena Torrevillas, and included new themes such as "Nature Poetry in
an Urban World" "Writing Short Fiction and Shorter Fiction" and "Archetypes
of the Millennium." The first talk was "My Pilgrim Soul: Choosing the
Other Tongue," on September 3 and moderated by Rowena Torrevillas, with
speakers Marita van der Vyver, Bernadette Hall, Kirpal Singh, and Goretti
Kyomuhendo. On September 10, American poet Marvin Bell led a discussion
on "Nature Poetry in an Urban World," with Adriana Szymanska, Mohamed
Metwalli, Arturo Gutiérrez, and Mónica Velásquez.
The series
continued with a discussion led by Prof. Susan Lohafer on "Writing Short
Fiction and Shorter Fiction," along with Ly Lan, Marina Palei, Kuamvi
Kuakuvi, and Lilia Momplé. On October 1, Professor Alan Nagel
led the panel dealing with the language of literary criticism; the other
speakers were Chang Ta-chun, Lourdes Espinola, and Guillermo Quintero.
Program director Clark Blaise, who originated the idea for "Imagining
a Revolution," moderated a group of writers whose work reconstructed
or reimagined cataclysmic moments of conflict in their national or ethnic
histories (Tibor Fischer, Zyta Oryzsyn, and Christos Homenides).
Translation
Program director Daniel Weissbort chaired the panel on "The Writer as
Translator," with participants Zakaria Ariffin, Suchen Lim, Pal Bekes,
and Guillermo Quintero. The series ended with "Archetypes of the Millennium,"
which was cosponsored by International Programs and held at the International
Center Lounge following a reception on November 12. R. Brooks Landon
led discussion on emergent and recurrent millennial and apocalyptic
themes across cultures, together with Peter Macsovszky, Aleksey Varlamov,
Békés Pál, and Aura María Vidales.
The inclusion
of faculty panelists accomplished a number of important goals for the
program: it brought more students into the public forum; it provided
the writers with broader opportunities for exchange with other academic
units; it gave the writers a common forum with the faculty panelists
who are world-class scholars, and generous with their time and expertise.
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Readings.
The program
is especially happy that this year several groups of writers were able
to share their work and ideas in a community setting outside the University
of Iowa. On September 12, the Paul Engle Center was inaugurated in Cedar
Rapids, and a large contingent of our writers, led by former director
and co-founder Hualing Nieh Engle and program administrator Rowena Torrevillas,
took part in the event. Readings were given by IWP authors, including
Aleksey Varlamov, Lourdes Espinola, and Kuamvi Kuakuvi. On September
23, four IWP authors took part in the Iowa City Public Library's Freedom
of Expression Week, speaking on a panel about censorship, with Peter
Nazareth moderating. For the fourth consecutive year, three IWP participants
also gave separate readings and workshops at the Quad Cities Arts Center
in Rock Island, Illinois. The Iowa City Foreign Relations Council also
featured Lilia Momplé, Kirpal Singh, and Marita van der Vyver
during various lunchtime meetings.
Various
other talks and readings were given by writers through the auspices
of other departments. The Program in African-American World Studies
was extremely active and helpful in placing the African writers in schools
across the city, for talks and presentations with students. A few writers
spoke in community centers and churches, such as the ongoing Adult Education
series at the St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, which features at least
one IWP writer each fall. In addition to the nine readings held jointly
with Writers' Workshop readers at Prairie Lights Books on Sunday afternoons,
three readings were held at the ArtsIowa City Gallery. IWP writers also
took part in the Wednesday evening Talk/Art Cabaret at the Mill Restaurant.
All the readings were coordinated by Rowena Torrevillas with the help
of research assistant Cara Wall.
The program
also brings well-known American and international writers to the campus
for readings and presentations, primarily through an allocation from
the College of Liberal Arts, which is held jointly with the Writers'
Workshop. The IWP brought Mesquaki poet Ray Young Bear to the campus
for a reading on October 6. In collaboration with the Workshop, these
writers gave readings sponsored by the program: poet W. S. Merwin, poet
Richard Wilbur, fiction writer Tobias Wolfe. Writers of note visit Iowa
City with great frequency, and it is Iowa City's pride that there are
standing-room only readings held on almost every night during the high
season; among the distinguished names in contemporary writing whom the
IWP writers heard were Jamaica Kincaid, Alan Gurganus, Marvin Bell,
Ann Patchett, and Deborah Eisenberg. A complete list appears later in
this report.
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Playwrights'
Activities and Creativity Workshop.
Prof.
Shelley Berc, IWP consultant for playwrights, provides the following
report. Alejandro Fogel provided special assistance to the program for
Latin American writers as well as graphic design.
In 1997
we started the first writers workshop for undergraduates that regularly
used International Writing Program writers. Over the course of the semester,
8 of the writers visited our "Creativity Workshop: Writing, Drawing,
and Performance", conducted writing exercises, read their works,talked
with students about the process of being a writer. As part of their
assigned work, the students also attended several of the IWP readings
at Prairie Lights and the Iowa City Art Center as well as lectures at
the International Center. In addition to this, the workshop attracted
several IWP writers as observers who wanted to bring some of our methods
of teaching creativity back to their home countries where many also
teach.
During
the November travel period, playwrights and poets from the IWP had readings
at professional theatres in Portland, Maine. At Portland Repertory over
150 people came to see actors perform portions of plays by Pal Bekes
(Hungary), Jorge Accame (Argentina), and Bernadette Hall (New Zealand),
as well as poetry by Lourdes Espinola (Paraguay), Mohamed Metwalli (Egypt),
and Kirpal Singh (Singapore). The Portland Rep and Margaret Pusch of
the Intercultural Communication Institute hope to expand the program
next year to include having the writers give lectures in area high schools
and colleges as well as to civic groups. The theatre is considering
some of these pieces for their festival of new plays next spring.
In New
York City, playwrights and poets had portions their works performed
script in hand for an invited audience of 80 professional playwrights,artistic
directors, actors and designers at the New York Theater Workshop, one
of the country's most well known theatres for contemporary writers.
Here plays by Jorge Accame, Pal Bekes, and Bernadette Hall, Kornel Hamvai
(Hungary) as well as poetry by Mohamed Metwalli, Kirpal Singh, and Aura
María Vidales (Mexico) were presented. The playwrights also had
meetings with New Dramatists artistic director Todd London and Martha
Coigney, director of ITI (International Theatre Institute). This is
the first year that writers other than playwrights have been included
in the Portland and New York City reading programs and it was a very
successful addition.
Shelley
Berc advised playwrights on where and how to get work produced in the
United States and provided professional contacts. Alejandro Fogel advised
the Latin American writers on matters ranging from publication to contacts
with the Spanish speaking community at Iowa and in various other cities
across America.
Alejandro
Fogel and Arturo Gutiérrez (Venezuela) are in the process of
developing an on-line literary magazine that will focus on Latin American
IWP writers past and present. This will be in association with the Romulo
Gallegos Latin American Studies Center.
As a result
of discussions with Douglas Messerli, publisher of Sun and Moon Press,
IWP writers will be invited to give readings at Sun and Moon's Bookstore
in Los Angeles next fall. Several previous IWP poets are being published
by Mr. Messerli in his upcoming international poetry of the 20th century
collection.
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Translation
Workshop.
Prof.
Daniel Weissbort, who heads the Translation Workshop through the Program
in Comparative Literature, taught the IWP's interactive workshop in
translation, now in its third year. His report follows.
This semester,
the Translation Workshop got off to a flying start. An unprecedented
number of writers as well as students (mostly from Creative Writing)
took part. So large was the initial group (over 30 people) that eventually
we were obliged to divide the Workshop into two sections, Carolyn Brown
taking one and the present writer the other. We swapped workshops on
a weekly basis so that participants would have the benefit of both Carolyn's
and my expertise!
Many of
the early problems have been ironed out now, although it seems that
we shall have to exert somewhat more pressure on participants to attend
regularly. The commitment was, in fact, high but group identity was
harder to preserve, with the class divided into two. We were, to some
extent, victims of our own success. Still, this is so innovative a workshop,
that we are determined to persevere. It is our intention, in future,
to "write up" the workshop more assiduously, since it provides us with
multiple insights into the practicalities of literary translation and
the nature of intercultural relations.
The magazine
Exchanges, published by the Workshop, will as usual feature a number
of the translations produced in Fall 1997, not least a full length play
by Jorge Accame, expertly translated by Susan Benner. But there are
many other fine and publishable translations. We are more than ever
convinced that participation in the workshop is one of the most significant
activities that visiting writers can take part in. The combination of
International Writing Program and Translation Workshop is, indeed, fortunate
and to be nurtured.
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The
Video Project.
