What does a life look like on the other side of survival, and can the one who survived come to recognize that she did? Donika Kelly’s poetry is known for its resonant, unflinching confrontations with trauma and inheritance, translated through myth and nature. The Natural Order of Things expands these explorations into a new realm: one defined
Join the University of Iowa Libraries for an intimate conversation with author, artist, and scholar Johanna Drucker about her new book, Affluvia: The toxic off-gassing of affluent culture. In this talk, Drucker will discuss her book, along with its development , and publication. It’s your chance to learn the ins and outs of writing and
Artists’ books continue to be a hard-to-define and multifaceted field of works made at the intersections of conceptual art, the craft of the book, independent publishing, alternative culture and other aesthetic motivations. No simple single lineage is shared by these works, and even tracking them to an origin point (Illuminated manuscripts? The books of William
John Warner, author of More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI believes there are important distinctions to be made between the writing of humans and the syntax generation of large language models like ChatGPT. These distinctions are at the root of what he believes we should value, the fact that human communication
Step into the world of book arts! The Guild of Book Workers is in Iowa City this week for their annual conference, and their Showcase & Market is open to everyone. October 9, noon - 5 p.m. October 10, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. October 11, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Browse bookbinding tools, unique
Explore the Literary Grove with University of Iowa Arborist Andy DahlTake a guided stroll through the Literary Grove, where each tree has a story to tell. Arborist Andy Dahl will share the unique histories and literary connections of these remarkable trees, many linked to celebrated authors from the world-renowned Iowa Writers’ Workshop.
Something Small of How to See a River interrogates the idea of narrative. Who gets to tell a story and what does it mean when the official story, the story told by the governor, the police, or the local media, is a fundamentally dishonest one? The poems collected here meditate on failure: how systems fail us
Join author Royal C. Gardner, Professor of Law, Hugh F. Culverhouse Chair, and Director of the Stetson Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy at Stetson Law, at Prairie Lights for a reading from Waters of the United States, his groundbreaking exploration of the legal and political battles that have shaped water protection in America. In conversation
A panel featuring International Writing Program participants Tomás Downey (Argentina) and Florencia del Campo (Spain), with guest author Kazim Ali. The International Writing Program (IWP) is a unique conduit for the world’s literatures, connecting well-established writers from around the globe, bringing international literature into classrooms, introducing American writers to other cultures through reading tours, and
Join us for a special SlamoVision judging night! Attendees will watch performances from slam poets representing 17 UNESCO Cities of Literature around the world and help decide the outcome by scoring each one. Enjoy free pizza while you cast your votes—the scores from Iowa City will be combined with those from other cities to help
Loss and sorrow can overwhelm even the strongest person, forcing them to reckon with their emotions whether they want to or not. In this extraordinary debut, Laura Julier recounts her reckoning, which took place in an old cabin tucked away on a hidden and forgotten gravel road along the Iowa River. In company with silence
Stop by the lobby of the Iowa City Public Library between festival events to browse for a new (to you) book.
