2009 Between the Lines

2009's Between the Lines was the first to take place on the University of Iowa campus. Twelve students from Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, and Syria joined 76 Iowa Young Writers' Studio participants in our version of "summer camp" -- where writing and literature, not hikes and campfires, are the main focus. BTL students attended morning English-language seminars with their IYWS peers, and an afternoon Arabic-language creative writing workshop (led by teachers and IWP alumni Tarek Eltayeb and Iman Humaydan). They took time out for fun as well, visiting Adventureland (an amusement park) and a bowling alley, among other places.

The Stretch writing exercise starts each weekday.

Students experimented with different forms of creative writing at the Arabic-language workshop.

Showing off skills at the Arabic-language workshop.

BTL students shared their favorite Arabic-language authors with IYWS students.

In this Stretch exercise, students had to create sentences with words that were taped on their foreheads.

For several BTL students, this was their first time in a bowling alley.

It's not a photography mistake...this is what BTL students look like in the funhouse mirror at Adventureland.

BTL class of 2009. Standing, left to right: Iman Humaydan (faculty, Lebanon), Christopher Merrill (IWP director), Tarek Eltayeb (faculty, Austria), Zaid Al-Nassir (student, Jordan), Soumer Daghastani (chaperone, Syria), Bashar Al-Sawaftah (student, Jordan), Nael Roby (student, Israel), Ahmad Ezery (student, Israel), Majd Iwidat (student, Palestinian Authority), Bana Aassy (student, Israel). Kneeling/sitting, left to right: Basima Takrouri (chaperone, Palestinian Authority), Irene Ghattas (student, Palestinian Authority), Nadia Tellawi (chaperone, Jordan), Hussein Youneiss (student, Lebanon), Asma Abu Dahab (chaperone, Jordan), Lora Abaza (student, Syria), Nadia El Malt (student, Lebanon), Yara Abou Fakher (student, Syria), Iya Ghassib (student, Jordan).

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Happening Now

High as the Waters Rise, the English translation of the award-winning debut novel of the German poet Anja KAMPMANN (IWP’ 10) covers 'the fallout of capitalism’s dependence on oil' ‘in rich imagery and exquisite language.’ Watch her and her translator in conversation on Tues 9/29/20, 5pm CST.
Alumni Hind SHOUFANI (IWP ’11) and Golan HAJI ( ‘13 ) are among the jury members for the new Barjeel Poetry Prize, inviting all poets to respond to 20 works of Arab 20th c art. The competition is open 8/15- 9/30 2020.
Just out, The Bitch, by Pilar QUINTANA (Colombia, IWP ‘11), translated from the Spanish. Ms. Quintana is also among the current mentors for IWP’s Women’s Creative Mentorship Professionalization Project.
Cultural entrepreneurship at its most admirable:Kristian Sendon CORDERO (IWP ’17), book seller, beer brewer, publisher, gardener, Bikol translator, screenplay author and poet extraordinaire on his Savage Mind in Naga City (The Philippines).
Between July 18 and July 25, the 2020 digital iteration of the Cathay Arts Festival will include free access to two dance performances by Taiwan’s Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, one of them the career retrospective of its founder, the poet, dancer, and choreographer LIN Hwai-min (IWP’70).

2009 Between the Lines

Between the Lines

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