The video
documentation for the IWP is now going into its eleventh year. The IWP
interview series, both from the current session and from previous years,
runs all year round on both Iowa Public Television (cable channel 2
in the Iowa City viewing area) and the University of Iowa Cable Channel
(channel 12). This year's series continued a format initiated in the
1996 series, wherein program participants were encouraged to interview
each other, achieving what is noticeably a more spontaneous and informal
dialogue. The series is also incorporating more outdoor sequences and
settings into the design, along with still photography. Lem Torrevillas,
who is producing a half-hour feature on the program's past five years,
gives this report.
Most of
the interviews were conducted between writers and IWP staff, others
between writers and graduate students, and some between writers. A couple
of writers did interviews, and were themselves interviewed by other
writers or staff members. Every year there's always one writer who does
not want to be interviewed, and this year it was Tibor Fischer who declined
an interview.
Most of
the writers brought materials with them, which were useful for incorporation
in their interviews as visual roll-ins; other writers mailed them here
prior to their arrival in the States. These materials included: video
cassette tapes, books, newspaper clippings, photographs, magazines,
reviews and anthologies.
This year,
the writers were matched up, one-on-one, for interviews. A complete
list appears later in this report. Every interview pairing is edited
into a half hour show and broadcast on the local cable stations. The
rebroadcasts generally go on over a period of years.
Footage
was also taken of several activities in the program, including 4 two-hour
panel discussions.
The shows
should start airing in late March on UITV and PATV cable channels.
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Publications
and Translations.
Carolyn
Brown, IWP editorial associate and translations coordinator, provides
this report on 100 Words which she edits, and the translations projects.
1OO
words. 1OO words is celebrating its fifth year of publication.
The journal was founded by participants in the 1993 International Writing
Program, who introduced the idea of setting a limit of one hundred words
on responses in prose or poetry to a theme or "trigger word." The themes
for the 1997-1998 volume are "Memory," "Stone," "Voice," "Passage,"
"Fire," and "Garden." The first issue, "Memory," was cosponsored by
International Programs (formerly Center for International and Comparative
Studies). International Programs a reception for the 1997 IWP writers
and the public, offering a delicious meal and an opportunity to hear
poems and short prose pieces on "memory" from around the world. Alas,
our director's contribution was received past the deadline for the issue,
but we were able to hear it at the reception.
During
their residence in Iowa City, a number of IWP participants served on
the advisory board: Mónica Velásquez Guzman (Bolivia),
Ly Lan (Vietnam), Arturo Gutiérrez Plaza (Venezuela), Steve Sharra
(Malawi), Aura María Vidales (Mexico), Chang Ta-chun (Taiwan),
Kirpal Singh (Singapore), Marita van der Vyver (South Africa), Bernadette
Hall (New Zealand).
The first
three issues of volume five feature translations from Catalan, Spanish,
Bengali, French, Hupa, Welsh, Sinhala, Romanian, Congolese, Slovenian,
Russian, and Urdu, and, for the first time, a translation from English,
into Hindi. Contributions by the following 1997 IWP writers were selected
for publication: Peter Macsovszky (Slovakia), Jorge Accame (Argentina),
Han Ki (Korea), Lourdes Espinola (Paraguay), Suchen Christine Lim (Singapore),
Marina Palei (Russia), Kirpal Singh (Singapore), Pál Békés
(Hungary), Bernadette Hall (New Zealand), Lilia Momplé (Mozambique),
Arturo Gutiérrez Plaza (Venezuela), and Steve Sharra (Malawi).
Former IWP participants have continued to contribute to these recent
issues as well: Daniel Deleanu (Romania, 1995), Mohammad Rafiq (Bangladesh,
1993), Ambrose Massaquoi (Sierra Leone, 1994), founding editor Rolf
Hughes (United Kingdom, 1993); Madhubashini Disanayaka (Sri Lanka, 1996)
has continued to send work from her own Colombo-based newspaper version
of 1OO words to us as well.
We are
again grateful for funding from the University of Iowa Student Government
to help cover some of our printing costs. UISG had supported 1OO words
since our second year of publication. And we are pleased by a substantial
increase in subscriptions, a result of a mailing in August to writers
who had submitted work to the journal during the past year. The labor
of logging in each submission (now around 300 for each issue) has proved
well worth the effort. The editor has also continued to display back
issues and discuss the journal each week with participants in the Summer
Writing Festival. This coming summer, she will be conducting two weekend
sessions for the Summer Writing Festival, based on the 1OO words discipline
of distillation and compression in creative writing.
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Other
Publications.
A selection of poems by four former IWP participants-Eugenius Alisanka
(Lithuania, 1995), Ranjit Hoskote (India, 1995), Ambrose Massaquoi (Sierra
Leone, 1994), and Mohammad Sulaiman (Egypt, 1995)- appeared in the Fall
1997 issue of the Iowa Review, edited and with an introductory essay
by Carolyn Brown.
Translations.
For the IWP course, International Literature Today, translations were
prepared by a number of translators: Susan Benner, a story from Spanish
by Jorge Accame; Christopher Mattison, a story from Russian by Aleksey
Varlamov; Andy Douglas, poems from Korean by Han Ki; Jen Hofer, poems
from Spanish by Aura María Vidales; Amity Gaige, an excerpt from
a novel from Spanish by Guillermo Quintero. Staff member Hillary Gardner
translated poems by Arturo Gutiérrez Plaza and a story by Sergio
Gómez, both from Spanish; and Carolyn Brown translated poems
from Spanish by Mónica Velásquez, poems and a story from
Spanish by Jorge Accame, and an essay from French by Mawule Kuamvi Kuakuvi
for the class as well. Additionally, Alice Bauer translated a portion
of a play by Békés Pál for performance in New York
City and Portland, Maine; Hillary Gardner, Carolyn Brown, and Corinne
Stanley translated essays for several Spanish-speaking writers for panel
presentations and other talks. Additional information about translation
activities appears in the Translation Workshop section of this report.
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Open-Mike
Readings and Radio Interviews.
Peter
Nazareth, IWP adviser to international writers, conducts interviews
throughout the semester for broadcast on "The Humanities at Iowa" program
on radio stations WSUI/KSUI. In 1997 he interviewed Békés
Pál, Tibor Fischer, Kornel Hamvai, Suchen Lim, and Marita van
derVyver. He also ran the weekly in-house IWP workshops at the Mayflower
conference room,where the writers read to one another their works in
progress and discussed their own writing. These sessions are called
"Open-Mike Readings" because of their informality: an invisible "microphone"
is held open for any writer who would like to read or speak, although
Peter also arranges beforehand for at least one or two readers to present
their work.
Here is
his report:
The Open
Mike Readings were held in the Mayflower every Tuesday. Nearly every
writers came to the Open Mike at one time or another, and there was
a group that came for every session. The discussion of the work in the
Open Mike were very full and thoughtful. Lilia Momplé, Guillermo
Quinteros, Aura Vidales, Goretti Kyomuhendo, Steve Sharra, Lourdes Espinola,
Mawule Kuakuvi, Adriana Szymanska, Suchen Lim, and Bernadette Hall were
among the most regular participants and discussants.
Those
who took part in the Open Mikes were:
Jorge
Accame, Zakaria Ariffin, Békés Pál, Chang Ta-chun,
Lourdes Espinola (very active reader and discussant), Tibor Fischer,
Arturo Gutiérrez, Bernadette Hall, Christos Homenides, Zyta Oryzsyn,
Mawule Kuakuvi (active reader and discussant), Goretti Kyomuhendo (active
reader and discussant), Ly Lan (active reader and discussant), Suchen
Christine Lim (very active reader and discussant), Peter Macsovszky,
Mohamed Metwalli, Lilia Momplé (very active reader and discussant),
Steve Sharra (very active participant and discussant), Kirpal Singh
(active), Adriana Szymanska (very passionate reader and discussant),
Jasmina Tesanovic (active), Marita van der Vyver (active reader and
thoughtful discussant), Aleksey Varlamov, Mónica Velásquez
(very thoughtful reader and participant), Aura Vidales (very active
reader and participant).
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Receptions,
Field Trips and Community Activities.
Throughout
the program, the writers were offered hospitality in the homes of friends
in the community as well as program staff. The writers' first public
reception is traditionally hosted by First National Bank of Iowa City,
when writers are introduced to friends from the Iowa City community
and the university. Gatherings were organized by groups such as the
Council for International Visitors to Iowa Cities (CIVIC), which hosts
an annual picnic hosting the IWP writers at City Park; another much-enjoyed
event is the reception held by International Programs at the International
Center Lounge. Each year, on a Saturday afternoon during the harvest
season, the writers visit a local farm; we have enjoyed the bounty and
hospitality of the family of Keith and Joanne Hemingway over the years,
but because of Mrs. Hemingway's recent illness, this much loved event
was, with much regret, foregone for this year. Home hospitality at the
close of each session takes place at the farm of John and Allegra Dane,
in the form of an early Thanksgiving dinner; always a bittersweet event
because of the impending separation at the end of the week, the writers
enjoyed the banquet prepared by the Danes and their neighbors, as well
as a tour of neighboring farms following the meal.
