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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260430
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260503
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SUMMARY:MusicIC Presents: THE BLACK ANGEL: Music\, Myth\, and Memory
DESCRIPTION:MusicIC\, Iowa City’s premiere chamber music festival exploring the connections between music and literature\, presents THE BLACK ANGEL: Music\, Myth\, and Memory\, a three-day festival examining how composers across centuries have engaged with themes of mortality\, symbolism\, and the unseen\, while also drawing inspiration from Iowa City’s own Black Angel legend. Now entering its 16th season\, MusicIC continues its long-standing mission of innovative\, text-driven programming rooted in Iowa City’s identity as a UNESCO City of Literature. \nAt the heart of this year’s festival is George Crumb’s Black Angels\, “Thirteen Images from the Dark Land\,” (1971)\, a landmark work for amplified string quartet\, marking the 55th anniversary of its publication in 2026. Crumb has called his seminal work “a kind of parable on our troubled contemporary world.” The piece incorporates poetic epigraphs\, symbolic numerology\, and images of darkness and transformation. Crumb’s score also directly quotes Franz Schubert’s Death and the Maiden\, forging a powerful musical and philosophical link between Romantic-era meditations on death and a 20th-century response shaped by war and rupture. \nThe festival further connects this repertoire to Iowa City’s Black Angel statue in Oakland Cemetery\, a landmark that has inspired generations of local storytelling and provides a powerful\, place-based lens for this exploration of music\, literature\, and memory. \nFestival Events All events are free and open to the public\nThursday\, April 30\, 2026 – 7:30 p.m.\nPreview Event “Looking at the Black Angel”\nLocation: The Black Angel Restaurant\, 630 Iowa Ave.\, Iowa City\nSelections and written responses to Franz Schubert’s Death and the Maiden and George Crumb’s Black Angels. \nFriday\, May 1\, 2026 – 7:30 p.m.\nLocation: Masonic Building\, 312 E College St\, Iowa City\nConcert Program will include: \n\nFranz Schubert: String Quartet No. 14 in D minor\, Death and the Maiden\nGeorge Crumb: Black Angels for amplified string quartet\n\nSaturday\, May 2\, 2026 – 10:30 AM\nFamily Concert\nIowa City Public Library \nA 40-minute family concert introducing young audiences to chamber music as storytelling through sound\, symbol\, and place. \nThe festival is made possible by support from sponsors including the University of Iowa\, Dunn Investment Co\, the Iowa City Public Library\, and Iowa Public Radio. \nPerformers include MusicIC Founding Artistic Director Tricia Park\, violin and Kenny Lee\, cello\, (University of Iowa School of Music\, Director of Orchestral Studies) alongside guest artists and University of Iowa faculty.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/musicic-presents-the-black-angel-music-myth-and-memory/
LOCATION:Downtown Iowa City
CATEGORIES:General
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260523T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260523T153000
DTSTAMP:20260520T012335
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LAST-MODIFIED:20260511T150611Z
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SUMMARY:Page Against the Machine
DESCRIPTION:Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature & the Iowa City Public Library co-present: \nPage Against the Machine is a global reading event that encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to take a break from screens\, pick up a book\, and enjoy a well-deserved reading detox in a beautiful spot in their city. \nThis annual event was founded in Norwich\, England in 2019 and spread to other Cities of Literature over the years. 2026 marks the first time Iowa City will participate\, and we’ll be joining thousands of others across the globe who stop to read a book in public on this day. \nWe hope to gather a crowd of book lovers on the Pentacrest to read silently and explore the world of ideas in resistance to our culture of doomscrolling and disengagement. Bring a blanket or chair and any book you like\, but bonus points go to novels and nonfiction that explore things like politics\, human rights\, and contemporary culture. \nRain location: Old Capitol Museum Senate Chamber (no food or drink inside\, please) \nRegistration is optional to receive an email reminder. You’re welcome to drop in and out anytime during the scheduled event. See you there! \n\nOpen to the public \n\nIf you need disability-related accommodations in order to participate in this event\, please contact the Library.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/page-against-the-machine/
LOCATION:Pentacrest\, (at Clinton St and Washington St)\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261019
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261026
DTSTAMP:20260520T012335
CREATED:20260507T150646Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260507T150646Z
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SUMMARY:Iowa City Book Festival
DESCRIPTION: The Iowa City Book Festival is happening October 19–25\, 2026! Join us for a week of literary events\, author talks\, readings\, and more at various locations throughout downtown Iowa City. Mark your calendars. More information coming soon.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/iowa-city-book-festival-2/
LOCATION:Downtown Iowa City
CATEGORIES:General
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