Between the Lines, Iowa City, University of Iowa, 2013

(Between the Lines (BTL), a program that brings high school writers, aged 16-19, to the University of Iowa for creative writing study and cultural interaction)

July 13, Welcome to Iowa City

We left Chicago in the morning in two University of Iowa vans. It is about a 4-hour drive from there to Iowa City through endless corn fields with intermittent barns and scanty cows.

Upon arrival we were lucky to catch the Summer Arts, Jazz, Movies and Music Festival. Somehow jazz stands along with music, apparently having a distinguished role in American culture. Two events were scheduled for the evening – open doors free concert and film showing. Leaving the suitcases in the rooms, students went to explore the surroundings. Downtown of Iowa City is really small but nice and cozy, with 12(!) bookstores and vintage clothing small shops like “White Rabbit”.  Iowans keep special folding chairs for such festivals and people unfold the chairs right in the middle of the street in front of the only high building in the city – Sheraton hotel – turning the Pedestrian mall into a performance hall. It is hard to imagine such a multi-age crowd enjoying music and frozen yogurt all together in Russia. Infants in strollers, teenage rappers in same-colored outfit, elderly people with fashionable purses and funny labels on their T-shirts, all hang out and have fun.

Frozen yogurt deserves a separate notion. It costs 39 cents per ounce, you grab a plastic cap and pour it as much as you want sprinkling nuts, chocolates or fresh berries. Before choosing a flavor we tried several ones in miniature cups – yummy! – and that was a mistake because after tasting we can’t but take a little bit of everything. That ended up in a full cup worth about 5$ and half an hour indulging in gluttony.