The program
holds an all-day orientation session at the Iowa Memorial Union immediately
following the writers' arrival. An innovation suggested by former IWP
translations coordinator Elizabeth Trapnell Rawlings, this event has
been found to be extremely helpful in setting the tone for the program,
and we have incorporated it into our planning each year since Mrs. Rawlings
left in 1995. An opening dinner and garden party was held at the home
of the Torrevillases, and later in the week, the Blaise home opened
its doors for the Writers' Workshop and other IWP friends to meet the
writers; toward the close of the session program secretary Jane Bradbury
held a party at her house, and the closing of the program was celebrated
at the home of the director.
The corporate
headquarters of Deere & Co. in Moline, Illinois once again welcomed
the IWP at an all-day visit. Deere Community Relations Officer Cheryl
Salley worked with the coordinator and other staff to organize this
event, which included the highly treasured steamboat ride down the Mississippi
River. IWP writers are always recognizable around Iowa City (and perhaps
on their return to their homes) following the Deere visit: they return
from their visit to Moline wearing the distinctive green and gold seed
caps, their books and manuscripts stowed in the handsome totes that
are the gift of John Deere. The Company was one of the first that responded
to IWP Founder Paul Engle's call for corporate support thirty years
ago, and their generosity remains one of the program's pillars from
the Iowa community.
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Jane Bradbury
gives an account of the field trips and events she organized for the
writers:
Fort Madison
Rodeo. This year's field trips kicked off with a smashing visit to the
Fort Madison Rodeo. Two vans full of writers arrived at the Tri-State
Rodeo to witness bucking broncos, clown comedy, glittering beauty queens,
Miss Iowa Rodeo, calf roping, barrel racing, and best of all, the small
town atmosphere that prevailed at the rodeo. To top it off, a fabulous
fireworks display lit up the dark sky as children from surrounding schools
sang and danced for the crowd. Many of the writers sampled their first
barbecue, finding the tender and juicy barbecued pork sandwiches quite
a treat. The cotton candy, a novelty for the whole group, also left
quite an impression! All in all, it was an event that gave the writers
a great introduction to small-town America.
Canoe
Trip. Once again, the paddle trip was quite a hit. I had a great time
(in spite of a fractured right arm), thanks to my friend who paddled
me expertly down the river. This year we put in at Troy Mills and ended
up at Stone City, a two hour float. After getting used to their vessels
and the conditions of the river, the writers raced one another down
the Wapsipinicon to finish once again in record time. Next year's group
should be entered in the Dragon Boat Races. No one accidentally went
down the rapids this year, although the Malaysia-Uganda team were stuck
on a sand bar for awhile until they managed at last to pole themselves
back into deeper waters. Thanks to the sun and the lovely scenery (we
saw blue herons, egrets, and dozens of western painted turtles basking
in the sun), we had a fantastic time. It was a great day and the only
regrets were that we didn't take enough photos.
Pike's
Peak and Effigy Mounds. We set off early on a wonderfully warm Autumn
day to drive to Pike's Peak State Park. Following the Great River Road,
there was scintillating scenery all the way. It was a beautiful sunny
day and the leaves were gorgeous shades of red and yellow. A picnic
at Pikes Peak was followed by wandering about and we all took in the
majestic views of the wide Mississippi River. Everyone was greatly impressed
by its size and beauty. One of the writers took an independent one hour
hike around the trails without telling anyone and we had to cancel the
trip to Effigy Mounds due to the delay. This seemed trivial, however,
in comparison to our delight in finding her again. We made up for the
loss of Effigy Mounds park by taking a short but lovely hike along the
bluff at Pike's Peak to see a few burial mounds and to take in Bridal
Veil Falls.
Columbus
Day Parade. Eighteen writers headed down to Columbus Junction this year
for the annual Columbus Day Parade. After a delicious meal of authentic
Mexican cooking at a restaurant right off of Main Street, the writers
gathered to witness a small town American parade. Amused and delighted
by everything (high school marching bands, pork politicians, enormous
tractors, vintage cars, cowboys, Mexican dancers, and formations of
tasseled Shriners zooming around in awesome hot rods), the writers stood
and took as many photographs as possible.
Draft
Horse Auction in Kalona. We headed to Kalona on a beautiful day in November.
Having observed Amish farmers in the fields, as well as horses and buggies
along the road, we were able to get a closer look in the Sale Barn during
the monthly auctioning of draft horses. All were enchanted by the beautiful
foals that trotted out into the paddock to be viewed by would-be buyers.
One of our Hungarian writers stretched an arm into the air and nearly
bought a sixteen-hand draft horse. Fortunately for him (and for our
housing assistant), a higher bid soon followed. Our Russian writer,
Aleksey Varlamov, interviewed a few of the Amish men about the political
system in the community. He then responded to a few of their questions
about Russia. All in all, it was a fun and interesting day.
Some of
the other activities and field trips this year included a Halloween
dance, a hike and picnic at Lake MacBride, a trip to the visitor's center,
and a quick visit to the Raptor Center. The canoe trip, however, was
once again the the favorite field trip, closely followed by the Tri-State
Rodeo.
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The
Travel Project.
A keystone
of the program's outreach, the travel project has expanded over the
years, and now requires the fulltime attention of a research assistant.
The Writers' Workshop designates a research assistant to work with Rowena
Torrevillas, and (in addition to acting as liaison in planning joint
readings with graduate students in the Workshop and IWP members), this
assistant is assigned to coordinate domestic travel itinerary of IWP
writers. This year, Cara Wall was the Workshop research assistant assigned
to the IWP, replacing recently graduate Juliet Barnes as travel coordinator.
She worked with individual writers, triangulating between the Institute
for International Education (which administers the grants and travels
for USIA-supported writers) and the Meacham Travel Agency (for travel
for privately-supported writers). Cara's work was invaluable, particularly
because the coordinator was out of the country in the weeks leading
up to and during the travel period. The complexity of this task cannot
be overstated, as it involves helping to develop the itinerary of each
participant, and diligently seeking out affordable fares and lodgings,
arranging car-rental vouchers and bus and train tickets for each person.
At the start of the program, each participant was asked to draw up a
list of places he or she hoped to visit; the travel coordinator then
worked with the individual to refine the list according to affordability
and/or logistic viability. The program coordinator works with many contact
persons across the country, at other schools and institutions which
express interest in specific writers or the countries represented, and
potential visits are drawn up according to these needs.
The designated
travel period was October 21 through November 3. Most of the writers
were invited to give presentations at other institutions across the
United States; a few chose to use this time to visit professional or
personal contacts. Four of the thirty opted not to use their travel
allocation (two because they had to return home early, the others because
they preferred to stay in town to write).
Among
the many schools visited in 1997 were the University of California in
Irvine, Wellesley, the University of Florida, schools in Boston, Indianapolis,
Denver; state universities in Raleigh (North Carolina), Houston, San
Antonio, Oakland, Fayetteville (Arkansas), Champaign-Urbana (Illinois),
New Orleans. Schools in Iowa, such as Grinnell and Augustana, were also
beneficiaries of the writers' presence within the state. The playwrights
visited New York and Portland, Maine. Cara also organized trips to the
Grand Canyon, San Francisco, and Seattle for several writers, who felt
that the experience was worth all of the planes, trains and automobiles.
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Program
Administration
Clark
Blaise, the program director, is responsible for setting general directional
policies, initiating new programs, and is in charge of fund-raising
and maintaining the prominence of the Program on campus, nationally,
and abroad. He works in liaison with the Department of English, the
Program in Comparative Literature, the Writers' Workshop, and other
units on all cooperative ventures. He provides the writers with a firsthand
introduction to the American literary culture, primarily through a daily
class he teaches, "American Text and Context," which draws upon a variety
of contemporary texts and journal accounts of current events. Drawing
from his contacts in the literary, publishing, corporate, and academic
fields, he provides introductions for individual writers in these areas.
He is the host, friend, and knowledgeable guide to the writers throughout
their residency and sustains the program's links throughout the world.
Rowena
Torrevillas, program coordinator, manages the program's activities.
She handles the IWP's administrative aspects, beginning with the nomination
process and the negotiation of all grant details, through to the planning
and execution of the program's events. She is responsible for the budget
and grant administration, coordinating with the USIA and other funding
agencies; she sustains communication with each of the posts to work
out the details of each grantee's participation. She liaises with university
departments, other schools, the community, arranging readings and appearances
both locally and across the country; she manages the travel project,
prepares all grants and reports, organizes seminars and readings, and
oversees office staff. She designs the program activities and is responsible
for all scheduling. She assists the director with communications and
other administrative matters, and represents the program at his request.
