You have to be on the same level with the writers in the program. It takes human qualities, too, not just literary qualities. When we quit, the university will have to find an internationally known writer with human qualities. Surely countries like Great Britain, Italy, Switzerland, Israel, or Czechoslovakia with their rich cultural traditions, might create programs in the spirit of the one created by the Engles in Iowa City. These would be deeds in the best tradition of international friendship and would further reinforce the cause of international literary exchange.
Many talented writers hope for worldwide impact from their writing.
Some fail because their work becomes so absorbing that they lose touch with humanity. The IWP 20th Anniversary Celebration was as much a raising of glasses to their selflessness as a toasting of their unparalleled accomplishment. Jeff Lehr was editorial associate at the University of Iowa Alumni Association when he wrote this story. A quick guide to what's new on the UIAA Web. A comprehensive guide to our online features.