Iowa Writers' Workshop: A Legacy of Literary Excellence
The Iowa Writers' Workshop, a prestigious creative writing program at the University of Iowa, has cultivated a remarkable legacy of literary talent since its formal founding in 1936. This article explores the history, impact, and notable alumni of this influential institution.
Genesis of a Literary Hub
The seeds of the Workshop were planted in 1922 when Carl Seashore, dean of the Graduate College, announced that creative work would be accepted as theses for advanced degrees. After that, the School of Letters began offering regular courses in writing in which selected students were tutored by resident and visiting writers. The first creative writing class at the University of Iowa ("Verse-making") was offered in the spring semester of 1897.
Formally established in 1936, the Iowa Writers’ Workshop gathered poets and fiction writers under the guidance of founding director Wilbur Schramm. "It seemed like an idea," said Schramm, "whose time had come." It was the first creative writing degree program offered at an American university and the first to give thesis credit for creative work in the arts.
A Program Like Juilliard
The Iowa Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa in Iowa City is a two-year program in writing, either poetry or prose, that awards participants a master of fine arts. It gives them a chance to learn from established writers and poets. “It is a focused program, like Juilliard,” says Conroy. “We read constantly, rereading the classics.” And they write. “They can write anything they want,” says Conroy. The program is the humanities,” says Conroy.
From the outset, the program enjoyed a series of distinguished visitors, among them Robert Frost, Robert Penn Warren, John Berryman, Dylan Thomas, and Robert Lowell.
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The Engle Era and International Expansion
One of the first students to receive an M.A. in creative writing was the poet Paul Engle, who assumed the directorship of the Workshop in 1941. During the 24 years of his directorship, from 1945 to 1965, the Workshop gained a national reputation as the premier program of its kind. During World War II enrollment was no more than a dozen students, but, after the war, it grew to over a hundred students and divided into the fiction and poetry areas of focus that exist today.
In 1962, Engle and his wife, Hualing Nieh Engle, started the country's first translation workshop. In 1967, the couple founded the International Writing Program.
A Constantly Evolving Program
The Workshop's prominence has continued through the directorships of George Starbuck (1966-1969), John Leggett (1970-1987), Frank Conroy (1987-2005), and Lan Samantha Chang (2006-present). Lan Samantha Chang assumed the directorship in 2006. During her time as director, the program has continued to thrive and its writers to receive some of the industry's biggest awards. In addition to steering the program, Chang has worked to raise funds and increase student support. Today, the program offers equal funding to all students. The increase in student support has gone hand-in-hand with a marked increase in the diversity of the students in the program, maintaining the Workshop's place as a vital space for writers.
For decades, Workshop classes were held in temporary, quonset-style army barracks near the Iowa River, where the Iowa Memorial Union stands today. In 1966, the program moved to the English-Philosophy Building, and moved yet again in 1997 to its current administrative home, the Dey House, an historic, Victorian-era home adapted for reuse as an academic building. In 2006, the program's home grew, with the newly-built addition to the Dey House, the Glenn Schaeffer Library and Archives. Our Writers' Workshop, English program, and School of Journalism and Mass Communication combine to make Iowa one of the foremost writing schools in America.
A Fertile Ground for Literary Success
The success of the program is evident at the bookstore as a force in American literature. Conroy notes that twenty-five prose students graduated from the program in 2001. “By 2002, seven had serious books of literature in bookstores,” he says. He adds that a recent graduate, Adam Haskell, was just nominated for a National Book Award for his collection of stories, You Are Welcome.
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A dozen Pulitzer Prize winners and a number of National Book Award winners have been Workshop graduates. It has produced four of the last five poet laureates. Some 40 Pulitzer Prizes have been awarded to UI faculty members or alumni, including 27 prizes to writers affiliated with the Iowa Writers' Workshop.
The Workshop gives writers a community of fellow authors and poets to connect with. “Being in a community of writers is half the reason they come here,” says Conroy. “There’s no distraction; it’s a close community.
Three walls of the office of Frank Conroy, director of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, contain floor-to-ceiling bookcases, and they are completely full. They are filled with the works of the writers who have graduated from this prestigious creative writing and poetry program. Since then the program has graduated thousands of writers. During this time, thousands of writers of great promise and talent graduated from the program.
