Iowa City Book Festival: What makes Iowa City a world City of Literature?

Updated: July 27, 2010

Published in the Press-Citizen July 16.
Guest opinion: Jeanette Pilak

When UNESCO heard of Iowa City's intention to apply to become a City of Literature, its response was, "We've been waiting."

That's no surprise. UNESCO's City of Literature designation recognizes literary excellence in three particular aspects: literary heritage, a vibrant contemporary scene and a vision for the future.

Our literary heritage started in 1896 when George Cook taught the first course in creative writing at the University of Iowa called "Verse Making."

Later, Edwin Ford Piper's "Poetics" class became the prototype of the workshop method.

Together with graduate college dean Carl Seashore, Piper convinced the faculty to award graduate degree credit for creative work. This momentous historical occasion revolutionized the academic world, changing UI and higher education forever.

Fast forward 100 years. The story of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and UI's broad commitment to writing is known throughout the world.

Making the case of a vibrant contemporary scene appeared easy. Articulating the many ways our area is unique in its development, production, promotion consumption and celebration of literary culture was only one part of the equation. But the application also required demonstrating the economic collaborations among the constellation of creative institutions and their devotion, across all levels toward artistic practices in all facets of our literary culture.

Those collaborations continue and have in fact been strengthened in the wake of that honor. UI, Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce and the Iowa City Coralville Convention and Visitor Bureau came together demonstrating their devotion where it counts: investing the funds for three years of operating budget for an organization that can leverage the past and the present to foster a stronger, more vibrant future.

One hundred years from now will we be naming these individuals as visionaries along the historical time live of Iowa's Literary Cultural Heritage?

Their vision of the future is this: Iowa has been known for excellence in education and its citizens as being highly literate. We see a future where our children have every opportunity to participate at those high levels of achievement. In creating that environment, they become the highly productive, functioning individuals that are able to contribute to the excellence of our society.

Beyond our desire for our own children's future, it makes good economic sense to invest in reading, writing, literacy and literature and all the creative culture that it inspires in our communities. Our current employers tell us that an educated work force is critical to staying in Iowa. Those employers we are recruiting to bring jobs to Iowa tell us that excellent schools and a literate work force that can not only read and write, but who have critical thinking skills, make for the most competitive employees locally, nationally and internationally.

The Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature board is working to develop its strategic plan focusing on two main areas.

• First, creative tourism -- how we cultivate tourism experiences that provide authentic engagement with the people and places of our community.

• The second is educational leadership, which is leadership that moves beyond the university's stellar programs and looks at best practices in reading, writing and literacy activities from preschool through life-long learning.

Programs that develop from these core areas of focus must meet rigorous criteria that ensure the initial investments of community and economic development groups are not lost. Programs must resonate with all Iowans and be best practices that are replicable by every community in the state.

Most importantly, any programs developed must have identified funding sources -- the UNESCO designation did not come with an ATM or cash award of any kind.

Starting out of the gate, the Hawkeye Football Readers Program and the Iowa City Book Festival are building toward those goals. Student-athletes at any college, university or high school may replicate the mentorship and one-on-one literacy development skills that the Hawkeye Football Readers Program demonstrates. Likewise, programming and marketing strategies for future Iowa City Book Festivals are bringing in the strategic partners and sponsors which position it to grow into a regional festival.

UNESCO recognized our literary heritage, vibrant contemporary scene and a viable vision for the future. The ICUCOL board believes it is about every citizen participating and contributing to the excellence within the literary culture and nurturing and supporting the creative literary cultural scene.

We invite you to recognize that you are a citizen in the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature. Please join us in creating that vibrant future.

Jeanette Pilak is the executive director of Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature.