Say the World

Jul 30 2024 14 ep. 50 mins 2

Say the World Podcast artwork

An international writing podcast hosted by the staff of the International Writing Program. Join us once every two weeks for in-depth conversations with brilliant, talented writers from all over the world.

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Interviewing the International Writing Program's Favorite Librarian

Jul 30 2024 57 mins

We continue our series of conversations with IWP staff and collaborators by interviewing Lisa Gardinier from the University of Iowa Libraries. Lisa is a frequent collaborator of the IWP and of Nataša Ďurovičová, with whom she collaborated to curate the special 55 Years of International Writers in Iowa City exhibit discussed in this episode. A transcript is available at https:/

Manufacturing Cinema, Teaching Translation, and Aspiring to Freedom from Language

Jul 02 2024 79 mins

We continue our series of conversations with IWP staff and collaborators by interviewing Nataša Ďurovičová, who recently retired after serving as the program's editor for twenty-two years. We discuss her academic history and interest in cinema, the roles of writers in public life as imagined by different cultures, how the IWP has changed over the years, and the difficulties of

Christopher Merrill on His Collaboration with Marvin Bell and Career as IWP Director

Jun 18 2024 51 mins

This episode kicks off a series of interviews with the staff of the IWP, which begins with a conversation with the IWP's director, Christopher Merrill. We discuss his friendship and collaboration with Marvin Bell, as well as his career (more than two decades) as director of the IWP. We discuss how his tenure here began, as well as several especially memorable moments. This episode

Fiji's Fascinating History and the Necessity of Solidarity in the Literary World

Jun 04 2024 55 mins

This episode description will be updated when the official transcript is available for this episode. Today's guest is Mary Rokonadravu. We discussed the history of her home of Fiji, writing from and about nature, working through writing with incarcerated people, the benefits of participating in the IWP, the importance of solidarity in the literary world, and more. Bio: Mary Rokona

Silence, Performance, and What Fiction Writers Are Good For

May 14 2024 55 mins

You can read this episode's podcast at https://iwp.uiowa.edu/page/say-the-world-podcast-transcript-episode-9-busisiwe-mahlangu. Today’s guest is Busisiwe Mahlangu. We discussed the various forms in which Mahlangu works, her experiences with performing in a staged production of her own poetry, and the challenges of writing short fiction, among other things. Bio: Busisiwe Mahlangu

Using and Confusing Biography in Fiction

Apr 30 2024 42 mins

You can read this episode's transcript at https://iwp.uiowa.edu/page/say-the-world-podcast-transcript-episode-8-kevin-chen Today's guest is the Taiwanese novelist Kevin Chen. We discussed the ways that people confuse biography and fiction, Chen's colorful work history, how literary lies can bring us closer to the truth, and more. Bio: Kevin Chen (novelist; Taiwan) started his care

Collaborating with One's Translators; Writing About Work

Apr 16 2024 64 mins

You can read this episode's transcript at https://iwp.uiowa.edu/page/say-the-world-podcast-transcript-episode-7-marina-porcelli. Today's guest is the Argentinian writer Marina Porcelli. We're joined by podcast research assistant Derick Edgren Otero for a conversation on the ways they've collaborated in translating a piece originally authored by Porcelli. The piece has since been p

Poetic Consciousness and Making Every Word Count

Apr 02 2024 34 mins

You can read this episode's transcript at https://iwp.uiowa.edu/page/say-the-world-podcast-transcript-episode-6-reetta-pekkanen. Today’s guest is the Finnish poet Reetta Pekkanen. We discussed how she came to write poetry, what life is like as a professional poet, how she makes every word count, and more. Bio: Reetta Pekkanen (poet; Finland) has published the collections SMALL H

Writing Fiction from History and Adapting a Legend

Mar 19 2024 55 mins

You can read this episode's transcript at https://iwp.uiowa.edu/page/say-the-world-podcast-transcript-episode-5-wong-yi-eva. Today’s guest is the author Wong Yi, who also goes by Eva. We discussed how she uses research to enrich her fiction, the experience of living and writing in the age of social media, what it's like to have one's work adapted, and how it felt to write the l

Reading the Greats, Finding One's Voice, and Keeping a Commonplace Book

Mar 05 2024 46 mins

You can this episode's transcript at https://iwp.uiowa.edu/page/say-the-world-podcast-transcript-episode-4-soonest-nathaniel. Today’s guest is Soonest Nathaniel. We discussed Soonest's extensive reading list and use of the library, as well as his note-taking practices. We also discussed his influences, college career, ambitions, spoken word poetry, Iowa traffic, and learning to