Peter
Nazareth, Professor of English and African-American World Studies, is
the program's Adviser to International Writers. He and his wife, Mary,
have the longest tenure on the IWP staff, since their association with
the program dates back to the 1970's when he took part in the IWP. In
1997, he led the mini-course, International Literature Today, and conducted
the open-mike readings and in-house workshops. He holds radio and television
interviews. His close readings of individual writers' works are the
basis for initiating the literary discussion primary to our mission.
Shelley
Berc, consultant for playwrights and the program's specialist on the
theatre, is in her second year of affiliation with the program. In 1997
she consolidated the opportunities she had earlier initiated for the
IWP playwrights, providing them opportunities to have their work read,
discussed and potentially published in New York City and Portland, Maine,
and to meet with American theatre professionals on- and off-Broadway
and in a regional theatre setting. During both fall and spring semesters,
she teaches workshops that explore techniques and issues related to
creativity; she brought IWP writers into her fall workshops, which brought
greater depth to the writers' activities here. She holds regular consultations
with the playwrights. Her husband, Alejandro Fogel, was very helpful
in providing graphic design for our publicity, and both of them extended
hospitality to the writers, particularly the playwrights and those from
Latin America.
Jane Bradbury,
program secretary, has taken charge of planning field trips and community
events, in addition to keeping the program's financial records and overseeing
the program's ever-increasing inventory of technological and computing
needs. She has brought a warmth and passion for detail to the job, and
the field trips that she plans for our writers reflect her concern for
others' wellbeing, as much as her knowledgeable enjoyment of the outdoors.
This year, she is assisting in a special project, to produce a brochure
about the Iowa recollections of writers from the past ten years. While
the program is in session, we have availed of the services of Hillary
Gardner, who doubles as the morning secretary and provider of support
for manuscript production, while also providing translation and editorial
assistance.
Carolyn
Brown's work as editorial associate has acquired additional dimensions
in the five years since she joined the staff. While her time in the
fall semester is designated for the translation, editing, and preparation
of materials for use in the International Literature Today class, as
well as helping individual writers edit their presentations as they
occur, her responsibilities as editor of 100 Words have vastly expanded
commensurate with the journal's increased reach. She assisted Prof.
Weissbort with the IWP Translation Workshop this year, handling one
section of the class, and continued work on several ongoing translation
projects, including preparations for a trip to India and Bangladesh
over the winter break.
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Lem Torrevillas
has brought the video project to its present form, with full-session
documentation and IWP-owned production facilities: a far distance traveled
over the past eleven years when, in the beginning, the program only
taped a handful panel discussions at the public library and used community-programming
resources for post-production editing. Thirty to 35 individual interviews
are produced and broadcast, in addition to all program discussions and
public forums; the completed interviews are transferred to appropriate
video standards for rebroadcast abroad. He supplies the writers' audiovisual
needs, and trains student interns majoring in broadcast and communications.
In 1997 he initiated a new narrative approach, focusing on individual
discussion of works in progress and the interchanges between author
and translator. A full length-documentary on the IWP is also in the
works.
Mary Nazareth
is on the front lines each day, from the first moment the writers set
foot in the Mayflower. She eases the first-time visitor's transition
to the daily realities of life in the United States, dealing with health
emergencies, homesickness, phone bills, meeting each writer's personal
crises with serenity, evenhandedness, and unfailing compassion She provides
a remarkable variety of solutions to situations that can never be anticipated
beforehand, and her years of seasoned experience and her instinct for
kindness are the strengths the program relies on. During the spring
semester she fulfills a similar function for the visiting international
scholars. We would be lost without her.
The research
assistants in 1997-98 were Prasenjit Gupta and Cara Wall. Prasenjit,
who marks his fourth year of association with the IWP, works closely
with manuscript editing, translation, and production, and has taken
on many responsibilities for the production of 100 Words. Cara is assigned
to us by the Writers' Workshop, and in her first year as an R.A., she
quickly mastered the nerve-wracking intricacies of coordinating the
writers' domestic travel, and, with Hillary Gardner, shouldered tasks
of providing liaison with other schools, the weekly scheduling and publicity
duties the coordinator left in their hands. Office support was provided
by Julie Fall (now in her third year with us), Luci Harper, and Jason
Khongmaly; they supplemented the staffing of the video project together
with Molly Neylan; their services also included airport and grocery
runs and driving the maxi-van. All of these student assistants were
supported by work-study allocations.
The program
would not survive without the many, often unacknowledged, services of
volunteers and friends. Home hospitality, an hour spent over coffee
downtown, a friendly word spoken in the lobby of one of the lecture
halls: these are the tributaries that have linked Iowa City to the larger
rivers of writing across the world.
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Program
Support
The United
States Information Agency, through the Group Projects Division of the
International Visitor Program, provided grants for twenty of this year's
writers. Timely notification about the project to the posts worldwide
was a vital factor in raising such a high level of support this year,
and the program gives its profound thanks to Ms. Helen Szpakowski at
USIA for the energy, vision, meticulous attention to detail, tremendous
insight and dedication she devoted to the project during the five years
she was associated with us. Ms. Audrey Annette Ford is the program officer
currently assigned to the project, and we are grateful for the adroit
and able way in which she took over Ms. Szpakowski's responsibility
for the IWP at the start of the new session.
We have
been notified that the Agency is supporting the program through this
coming year, 1998, and will evaluate its continued participation following
this year.
We acknowledge
our great debt to the cultural affairs officers at American embassies
around the world, who made outstanding selections for the program in
1997. The writers they chose were uniformly excellent, not only in terms
of literary achievement, but in the less visible (but perhaps even more
crucial) personal qualification for success at such an enterprise as
we run here: each of the writers chosen for the program this year had
personalities that blended well, and everyone had the resilience and
generosity necessary for thirty people to get along happily together.
Writers are notoriously layered individuals, whose need for privacy
and freedom is often expressed in ironic terms; the cultural affairs
officers who screened candidates for the program brought discernment
of ability and an appreciation for individuality to their selection.
It is to them, and to the officers at other cultural agencies who helped
us choose our participants, that we owe the happy dynamic of this year's
program, and the success of this year's IWP community.
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We take
particular note of the posts that sent us double representation in 1997,
and thus a double endorsement of the IWP (the posts in Moscow, Mexico
City, and Budapest); and those posts that resumed their support of the
program after an interruption of more than a decade (Athens, Asunción,
Kampala, Lilongwe, the American Institute Taiwan). The USIA-supported
writers were Mónica Velásquez (Bolivia), Mohamed Metwalli
(Egypt), Christos Homenides (Greece), Békés Pál
(Hungary), Hamvai Kornel (Hungary), Guillermo Quintero Montano (Mexico),
Aura María Vidales Ibarra (Mexico), Lilia Momplé (Mozambique),
Lourdes Espinola Wiezell (Paraguay), Marina A. Palei (Russia), Aleksey
Varlamov (Russia), Peter Macsovszky (Slovakia), Chang Ta-chun (Taiwan),
Mawule Kuamvi Kuakuvi (Togo), Goretti Kyomuhendo (Uganda), Tibor Fischer
(United Kingdom of Great Britain), Arturo José Gutiérrez
(Venezuela), Ly Thi Lan (Vietnam). The USIA also provided the international
and domestic travel for Jorge E. Accame (Argentina).
The Office
of International Visitors facilitated the grants of individual writers,
which were administered by the University of Iowa and the Institute
of International Education's personnel, notably project assistant Angela
Bond.
Our partners
at cultural institutes abroad continue to provide faithful support for
the program, and the individuals they send us represent the best and
brightest of the writers from their nations. The Fundación Antorchas
in Buenos Aires, under the leadership of José Xavier Martini
and Américo Castilla, gave us Jorge Accame this year, through
a new cooperative arrangement with the USIA. Chile continued its history
of exemplary representation in Sergio Gómez, who was supported
by the Fundación Andes, under cultural manager Hernán
Rodríguez. The Korean Culture and Arts Foundation provided a
grant for Han Ki (whose participation was foreshortened because he was
newly appointed to a professorship. We appreciate the earnest efforts
of Han Ki to fulfill his obligations to all, particularly since it involved
crossing the Pacific and the North American continent four times in
a span of five weeks, shuttling between Seoul and Iowa City.) The Dewan
Bahasa dan Pustaka Malaysia gave us Zakaria Ariffin, providing a full
grant to the program, as it has for unbroken successive years since
1991.
