2012 Between the Lines

This year marked the debut of BTL Russia, in which Russian and American students came together to experience the literary culture of Iowa City while stretching their own writing and reading muscles in new ways. In addition, they went on field trips to the Quad Cities as well as to a working farm, where they enjoyed a hayride and a dinner with dishes from both Russia and the US. Our fifth BTL Arabic session welcomed students from Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and the Palestinian Territories (Gaza and West Bank) along with students from the US and Canada. Some of their activities included trips to Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, where they participated in an Iftar meal held at the Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids. We did our best to make it a great experience for all involved!

 

Happening Now

  • Congratulations to our colleagues Jennifer Croft and Aron Aji, who are among those serving as judges for the National Book Awards this year, in their case in the category of translated literature.

  • Ranjit Hoskote’s speech at the 2024 Goa Literary Festival addresses the current situation in Gaza.

  • In NY Times, Bina Shah worries about the state of Pakistani—and American—democracy.

  • “I went to [Ayodhya] to think about what it means to be an Indian and a Hindu... ”  A new essay by critic and novelist Chandrahas Choudhury.

  • In the January 2024 iteration of the French/English non-fiction site Frictions, T J Benson writes about “Riding Afrobeats Across the World.” Also new, a next installment in the bilingual series featuring work by students from Paris VIII’s Creative Writing program and the University of Iowa’s NFW program.

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