Notable Alumni: A Pantheon of Literary Stars
This directory is not just composed of graduates of this school, as some of the famous people on this list didn't necessarily earn a degree from Iowa Writers' Workshop, but rather attended it for a spell. This list answers the questions “Which famous writers went to Iowa Writers' Workshop?” and “Which top authors are Iowa Writers' Workshop alumni?” List of famous alumni from Iowa Writers' Workshop, with photos when available. Prominent graduates from Iowa Writers' Workshop include some of the greatest English language writers of the twentieth century. This list of distinguished Iowa Writers' Workshop alumni is full of recognizable and notable writers.
The Iowa Writers' Workshop boasts an impressive roster of alumni who have achieved critical acclaim and commercial success. Here are some notable figures:
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- Flannery O'Connor: Novelist and author of numerous short stories. MFA, English, 1947.
- John Irving: Novelist who wrote The World According to Garp, A Prayer for Owen Meany, and several other bestsellers. His work often includes characters with UI affiliations, including the 2009 novel, Last Night in Twisted River.
- Wallace Stegner: 1972 Pulitzer for Angle of Repose.
- Jane Smiley: 1992 Pulitzer for A Thousand Acres.
- Andre Dubus: Known for his short stories and novels.
- T.C. Boyle: Author known for novels such as Topanga Canyon.
- Rita Dove: 1987 Pulitzer for Thomas and Beulah. Poet Laureate for 1993.
- Jorie Graham: 1996 Pulitzer for The Dream of the Unified Field. MFA, English, 1978.
- James Alan McPherson: 1977 Pulitzer for Elbow Room. MFA, 1969.
- Marilynne Robinson: 2005 Pulitzer for Gilead.
- Philip Roth: 1998 Pulitzer for American Pastoral.
- Robert Olen Butler: 1993 Pulitzer for A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain.
- Michael Cunningham: 1999 Pulitzer for The Hours.
- Paul Harding: 2010 Pulitzer for his debut novel Tinkers.
- John Berryman: 1965 Pulitzer for 77 Dream Songs.
- Louise Glück: 1993 Pulitzer for The Wild Iris.
- Robert Hass: 2008 Pulitzer for Time and Materials.
- Anthony Hecht: 1968 Pulitzer for The Hard Hours.
- Donald R. Justice: 1980 Pulitzer for Selected Poems.
- Carolyn Kizer: 1985 Pulitzer for Yin.
- Philip Levine: 1995 Pulitzer for The Simple Truth.
- Robert Lowell: 1947 Pulitzer for Lord Weary's Castle, 1974 Pulitzer for The Dolphin.
- Philip Schultz: 2008 Pulitzer for Failure.
- Mark Strand: 1999 Pulitzer for Blizzard of One.
- James Tate: 1992 Pulitzer for Selected Poems.
- Charles Wright: 1998 Pulitzer for Black Zodiac.
- Robert Penn Warren: 1947 Pulitzer for All the King's Men (in fiction); a 1958 Pulitzer for Poems 1954-56, Now and Then; and a 1980 Pulitzer for Poems 1976-78.
- Paul Engle: Poet and director of the Iowa Writers' Workshop for 24 years. Engle also founded the International Writing Program. MA, English, 1932.
- Mildred Wirt Benson: Also known as Carolyn Keene, creator of the Nancy Drew mystery story collection. She sold short stories to help pay her Iowa tuition in the 1920s and was the first woman to earn a UI master's degree in journalism. BA, 1925; MA, 1927.
- Max A. Collins, Jr.: Author of Road to Perdition, which became a movie starring Tom Hanks in 2002, and writer of the comic strip Dick Tracy (Chester Gould was the creator of the strip and Collins took over in 1977 when Gould retired).
- Gail Godwin: Known for her compassionate and often humorous explorations of traditional Southern women confronting aspects of feminism and contemporary society, Godwin is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, and a prominent American novelist.
Beyond the Workshop: Diverse Paths
While many alumni have achieved literary fame, others have made their mark in diverse fields, showcasing the versatility of a writing-focused education:
- Tom Brokaw: The former anchor of NBC Nightly News attended Iowa in the late 1950s before pursuing a career in broadcast news. He has since created a scholarship fund for Native American students at Iowa.
- John Cochran: Chief Washington correspondent for ABC News. His broadcast career spans more than 30 years and includes a lengthy stint at NBC News.
- David Guttenfelder: National Associated Press photographer and nominee for the Pulitzer Prize.
- Herbert Nipson: Award-winning journalist who spent nearly 40 years at Ebony magazine, including 15 years as executive editor (1972 to 1987).
- Brian Ross: Chief investigative correspondent for ABC News. He won Peabody Awards in 1974 and 1992, and Emmy Awards in 1980, 1985, 1988, and 1992.
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