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The Arts
Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa sustained its ever-amazing succession
of representatives; general manager Rosemary Wildblood has accomplished
the extraordinary feat of sending us writers, year after year, who provide
a solid, sweet-spirited core to the program's dynamic: the New Zealander
is invariably the heart of the program, and Bernadette Hall fulfilled
that role in full. Poland continued its honored history of strong representation
at the IWP, with two writers this year. The Alfred Jurzykowski Foundation,
through the assistance of Ms. Bluma Cohen, continued its support through
sponsorship of fiction writer Zyta Oryszyn. The Kosciuszko Foundation
gave a full grant this year for poet Adriana Szymanska, whose Kosciuszko
grant also included a spring 1997 residency at Berkeley. Singapore sent
two writers to the IWP too. The Lee Foundation inaugurated its first
year of program support with a fellowship for Kirpal Singh, and the
Fulbright Foundation provided a grant for Suchen Christine Lim.
The South
Africa Foundation for the Creative Arts gave a bursary to Marita van
der Vyver, and we are pleased that an author of her distinction enjoyed
full support here, representing South Africa for the first time since
1991. It is also a source of pride and pleasure that the ArtsLink/Citizens
Exchange Council Residencies have continued their support for a third
year in succession, with a grant for Yugoslav author Jasmina Tesanovic.
It is the first time Yugoslavia has been represented since her country
was divided by strife, and Jasmina added prominence to a list of IWP
Yugoslav writers of high achievement including David Albahari, Grozdana
Olujic, and Primoz Kozak.
The program
also received a National Media Fellowship from the Council for the Advancement
and Support of Education (CASE) for a second consecutive year. As mentioned
earlier in the report, the grant was extended for another year because
applicants had filed too late in the session to take advantage of the
fellowship. Winston Barclay, assistant director of the University of
Iowa Office of Arts Center Relations, was instrumental in securing the
grant.
The Stanley
Foundation provided a grant to the program, which enabled two writers
to return to the University of Iowa for spring residencies. Associate
Provost Michael McNulty of International Programs was responsible for
arranging this grant. The Fulbright Foundation provided support for
Singaporean author Suchen Christine Lim, coordinating with the Council
for International Exchange of Scholars.
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The constituency
of the program is composed of this quilt of benefactors. The USIA provides
us with crucial reach into countries where contacts with cultural agencies
and private institutes are not otherwise available. Rowena Torrevillas
has been the liaison throughout with the Agency in Washington, and maintains
individual contact with the posts in arranging details of the residencies.
Clark Blaise made the initial contact with the agencies, foundations,
and corporations that support writers, and Rowena Torrevillas sustained
the links with these groups, working through the grant management and
programming details with individual managers.
The University
of Iowa administration continues its fullhearted support of the program.
At present, only the director and program coordinator hold fully-funded
salary lines. The appointments held by our two faculty consultants are
subsidized by other units. The rest of our staff are paid through a
patchwork of sources raised from half-time university budget lines,
subventions from the USIA administrative contributions, work/study appointments,
graduate research assistantships, and an annually-negotiated augmentational
grant provided by the Office of the Provost. The Office of the Provost,
particularly the Associate Provost and Dean of International Programs
Michael L. McNulty, has been a source of unflagging and tireless support.
The University of Iowa Foundation, under president Darrell Wyrick, administers
the program's privately-raised funds, which provide the cost-sharing
component for writers' support, and a portion of operational costs to
augment the subsidy allocated to us by the program's university general
expense fund. It is in this most crucial matter of our fiscal survival
that the support of the Office of the Dean of the College of Liberal
Arts has been our major artery. Dean Linda Maxson, who succeeded Judith
Aikin as head, Associate Dean John Fix, and budget officer Robert Payne
have given generously of their vision, energy, and insight, in identifying
funds and providing the underpinning upon which the enterprise stands.
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The Office
of Arts Center Relations supports the program's ever-increasing public-
and press-relations needs. The IWP shares with the Writers' Workshop
the services of a research assistant (for the past two years, Jenny
Burman), who prepares press releases. Winston Barclay, assistant director,
has been extremely active in broadening the IWP's media network; recently,we
received a clipping from the Athens Times describing the IWP participation
of this year's Greek author: the copy rang a familiar note, and the
article turned out to have been derived directly from the releases that
Arts Center Relations sends out routinely on the wire services. Winston
has processed information requests from diverse sources including CNN,
and is responsible for the successful grant from the CASE Foundation.
We are grateful for the invaluable help he and ACR director Peter Alexander
give, with dispatch and attentive and imaginative resourcefulness; the
reliability of their system releases our hard-pressed staff to attend
to the session's multitude of programmatic details.
The management
of Hancher Auditorium continued to provide tickets to cultural events
for our writers throughout the semester. The Hancher staff, under the
management of Wally Chappell has always been extremely helpful; Judy
Hurtig has been a tremendous source of insight and enthusiasm as she
helps the IWP coordinator identify events which our visitors might not
only be interested in viewing, but where they might be put to some use
as scholarly or literary resources.
Our partners
in the Iowa City community have continued their loyal support, increasing
the level of their giving and their services. The First National Bank
of Iowa City provides the traditional opening reception each year, and
writers are initially startled, and overwhelmed, at the perhaps unprecedented
experience of being honored by a banking institution. The Meacham Travel
Service, headed by Elaine Shalla, provided the means by which the privately-supported
writers traveled to this country from their homes, and also during the
travel period. The staff at Meacham, and particularly Elaine (with whom
we work most directly) are the personification of courteous and efficient
service; invariably cheerful and painstaking, they comb their listings
in search of the most cost-effective means for our writers to see the
country, apart from being generous donors to the program, and we are
grateful for their support. We owe the most prestigious of our readings
series to the staff and management of Prairie Lights Books, to owner
Jim Harris and readings coordinator Paul Ingram, who provide the means
and space on Sunday evenings for our readings. Prairie Lights also gives
our writers a welcome gift of certificates for books of the writers'
choice, as well as the airfare for the writer from New Zealand.
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Our colleagues
within the University have been the reason we've been able to expand
the range of our services, programs, and academic outreach. The Writers'
Workshop, though it has moved across campus and its proximity is greatly
missed, continues its partnership in full; our colleague, Workshop program
associate Connie Brothers, keeps the bond strong - nurturing, prodding,
asking the right questions, providing answers no matter how fatuous
the question, all with inimitable grace and style. It is also to the
Workshop, and Connie's astute selection, that we owe our unbroken series
of peerless research assistants, the latest of whom has been Cara Wall.
The Program in African-American World Studies, the Program in Comparative
Literature, the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies, the Department
of Asian Languages and Literatures, the Department of Spanish and Portuguese
have sustained their connection with us, expanding our joint projects
and adding to those already established. International Programs, under
the guidance of Karen Chappell and her enthusiastic and very able staff
(Liz Pearce, notably), are now one of the pillars in our outreach. The
Department of English, under the leadership of Prof. Dee Morris, has
been particularly hospitable and generous with resources; the vastly
enhanced participation of English faculty in our seminars is a testimony
to the warmth exemplified by the department's leadership.
From its
inception thirty years ago, the IWP has always belonged to the people
of Iowa. It is the faithful support of individual givers (whose names
are listed at the end of this report) that has given the program its
pride and its human face. These are the volunteers from the community
who offer home hospitality (from the Council of International Visitors
to Iowa Cities, to individual faculty who ask writers in for a meal),
families like the Danes and the Hemingways, and the contributors who
send us their support year upon year. The IWP is an enterprise like
no other in the world, because it is entirely reliant upon the confluence
of resources described above: individual donations, together with federal,
state, and corporate subsidy are the foundations on which the good will
is built, which reaches out to the world.
A brief,
albeit informal, summary of the program's first thirty years follows,
together with the names of the writers who have most illuminated it
with their presence. This year's program, its participants and their
activities, is shown in detail through the lists comprising the rest
of the report.
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ACTIVITIES
OF THE 1997 INTERNATIONAL WRITING PROGRAM
The IWP
Mini-Course International Literature Today (008:191. 048:191)
Held each
Monday at 107 English-Philosophy Building (EPB), 3:30 - 5:20 PM
Discussions
led by Peter Nazareth, Rowena Torrevillas, Clark Blaise.
September
8: Introductory session
September
15: Jorge Accame (Argentina); Zakaria Ariffin (Malaysia); Kuamvi M.
Kuakuvi (Togo); Steve Sharra (Malawi); Kirpal Singh (Singapore).
September
22: Békés Pál (Hungary); Lourdes Espinola (Paraguay);
Arturo José Gutiérrez (Venezuela); Hamvai Kornel (Hungary);
Mónica Velásquez (Bolivia).
September
29: Tibor Fischer (United Kingdom); Bernadette Hall (New Zealand); Goretti
Kyomuhendo (Uganda); Suchen Christine Lim (Singapore); Marita van der
Vyver (South Africa).
