Certain areas of the United States are known for certain achievements. For example, Maine is considered to be the country's seafood capital due to its strong seafood industry. Silicon Valley, meanwhile, is globally known for harboring some of the top tech companies out there, such as Google. New York, on the other hand, is considered to be the country's financial center, being also the center of the recent economic crash.
Well the comparisons might be somewhat vague, but I guess you get the point. What is it then for Iowa--in particular, Iowa City? Perhaps nothing will be more famous for literary achievements than this city. If someday you want to become an author or a poet, staying here for a while and attending one of the city's esteemed writing residence programs.
Iowa City's literary history is so rich. There is no doubt about that. It is home to the famed Iowa Writers' Workshop, which has played host to such acclaimed American authors like John Irving, Flannery O'Connor, T.C. Boyle, and other prominent American authors. Then there's also the Iowa Playwrights Workshop, and the International Writing Program, which has already been nominated for the Noble Peace Prize for serving as the training ground for writers from more than a hundred nations and territories.
To emphasize this literary heritage, you can also check out the Iowa Avenue Literary Walk, which features 49 bronze panels containing words of different authors and their attributions. All of these authors are connected to Iowa and its writing programs. These panels are then connected by general words about books and writing. Furthermore, in 2008, Iowa City was also designated to be a UNESCO City of Literature. It is only one of three cities to be awarded this recognition.
Visiting Iowa City certainly won't make you the excellent writer that this city typically hosts, but wouldn't it be great to feel like you are walking in some literary town even for such a short time only?
