Englert Theatre, Tuesday June 15, 2010 at 5:30pm

Seating: General admission

Free Event!

Christopher Merrill, Cultural Diplomat

Christopher Merrill, an accomplished poet and since 2001 the Director of the Iowa International Writing Program, has another life as a cultural diplomat. Tuesday evening June 15th he will share stories from that life.

The Iowa City Foreign Relations Committee cordially invites you to join us for that special event at the Englert Theatre. Please also join us for a reception following the lecture, sponsored by MidwestOne Bank as a fundraiser for the International Writing Program.

Merrill served on the Department of State Advisory Committee on Cultural Diplomacy and was primary drafter of its 2005 report, “Cultural Diplomacy: the Linchpin of Public Diplomacy.” That document pulled no punches about the decline of America’s reputation overseas, and the essential roles cultural diplomacy should play if America is to resuscitate channels for mutual understanding and recognition of common human values and aspirations with the rest of the world.

Merrill has put his vision of cultural diplomacy into practice in initiatives related to Iowa City’s UNESCO-designated status as one of the world’s three “Cities of Literature” (including a recent mission to Iran), and in the IWP programs that every fall bring 30-40 writers from around the world to Iowa City for 12 weeks of writing, and of communication with each other and with Iowa communities.

Event Sponsors

This event is sponsored by:
The Council for International Visitors to Iowa Cities
The Dee Norton Fund of the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council
Humanities Iowa and the National Endowment for the Humanities
Iowa City Coralville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
The Iowa City Noon Rotary Club
Iowa United Nations Association
Johnson County United Nations Association
MidWestOne Bank
University Lecture Committee

This program is supported by Humanities Iowa and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The views and opinions expressed by this program do not necessarily reflect those of Humanities Iowa or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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Iowa City, IA 52240