October
6: Chang Ta-Chun (Taiwan); Christos Homenides (Greece); Ly Thi Lan (Vietnam);
Lilia Momple (Mozambique); Aleksey N. Varlamov (Russia).
October
13: Peter Macsovszky (Slovakia); Adriana Szymanska (Poland); Mohamed
Metwalli (Egypt); Aura María Vidales (Mexico).
October
20: Sergio Gómez (Chile); Han Ki (Korea); Zyta Oryszyn (Poland);
Marina A. Palei (Russia); Guillermo Quintero (Mexico).
Back
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PANEL
DISCUSSIONS
Held Wednesdays,
3:30 - 5:00 PM at the John C. Gerber Lounge, 304 English-Philosophy
Building
Wednesday,
September 3: "My Pilgrim Soul: Choosing the Other Tongue"
Preliminary
meeting: Friday, August 29, 10:00 AM
Marita
van der Vyver (South Africa); Kirpal Singh (Singapore); Bernadette Hall
(New Zealand); Goretti Kyomuhendo (Uganda). Rowena Torrevillas, moderator.
Wednesday,
September 10: "Nature Poetry in an Urban World"
Preliminary
meeting: Wednesday, Sept. 3, 10:00 AM
Adriana
Szymanska (Poland); Mohamed Metwalli (Egypt); Mónica Velásquez
(Bolivia0: Arturo José Gutiérrez (Venezuela); Marvin Bell,
US poet, faculty panelist.
Wednesday,
September 24: "Writing Short Fiction and Shorter Fiction"
Preliminary
meeting: Wednesday, September 17, 10:00 AM
Ly Lan
(Vietnam); Marina A. Palei (Russia); Kuamvi M. Kuakuvi (Togo); Lilia
Momple (Mozambique). Prof. Susan Lohafer, faculty panelist
Wednesday,
October 1: "Critical Languages"
Preliminary
meeting: Wednesday, Sept. 17, 10:00 AM
Arturo
Gutiérrez (Venezuela); Chang Ta-chun (Taiwan); Lourdes Espinola
(Paraguay); Guillermo Quintero (Mexico). Prof. Alan Nagel, faculty panelist.
Wednesday,
October 8: "Imagining a Revolution"
Preliminary
meeting: Wednesday, October 1, 10:00 AM
Tibor
Fischer (United Kingdom); Zyta Oryszyn (Poland); Christos Homenides
(Greece).
Clark
Blaise, moderator.
Wednesday,
October 15: "The Writer as Translator"
Preliminary
meeting: Wednesday, October 8, 10:00 AM
Zakaria
Ariffin (Malaysia); Suchen Christine Lim (Singapore); Pal Bekes (Hungary);
Jorge Accame (Argentina). Prof. Daniel Weissbort, faculty panelist.
Wednesday,
November 12: "Archetypes of the Millennium" (5:00 PM, IC Lounge, co-sponsored
by CICS)
Preliminary
meeting: Wednesday, November 5, 10:00 AM
Peter
Macsovszky (Slovakia); Aleksey Varlamov (Russia); Békés
Pál (Hungary); Aura María Vidales (Mexico). Prof. R. Brooks
Landon, faculty panelist.
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READINGS
BY IWP PARTICIPANTS IN IOWA CITY
The
Prairie Lights Series
held jointly
with the Writers' Workshop, Sundays, 5:00 PM
Prairie
Lights Books, 15 S. Dubuque Street
moderated
by Clark Blaise, Rowena Torrevillas. Cara Wall, IWP/Workshop liaison
September
7: Marita van der Vyver (fiction, South Africa)
Nick Regiacourt
(poetry, Workshop)
September
14: Mohamed Metwalli (poetry, Egypt)
Kathleen
Hughes (fiction, Workshop)
September
21: Lilia Momple (fiction, Mozambique)
James
Callan (poetry, Workshop)
September
28: Kirpal Singh (fiction, Singapore)
Katy Lederer
(poetry, Workshop)
October
5: Ly Lan (fiction, Vietnam)
Jonathan
Blum (fiction, Workshop)
October
12: Lourdes Espinola (poetry, Paraguay)
Mark Baechtel
(fiction, Workshop)
October
19: Christos Homenides (fiction, Greece)
Lisa Lubasch
(poetry, Workshop)
October
22 (Wednesday): Tibor Fischer (fiction, United Kingdom)
October
26: no reading: individual travel period
November
2: no reading: individual travel period
November
9: Békés Pál (fiction, Hungary)
Gillian
Kiley (poetry, Workshop)
November
16: Aura María Vidales (poetry, Mexico)
Jen Hofer
(poetry, Workshop)
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The
ArtsIowa City Gallery Series
held in
the Gallery of the ArtsIowa Center, lower level Jefferson Building
120 E.
Washington Street, 8:00 PM
Coordinated
by Cara Wall
October
1: Suchen Lim (fiction, Singapore)
Jordan
Ethe (poetry, Workshop)
October
15: Jorge Accame (fiction, Argentina)
November
12: Jasmina Tesanovic (fiction, Yugoslavia)
Karri
Harrison (poetry, Workshop)
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Iowa
City Public Library Freedom of Expression Week
IWP Panel
on Censorship
Tuesday,
September 23, 7:00 - 9:00 PM, Meeting Room "A," Iowa City Public Library
(15 S. Linn Street)
Békés
Pál, Hungary; Lourdes Espinola, Paraguay; Kuamvi Kuakuvi, Togo;
Marina Palei, Russia. Peter Nazareth (moderator)
Inauguration
of the Paul Engle Center, Cedar Rapids
September
12, coordinated by Rowena Torrevillas.
Readings
were given by IWP authors, including Aleksey Varlamov, Lourdes Espinola,
and Kuamvi Kuakuvi.
Presentations
made by IWP co-founder Hualing Nieh Engle and IWP coordinator Rowena
Torrevillas.
Readings
Sponsored by the IWP
Monday,
Oct. 6 Ray Young Bear, poetry Tippee Auditorium, 8 PM
Readings
Co-Sponsored by the IWP
Friday,
Sept. 19 Tibor Fischer Quad City Arts Center, Rock Island, IL: 7:30
PM
Tuesday,
Oct. 7 Dept. of Spanish/Portuguese Phillips Hall, 7 PM
readers:
Vidales, Momple, Espinola, Gutiérrez
Thursday,
Oct. 9 Dept. of Spanish/Portuguese: Phillips Hall, 7 PM
readers:
Velásquez, Accame, Gómez, Quintero
Friday,
Oct. 17 Peter Macsovszky Quad City Arts Center, 7:30 PM
Back
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Readings
Sponsored by the Writers' Workshop and attended by IWP writers
*Sunday,
Sept. 21 W.S. Merwin, poetry Shambaugh Aud., 8 PM
Friday,
Sept. 26 Lee Smith, fiction Prairie Lights, 8 PM
Monday,
Sept. 29 Carl Klaus, non fiction Prairie Lights, 8 PM
Tuesday,
Sept. 30 Joséph Skibell, fiction Prairie Lights, 8 PM
Friday,
October 3 Larry Baker, fiction Buchanan, PBAB, 8 PM
Tuesday,
October 7 Lois Rosenthal, "Writing North Lounge, Currier Hall
for Literary
Magazines" 3 PM - 4:30 PM
Thursday,
October 9 Peter Sacks, poetry Van Allen II, 8 PM
Thursday,
October 9 Peter Sacks: Talk I: 304 EPB, 11 AM
"On Syntax"
Friday,
October 10 Peter Sacks: Talk II: 304 EPB, 10:30 AM
"On Plato
(the Phaedrus), Sappho,
Eros,
Memory, & Poetic Revision"
Sunday,
October 12 Joe Haldeman, fiction Prairie Lights, 8 PM
Monday,
October 13 Thom Swiss & Steven Prairie Lights, 8 PM
Cramer,
poetry
Thursday,
October 16 Deborah Eisenberg, fiction Prairie Lights, 8 PM
Tuesday,
October 21 Gillian Conoley & August Shambaugh, 8 PM
Kleinzahler,
poetry
Thursday,
October 23 Jonathan Raban, non fiction Prairie Lights, 8 PM
Monday,
October 27 Jamaica Kincaid, non fiction Buchanan, PBAB, 8 PM
Tuesday,
October 28 Ann Patchett, fiction Prairie Lights, 8 PM
Thursday,
October 30 Reginald Shepherd, poetry Prairie Lights, 8 PM
Monday,
November 3 Michele Glazer, poetry Prairie Lights, 8 PM
Wednesday,
November 5 Will Self, fiction Prairie Lights, 8 PM
Thursday,
November 6 Calvin Bedient, poetry Prairie Lights, 8 PM
*Sunday,
November 9 Tobias Wolff, fiction Shambaugh Aud., 8 PM
*Thursday,
November 13 Richard Wilbur, poetry Van Allen I, 8 PM
Thursday,
November 20 Bharati Mukherjee & CB Van Allen II, 8 PM
Monday,
December 1 Michael Carey, poetry Prairie Lights, 8 PM
*co-sponsored
by the IWP
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VIDEO
INTERVIEWS
Produced
by Lem Torrevillas, with the assistance of student studio and editing
crew Jason Khongmaly, Julie Fall, Molly Neylan, and Luci Harper.
