Iowa City Magic
Is this heaven?
by Ashlyn Solinsky
In the heart of an American city, in the shadow of a small Ginkgo tree, there is a solitary bench. From that bench, one can look in any direction and find something wonderful. To the left, a trio of bronze street musicians serenade those passing by. They stand against the backdrop of a bright mural capped by the question, “Is this heaven?”
To the right, a historical collage captures some of the city’s hotspots — a football field, a classroom, a newspaper room. Straight ahead, gardens line the cobbled street, children play on a colorful playground, a massive library invites learners of all kinds, and a Marvin Bell poem on a stone wall perfectly encapsulates the city’s magic.
This is Iowa City.
Iowa City has a distinct personality, and for thousands of people from all walks of life — including Iowa honors students — it's home. Honors students have found creative ways to engage with the vibrant Iowa City community, and there’s no end to the possibilities.
Honors student Ollie Naber grew up in the shadow of Iowa City, attending school in West Branch 15 minutes away.
“I’ve been coming here since I was a baby,” Naber said. “One of my favorite memories of downtown was going to the Hamburg Inn. That was always on my birthday, and we would go and get pie shakes.”
But growing up in the area didn’t take away the magic of coming to school here as an adult — Iowa City has many surprises in store for anyone willing to explore.
“It wasn’t until I came here that I realized just how deeply the literary scene permeates everything about Iowa City from campus literary magazines to Prairie Lights.” Naber said.
As an English and creative writing major, Naber has found an incredible community to support her in Iowa City.
“You will find ways to make Iowa City your home, no matter what that is, because home looks very different for a lot of different people,” she said. “Whether you are very academically focused, whether you’re an athlete, whatever kind of identity that you engage with, you're going to find a community for that in Iowa City.”
Ava Grey Neumaier, on the other hand, had a very different set of experiences upon arriving in Iowa City from New York.
“I came to the University of Iowa because of the writing program and how great it is that Iowa City is a UNESCO City of Literature,” she said.
Moving from a metropolis to Iowa City would be a big adjustment for anyone. But Neumaier began taking advantage of Iowa City’s bountiful opportunities long before enrolling at the university.
“I was here over the summer of junior year of high school as part of the Iowa Young Writers Studio,” Neumaier said. “It was super fun because we would have these outings to Prairie Lights. We would go visit the Black Angel in the cemetery. We would go to music events around town, and it was just tons of fun.”
Neumaier has found ways to engage with Iowa City’s many events. One day in November, she hit up a book sale, a tractor ride, a boxing tournament, and a Dada prom on the same day.
“Although [Iowa City] was definitely smaller than New York, I thought that it was a really great community of artists and creatives,” Neumaier said. “There was always something happening.”
Nora Higgins, student engagement intern for the UI Honors Program, has spent a lot of time in Iowa City. After graduating with a BA in English and in education studies and human relations, she decided to stay in Iowa City and is still thriving after more than five years.
When she first arrived in Iowa City from the small town of Brandon, Iowa, she was blown away by all of the activity.
“Since I’m from a small place, I was a little overwhelmed,” Higgins said. “Now, it doesn’t feel so big.”
It didn’t take her long to find her sea legs, though. Soon, she was a professional at navigating the streets of Iowa City, and years later she is now tasked with introducing honors students to the community.
“We recognize that students have been on campus for a couple of weeks, but if they are anything like I was, they may be a little bit intimidated about going into the Iowa City area,” Higgins said. “We really want them to see what else is available to them off campus.”
Despite having lived here for half a decade, Higgins is still finding new adventures.
“I’ve been trying to explore every coffee shop in Iowa City,” she said. “Also, a cool study space is the Iowa City library. It’s cool because they offer a little bit of something different.”
That’s Iowa City for you: a little bit of something different. There are a million things to explore. Walk down any street and you will find something whimsical — a mural, a poem, a friendly face. When you’re ready, step outside; go find that bench, that statue, that mural, that poem. Find your favorite place. Sit in the heart of Iowa City and ponder the question:
Is this heaven?
Writers in a Cafe
Amid semi-trailers hauling produce
grown in the deep blue-black topsoil
left mid-country by an inexpressible Ice Age,
there is known to be a place where words
have dirt on their shoes. Where sky reaches
to girdle the globe, the earth is etched
by signs and portents. Many have bowed
to their writings in attics and basements,
at rest by the river or paused on a bridge,
in the shadow of winter or eclipse, voicing
local lives and affairs of state – as much by
the reflections of leaves and the glow
of prairie grasses left to live in the mind
as by shapes in clouds or the dark news.
They were here who made the sentence
behave and misbehave, who added
chapter and verse, and recast the myths.
The cafe grows quiet as they write.
The espresso machine lets go the steam
someone may write it on the mirror.
It is an impulse that survives disaster.
The guns fail when surrounded by writing.
Marvin Bell, 2008
About the Author
Ashlyn Solinsky is a first-year English and creative writing major at the University of Iowa. She grew up in rural Wisconsin and she is currently working on her fourth publication.