It offered me a lot of interesting opportunities. First, I was able to hook back up with a writing buddy from college, Rusty Coats. Rusty's a great guy and an incredible fiction writer. We used to write and drink together as undergrads at Indiana University back in the mid-80's. I know only his short stories, mostly from that time, but they were incredible. Thiink of his stuff as what Steven King would write if he could write better endings. We picked up right where we left off, 16 years ago.
One night, by accident, we went up a ondescript staircase at a bar and discovered Iowa City's only Rap/Hip-Hop club. It was quite a scene. We were so out of place the bartender declined to serve us, saying "We're out of that," pointing my beer bottle. Downstairs they kept serving us beer, and the music was Good Charlotte and Twisted Sister. Sounds like an ersatz Hemingway anecdote, but we had fun.
Rusty and I both ocmmented that we had picked up right where we left off. Considering our shared sense of humor, our circuitous route to careers in technology, and our rekindled enthusiasm for writing, we talked like not much had really changed in 16 years.
The second opportunity the workshop afforded me was to go to Iowa City. I had never been there before, but I heard from many people what a cool place it is and what a great writing program it is. The person who kicked off the weekend said to those of us who were in Iowa City for the first time: "You will find this a fertile place for writers."
Down one of the main streets leading from downtown Iowa City to the campus of the University of iowa is the Iowa Avenue Literary Walk, which "celebrates, in bronze relief panels, some of the singular voices that have come together here, from Flannery O’Connor and Kurt Vonnegut to John Irving and James Tate." It's very cool.
Getting to Iowa City from Kansas City includes a great drive across I-80 through lots of rolling lush farm fields. It's a landscape I never get tired of. There are areas where you see for miles and miles with no manmade structures except for fences and an occasional collapsing barn. Iowa also has an interstingly-named chain of convenience stores. You have to wonder if they think it's a good name or maybe they are just used to it.
Finally was the workshop itself. I was a bit skeptical about the workshop. Rusty and I had planned in advance that as soon as it got boring we would leave. The workshop we signed up for was called "Character and Action." After 15 minutes it was clear we were not going to leave during the workshop, and by the end of the 2 days I wished it would go on another two days.
The instructor was the best writing instructor I have ever had, and perhaps one of the most inspirational instructors I have ever had in any subject. She taught the class with authority but never dominated the conversations. She taught with credentials, but never read her own work. She taught with experience, but never suggested her methods were any better than what had worked for us in the past.
My past experiences with creative writing classes at Indiana University had proved spotty. With a few exceptions, like Rusty and a some others, I generally did not think the other students had much talent, and I therefore did not respect any of the criticism they provided of my work. That was not a problem at this workshop. Without exception, I was blown away by the other writers in the class who read their work. It was unbelievably eye-opening. I truly feel I was the least talented person there. In a situation like that, you could not help but be challenged, inspired, and energized.
Overall, the experience had all of the characteristics of a pivotal event in my life: funny, inspiring, and mentally challenging. I will go back next year, and every year after.
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