Broadcast
on Iowa City Public Access Television 2 and University of Iowa Cable
Channel 12
Writer
Interviewer
Sept.
4 Thurs 1:00 PM Jorge Accame / Susan Benner
4:00PM
Aleksey Varlamov /Chris Mattison
Sept.
9 Tues 2:00PM Zakaria Ariffin / Peter Nazareth
3:00PM
K. M. Kuakuvi / Lilia Momple
Sept .11
Thurs 2:00PM Steve Sharra / Kirpal Singh
3:00PM
Goretti Kyomuhendo / Peter Nazareth
Sept.
13 Sat. 10:30AM Kirpal Singh / Rowena Torrevillas
11:30AM
Mohamed Metwalli / Aura Vidales
Sept.
16 Tues 2:00PM Hamvai Kornel / Békés Pál
Sept.
17 Wed 11:00AM Guillermo Quintero / Winston Barclay
1:00PM
Christos Homenides / Winston Barclay
2:00PM
Chang Ta-Chuen / Winston Barclay
Sept.
18 Thurs 2:30PM Ly Thi Lan / Mónica Velásquez
4:00 Han
Ki / Clark Blaise
Sept.
23 Tues 1:00PM M. Van der Vyver / Lourdes Espinola
3:00PM
Peter Macsovszky / Carolyn Brown
Nov. 4
Tues 2:00PM Sergio Gómez / Clark Blaise
Held
in Nov.
Marina
Palei / Irina Patkanyan
Bernadette
Hall / Shelley Berc
Adriana
Szymanska / Clark Blaise
Zyta Oryszyn
/ Clark Blaise
Tibor
Fischer / Clark Blaise
A. J.
Gutiérrez Clark Blaise
Békés
Pál / Shelley Berc
Suchen
Lim / Winston Barclay
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RADIO
INTERVIEWS
Conducted
throughout the semester by Peter Nazareth.
Broadcast
on KSUI/WSUI as part of the series, "The Humanities at Iowa"
Békés
Pál (Hungary) Kornel Hamvai (Hungary)
Tibor
Fischer (United Kingdom) Suchen Christine Lim (Singapore)
Marita
ven der Vyver (South Africa)
Back
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100
Words Submission Deadlines
on Memory
Sept. 8 on Stone Oct. 6
on Voice
Nov. 3 on Passage Dec. 8
on Fire
Feb. 9 on Garden Mar. 9
Back
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FIELD
TRIPS, RECEPTIONS, CULTURAL EVENTS
Opening
Reception Thursday, August 28, 6:00 PM, Torrevillas home
Party
with Workshop Saturday, August 30, 7:00 PM, Blaise home
First
National Bank Reception Thursday, Sept. 11, 4:30 - 6:30 PM
Paul Engle
Center Launching Friday, Sept. 12, 5:30 PM
CIVIC
picnic, shelter 3, City Park Wednesday, Sept. 17, 5:30 PM
Charu
Khan exhibit, West Music Friday, Sept. 19, 5:30 PM
Hawkwatch,
Lake MacBride Saturday, Sept. 20, morning to mid afternoon
Beau Soleil,
Hancher Saturday, Sept. 20, 8:00 PM
Canoe
trip, Wapsipinicon River Sunday, Sept. 21, midmorning - early afternoon
International
Programs Reception Thursday, Sept. 25, 5:00 PM
American
Ballet Theatre, Hancher Saturday, Sept. 27, 8:00 PM
Effigy
Mounds trip Saturday, Oct. 4
Columbus
Day Parade, Col. Jctn. Saturday, Oct. 11
Deere
& Company, Moline, IL Thursday, Oct. 16, 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Hemingway
Farm Dinner Saturday, Oct. 18, 2:00 PM
Kalona
Draft Horse Auction Saturday, Nov. 15
Dane Farm
Thanksgiving Sunday, Nov. 9
Closing
Party Thursday, Nov. 20, 7:00 PM, Blaise home
Back
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TALKS
and READINGS GIVEN BY INDIVIDUAL WRITERS
These
lists were compiled by research assistant Cara Wall, and collated by
staff helper Jason Khongmaly.
Jorge
E. Accame
September
15 : The IWP mini Course International Literature today
October
9 : Readings Co-sponsored by the IWP
October
15 : Panel discussion: the writer as translator
Arts Iowa
City Gallery series
Traveled
to Portland, Boston, New York. His wife flew over for this trip.
Zakaria
Ariffin
September
15 : The IWP mini Course International Literature today
October
15 : Panel discussion: The writer as translator
Did
not travel. He stayed in Iowa City and worked on his writing.
Pal
Bekes
September
22 : The IWP mini Course International Literature today
September
23 : Iowa City public library Freedom of Expression Week
October
15 : Panel discussion: the writer as translator
November
5 : Panel discussion: Archetypes of the millennium
November
9 : The prairie lights series
Traveled
to Portland , Maine; New York City; Washington, DC
Back
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Chang
Ta-Chun
October
1 : Panel discussion: Critical Languages
October
6 : The IWP mini course International Literature today
Traveled
to New York.
Lourdes
Espinola
Septmeber
12 : Inauguration of the Paul Engle Center, Cedar Rapids
September
22 : The IWP mini Course International Literature today
September
23 : Iowa City Public Library Freedom of Expression Week
October
1 : Panel discussion: Critical languages
October
7 : Readings at the Dept. of Spanish and Portuguese cosponsored by the
IWP
October
12 : The Prairie Lights reading Series
Traveled
to Portland, Miami, Boston, D.C. She spoke at Wellesley; and at the
University of Florida.
Back
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Tibor
Fisher
September
19 : Quad City Arts Center (Rock Island, IL), reading and workshop
September
29 : The IWP mini Course International Literature today
October
8 : Panel discussion: Imagining a Revolution
October
22 : The Prairie Lights Series
Tibor
Fischer left in October to fulfil publications commitments in London.
Sergio
Gómez
October
9 : Reading with Dept. of Spanish & Portuguese, co-sponsored by
the IWP
October
20 : The IWP Mini Course International Literature Today
Traveled
to Spain with his agent, so he left early, but planned visit to Miami
Arturo
Gutiérrez
September
10 : Panel discussion: Nature poetry in an Urban world
September
22 : The IWP mini Course International Literature today
October
1 : Panel discussion: Critical Languages
October
7 : Readings with Dept. of Spanish & Portuguese, co sponsored by
the IWP
Spoke
at Grinnell College.
Traveled
to San Francisco, University of California Irvine, Texas, Cincinatti.
He gave a lot of talks.
Back
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Bernadette
Hall
September
3 : Panel discussion: My Pilgrim Soul: Choosing the other tongue
September
29 : The IWP mini Course International Literature today
Each Tuesday
: Attended open-mike readings.
Each Thursday
: Attended IWP Creativity Workshop.
Taught
several sessions of "Text & Context" classes on request of Clark
Blaise.
Traveled
to Washington, DC, Boston, New York and San Diego.
Hamvai
Kornel
September
22 : The IWP mini Course International Literature today
Traveled
to New York, where he staye with the director who is turning Kornel's
book into a movie
Han
Ki
October
20 : The IWP mini course International Literature today
Travel:
left early to fill new teaching appointment in Korea
Back
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Christos
Homenides
October
6 : The IWP mini Course International Literature today
October
8 : Panel discussion: Imagining a revolution
October
19 : The Prairie Lights series
Traveled
to San Francisco (to visit friends), New Orleans (where he made many
friends)
Mawule
Kuamvi Kuakuvi
September
12 : Inauguration of the Paul engle Center, Cedar Rapids
September
15 : The IWP mini Course International Literature today
September
23 : Iowa City Public Library Freedom of Expression Week
September
24 : Panel discussion: Writing short fiction and shorter fiction
November
18 :spoke at Hoover Elementary, 5th grade class
November
20 :spoke at Horace Mann Elementary, 4th grade
Traveled
to New York City and New Jersey.
Goretti
Kyomuhendo
September
3 : Panel discussion: My pilgrim Soul: Choosing the other tongue
September
29 : The IWP mini course International Literature today
Traveled
to Washington, DC; New York; Ohio--stayed with friends and went to a
conference that she was very excited about.
