After the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program lost nearly $1 million in funding in February, a longtime supporter and local independent bookstore Prairie Lights launched an in-store initiative that will raise thousands of dollars for the program.
In May, former Iowa Public Radio host Dennis Reese donated his collection of 450 Library of America slipcase books to Prairie Lights.
Reese started his collection in 1986, which spans the whole course of American literature, and many of them have not been read. Some of the books in the collection are no longer in print, but all were printed on acid-free paper, ensuring longevity in the book’s life.
Each book sits at $40, with 20% of the proceeds going to the International Writing Program, which Prairie Lights owner Jan Weissmiller said will raise thousands of dollars for the program.
IWP Director Chris Merrill said the donation means the world to the program.
“It’s just another shot in the arm for us as we try to reimagine our way forward in the absence of federal dollars and federal support,” he said.
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The donation will go toward the cost of bringing international writers to Iowa City and helping to feed and house them.
Since the loss of federal funding, the IWP has had to dismantle a couple of programs, such as Between the Lines, a two-week creative writing and cultural exchange camp for 15-18-year-olds, Lines & Spaces, a literary cultural exchange program, and scale back on the number of writers who will attend the fall residency.
“We’re very excited that we have managed to continue to keep the torch lit here on behalf of international literature, and we hope that we can build on that solid foundation,” Merrill said.
The IWP and Prairie Lights’ relationship dates back to 1980, when Prairie Lights would host an IWP reading every Sunday afternoon — way before they had any other form of reading series.
Weismiller herself started working at Prairie Lights in 1980, while she was completing her MFA in Poetry at the University of Iowa. Because of her history with the store and the IWP partnership, it means a lot to her to be able to support them.
“[The IWP] is a very enriching part of our community that we certainly don’t want to see disappear,” Weissmiller said.
When Weissmiller recognizes a customer who might be interested in purchasing one of the Library of America editions, she makes sure to point them upstairs and invite them to check them out.
As the IWP has a lot of outreach in the community and many community members who attend these weekly readings, Weissmiller hopes more of the books will sell in the fall.
“Right now, especially, we need to be thinking about other people from different countries and about people that have different lives,” she said. “Right now is a really important time to engage with people from all over the world.”