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A Literary Walking Tour of Eastside Iowa City, Spring 1990

Literary Walking Tour of Eastside of Iowa City Page 9

the fictional biography of Lenin's wife), and David Plimpton (Gail Godwin, NEW TIMES, p 54). Casey is head of the English department at the University of Virginia. During an NPR interview in December 1989, Casey said he started writing to overcome stuttering, because "...I always had to find a word to replace the one I couldn't say."

R.V. Cassill, native Iowan, WW II vet, MFA UI Writers' Workshop, and professor at Iowa until 1966. Like classmate Flannery O'Connor he published while a student (Atlantic Monthly), and was also working on his first novel (Eagle on The Coin). Before coming to the Workshop he had been an instructor at the Chicago Art School. Of Cassill student Jean Wylder wrote, "... [he had] an enormous understanding of fiction; ...he built his own house (in the country), worked for Henry Wallace, and painted delicate water colors." "The spirit of social complacency and of self hadn't seduced him." (Daniel Marder, Seems Like Old Times)

John Cheever, an instructor in 1973, UI Writers' Workshop, Cheever lived at the Iowa House, and often ate home-made pasta and watched Monday night football with John Irving. (Seems Like Old Times) Cheever was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1979 for his book, The Stories of John Cheever. Among his published work is Bullet Park, and the last novel before his death, Falconer. His short stories include, "The Death of Justine," and "The Swimmer." (Dana Gioia, The Hudson Review, Autumn, '86.)

Paul Conrad, BA UI 1950. Conrad has been a three-time recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning; in 1964, in 1971, and in 1984. He has been a cartoonist for the Denver Post and the Los Angeles Times.

Frank Conroy, Professor of English and Creative Writing, and Director of UI Writers' Workshop since 1987. The author of two short story collections, Stop Time, and Midair, Conroy's first novel is scheduled to be released in 1992. Before coming to Iowa he was Director of the Literature Program with the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, DC. Of that experience Conroy says, "In my five years there, through four cycles of selection [for the awarding of $20,000 grants] we never spent the time trying to figure out why a story was good. We never defined what 'good' was. One reason was because you could talk until you were blue int the face and never figure it out. The only thing you can do is maintain a state of readiness. You keep writing because you didn't know when 'it' is going to happen. Nobody knows. You stay immersed in the discipline. Writing is an act of faith...inspiration just doesn't come out of the sky and hit someone like lightning. Inspiration only comes to writers who are ready. And you can be ready and still not do good work. I've noticed that before I do something strong I often do something I was disappointed in. I tell this to students, but they don't believe me. They read everyone's best work so they think that there are artists who only do strong work all of the time. Well, that isn't true."

A professional jazz pianist, Conroy said in an interview, "...people ask me to make a connection between my writing and my teaching but I feel the strongest connection is between my teaching and my music. The quality of improvisation, of being out on a limb, is similar to when I'm teaching...a good work has a kind of independence from

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the fictional biography of Lenin's wife), and David Plimpton (Gail Godwin, NEW TIMES, p 54). Casey is head of the English department at the University of Virginia. During an NPR interview in December 1989, Casey said he started writing to overcome stuttering, because "...I always had to find a word to replace the one I couldn't say." R.V. Cassill, native Iowan, WW II vet, MFA UI Writers' Workshop, and professor at Iowa until 1966. Like classmate Flannery O'Connor he published while a student (Atlantic Monthly), and was also working on his first novel (Eagle on The Coin). Before coming to the Workshop he had been an instructor at the Chicago Art School. Of Cassill student Jean Wylder wrote, "... [he had] an enormous understanding of fiction; ...he built his own house (in the country), worked for Henry Wallace, and painted delicate water colors." "The spirit of social complacency and of self hadn't seduced him." (Daniel Marder, Seems Like Old Times) John Cheever, an instructor in 1973, UI Writers' Workshop, Cheever lived at the Iowa House, and often ate home-made pasta and watched Monday night football with John Irving. (Seems Like Old Times) Cheever was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1979 for his book, The Stories of John Cheever. Among his published work is Bullet Park, and the last novel before his death, Falconer. His short stories include, "The Death of Justine," and "The Swimmer." (Dana Gioia, The Hudson Review, Autumn, '86.) Paul Conrad, BA UI 1950. Conrad has been a three-time recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning; in 1964, in 1971, and in 1984. He has been a cartoonist for the Denver Post and the Los Angeles Times. Frank Conroy, Professor of English and Creative Writing, and Director of UI Writers' Workshop since 1987. The author of two short story collections, Stop Time, and Midair, Conroy's first novel is scheduled to be released in 1992. Before coming to Iowa he was Director of the Literature Program with the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, DC. Of that experience Conroy says, "In my five years there, through four cycles of selection [for the awarding of $20,000 grants] we never spent the time trying to figure out why a story was good. We never defined what 'good' was. One reason was because you could talk until you were blue int the face and never figure it out. The only thing you can do is maintain a state of readiness. You keep writing because you didn't know when 'it' is going to happen. Nobody knows. You stay immersed in the discipline. Writing is an act of faith...inspiration just doesn't come out of the sky and hit someone like lightning. Inspiration only comes to writers who are ready. And you can be ready and still not do good work. I've noticed that before I do something strong I often do something I was disappointed in. I tell this to students, but they don't believe me. They read everyone's best work so they think that there are artists who only do strong work all of the time. Well, that isn't true." A professional jazz pianist, Conroy said in an interview, "...people ask me to make a connection between my writing and my teaching but I feel the strongest connection is between my teaching and my music. The quality of improvisation, of being out on a limb, is similar to when I'm teaching...a good work has a kind of independence from