Back
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Suchen
Christine Lim
September
29 : The IWP mini Course International Literature today
October
1 : The Arts Iowa City Gallery Series
October
15 : Panel discussion: The writer as translator
Did
not travel; stayed here
Ly
Thi Lan
September
24 : Panel discussion: Writing short fiction and shorter fiction
October
5 : The Prairie Lights series
October
6 : The IWP mini Course International Literature today
November
20 : Spoke at the Association of University Staff Women
Traveled
to Denver; San Francisco.
Peter
Macsovszky
October
13 : The IWP mini Course International Literature today
October
17 : Quad City Arts Center (Rock Island, IL), readings and workshop
November
12 : Panel discussion: Archetypes of the Millennium
Wanted
to travel to the Grand Canyon, but the tours were closed, so he went
to San Francisco and to Seattle.
Back
to Index
Mohamed
M. Metwalli
September
10 : Panel discussion: nature poetry in an urban world
September
14 : The prairie lights series
October
13 : The IWP mini course International Literature today
November
13 : Spoke at Horace Mann Elementary, 4th grade class
Traveled
to Portland, New York; San Francisco, where he stayed with friend
Lilia
Momple
September
21 : The prairie lights series
September
24 : Panel discussion: Writing short fiction and shorter fiction
October
6 : The IWP mini course International Literature today
October
7 : Readings with Dept. of Spanish & Portuguese
Traveled
to the Grand Canyon early with Adriana. It was the one place that Lilia
wanted to see and she said that it was worth all of the planes, trains
and automobiles.
Zyta
Oryszyn
October
8 : Panel discussion: Imagining a Revolution
October
20 : The IWP mini course International Literature today
Back
to Index
Marina
Palei
September
23 : Iowa City Public Library Freedom of Expression Week
September
24 : Panel discussion: Writing short fiction and shorter fiction
October
20 : The IWP mini course International Literature today
Traveled
to Vermont and Albany to see friends, then she went on her trip to Ohio
and Florida.
Guillermo
Quintero Montano
October
1 : Panel discussion: Critical Languages
October
9 : Readings with Dept. of Spanish & Portuguese
October
20 : The IWP mini Course International Literature today
Traveled
to Raleigh, NC, Houston, San Antonio, Oakland. He gave a lot of talks
Steve
Sharra
September
3: Panel discussion, "My Pilgrim Soul: Choosing the Other Tongue"
September
15 : The IWP mini Course International Literature today
Every
Tuesday evening: attended open mike readings
Every
Thursday afternoon: attended the IWP Creativity Workshop
November
13: spoke at Horace Mann Elementary, 4th grade class
November
17: spoke at Horace Mann Elementary, 2nd grade class
November
18: spoke at Hoover Elementary, 5th grade class
November
20: spoke at Horace Mann Elementary, 4th grade
Traveled
to Colorado State University (Fort Collins); University of Illinois,
Champaign-Urbana, Center for African Studies; Illinois State University,
Bloomington; University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; University of Nebraska,
Omaha.
Back
to Index
Kirpal
Singh
September
3 : Panel discussion: My pilgrim soul: Choosing the other tongue
September
15 : The IWP mini course International Literature today
September
28 : The Prairie Lights series
Traveled
to Portland, ME; Hartford, CT; New York City, and Indianapolis.
Adriana
Szymanska
September
10 : Panel discussion: Nature Poetry in an Urban World
October
13 : The IWP mini course International Literature today
Traveled
to the Grand Canyon, Ann Arbor, Detroit and New York City.
Jasmina
Tesanovic
November
12 : The Arts Iowa City Gallery Series
November
20 : Spoke with Association of University Staff Women, brown bag luncheon
Aleksey
Varlamov
September
12 : Inauguration of the Paul Engle Center, Cedar Rapids
October
6 : The IWP mini Course International Literature today
November
12 : Panel discussion: Archetypes of the Millennium
Traveled
to San Fancisco, Indianapolis and Boston.
Back
to Index
Mónica
Velásquez
September
3 : Panel discussion: Nature poetry in an urban world
September
15 : The IWP mini Course International Literature today
October
9 : Readings Co-sponsored by the IWP
Traveled
to New Orleans and Washington, DC, and had a good time, even though
she hates airports
Aura
María Vidales
October
9 : Readings co-sponsored by the IWP
October
13 : The IWP mini course International Literature today
November
5 : Panel discussion: Archetypes of the millennium
November
16 : The Prairie Lights series
Traveled
to San Francisco, Irvine (CA), Miami, New York City, Washington, DC.
She traveled with Arturo Gutiérrez and Mónica Velásquez,
and really liked New York City and San Francisco.
Marita
van der Vyver
September
3 : Panel discussion: My pilgrim Soul: Choosing the other tongue
September
7 : The Prairie Lights series
September
29 : The IWP mini course International Literature today
Traveled
to various locations across the country with her son, both on the east
and west coasts.
Back
to Index
1997
INTERNATIONAL WRITING PROGRAM
Argentina
Mr. Jorge E. ACCAME poet, fiction writer
Bolivia
Ms. Mónica VELÁSQUEZ poet
Chile
Mr. Sergio GÓMEZ fiction writer, playwright
Egypt
Mr. Mohamed M. METWALLI Awad poet, fiction writer
Greece
Mr. Christos HOMENIDES fiction writer
Hungary
Mr. Békés Pál playwright, translator
Mr. HAMVAI
Kornel playwright, fiction writer
Korea
Dr. (Mr.) HAN Ki fiction writer
Mexico
Mr. Guillermo QUINTERO Montano fiction writer, critic
Ms. Aura
María VIDALES Ibarra poet
Malawi
Mr. Steve SHARRA poet
Malaysia
Mr. Zakaria ARIFFIN playwright
Mozambique
Ms. Lilia MOMPLE fiction writer
New Zealand
Ms. Bernadette HALL poet, playwright
Paraguay
Dr. (Ms.) Lourdes ESPINOLA Wiezell poet
Poland
Ms. Adriana SZYMANSKA poet
Ms. Zyta
ORYSZYN fiction writer
Russia
Ms. Marina Anatolyevna PALEI fiction writer
Mr. Aleksey
Nikolayevich VARLAMOV fiction writer
Singapore
Dr. (Mr.) Kirpal SINGH fiction writer
Ms. Suchen
Christine LIM fiction writer
Slovakia
Mr. Peter MACSOVSZKY poet
South
Africa Ms. Marita van der VYVER fiction writer
Taiwan
Mr. CHANG Ta-Chun fiction writer
Togo Dr.
(Mr.) Mawule Kuamvi KUAKUVI fiction writer
Uganda
Ms. Goretti KYOMUHENDO fiction writer
United
Kingdom Mr. Tibor Nicholas Elek FISCHER fiction writer
Venezuela
Mr. Arturo José Gutiérrez poet
Vietnam
Ms. Ly Thi LAN fiction writer
Yugoslavia
Ms. Jasmina TESANOVIC fiction writer, translator
Back
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IWP
1997 Roster by Funding
Argentina
Jorge E. ACCAME Fundación Antorchas, USIA
Bolivia
Mónica VELÁSQUEZ USIA
Chile
Sergio GÓMEZ Fundación Andes
Egypt
Mohamed M. METWALLI Awad USIA
Greece
Christos HOMENIDES USIA
Hungary
Békés Pál USIA
HAMVAI
Kornel USIA
Korea
HAN Ki Korean Culture & Arts Foundation; IWP
Mexico
Guillermo QUINTERO Montano USIA
Aura María
VIDALES Ibarra USIA
Malawi
Steve SHARRA USIA
Malaysia
Zakaria ARIFFIN Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Malaysia
Mozambique
Lilia MOMPLE USIA
New Zealand
Bernadette HALL Arts Council of New Zealand/Toi Aotearoa; IWP
Paraguay
Lourdes ESPINOLA Wiezell USIA
Poland
Zyta ORYSZYN Alfred Jurzykowski Foundation; IWP
Adriana
SZYMANSKA Kosciuszko Fundation
Russia
Marina Anatolyevna PALEI USIA
Aleksey
Nikolayevich VARLAMOV USIA
Singapore
Kirpal SINGH Lee Foundation; IWP
Suchen
Christine LIM Fulbright Foundation
Slovakia
Peter MACSOVSZKY USIA
South
Africa Marita van der VYVER South Africa Foundation for the Creative
Arts
Taiwan
CHANG Ta-Chun American Institute Taiwan (USIA)
Togo Mawule
Kuamvi KUAKUVI USIA
Uganda
Goretti KYOMUHENDO USIA
United
Kingdom Tibor Nicholas Elek FISCHER USIA
Venezuela
Arturo José Gutiérrez USIA
Vietnam
Ly Thi LAN USIA
Yugoslavia
Jasmina TESANOVIC ArtsLink Residencies
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