Overview

BTL 2014 was a landmark year, bringing together young writers from 9 different cities in Russia, 9 different states in the U.S., and 9 different countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa: Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Sudan, Syria, and Tunisia. Whether discussing the merits of Russian rhyming poetry versus American free verse, or eating tabbouleh and learning basic Arabic, this session brought cultural exchange to a new level. The morning Global Literature Seminar featured both contemporary and classic texts from multiple countries; students spent their afternoons sharing and critiquing each other’s work in creative writing workshops conducted in their own languages. Participants also tried their hands at playwriting with dramaturge Kim Euell, and experimented with performance assisted by the slam poet Malcolm London. Their writing efforts culminated in a student reading at the Dey House, home of the Iowa Writers Workshop. Other events included a literary scavenger hunt to find Iowa City landmarks, a translation workshop, a visit to the Wildcat Den State Park and Figge Art Museum on the Mississippi River, and a Ramadan dinner celebration at the Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids. BTL 2014 wrapped up with a Fourth of July celebration in Coralville and students found some free-time to enjoy the Iowa City Jazz Festival. 

 

2014 Session Dates & Anthology

Between the Lines: June 21– July 5, 2014. Read the Anthology

 

Meet The Instructor

Alan CHERCHESOV

Alan CHERCHESOV has published the novels Requiem for Living (1994; and, in English, Northwestern University Press, 2005), Wreath for the Grave of the Wind (2000), and Villa Belle-Lettre (2005), in addition to numerous short stories. He was an IWP resident in 2010, during which time he finished his latest novel, Don Ivan (2012). Cherchesov is the president of the Institute of Civilization, a private educational institute in Vladikavkaz, in North Ossetia, Russia. The recipient of a number of literary prizes, he was a finalist for the 2001 and 2006 Russian Booker Awards. His novel Don Ivan was nominated for Russia's Big Book Award.

Shared Experiences

A group of Between the Lines participants play basketball at a local mosque
A group of Between the Lines participants sit in a circle at a cemetary, with headstones in the background.
A group of Between the Lines participants pose for a picture on a wooden bridge in the woods.
A group of Between the Lines participants pose for a photo in a mosque
A Between the Lines partcipant poses with a statue of Herky the Hawkeye.
Chris Merrill speaks before a room of Between the Lines participants
A group of Between the Lines participants pose for a photo outside of a dorm.
A Between the Lines participant breakdances in the common area of a dormitory.
A Between the Lines participants writes in a notebook at a desk with a chalkboard with Arabic writing behind her.
A group of Between the Lines participants sit in a circle holding papers and having a discussion.
A group of Between the Lines Participants pose for a phot at their daily morning meeting.
A group of Between the Lines participants sit outside Shambaugh house eating pizza at night.
A group of four Between the Lines participants pose by the Shambaugh House sign.
A group of Between the Lines participants sit in a circle while taking part in a poetry slam.
A group of Between the Lines participants pose for a picture with a guest speaker.
A person reads from a podium in front of an audience.
A group of Between the Lines participants pose together on a sculpture in a park.