Author Paul Engle: Iowa Time Machine October 12, 1908

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On October 12, 1908, long-time director of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa, Paul Engle, was born in Cedar Rapids. A notable poet, playwright, novelist, and editor, Engle’s life helped shape Iowa’s reputation for award-winning writing.

Born to a livery stable owner, Engle grew up in Cedar Rapids' Wellington Heights area. An alumnus of Cedar Rapids Washington High School and the city’s Coe College, Engle later studied at the University of Iowa, Columbia University, and Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. His early poetry collection, “Worn Earth,” won the Yale Series of Younger Poets, and his second book, “American Song,” earned widespread critical acclaim.

Engle started his tenure as the director of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop in 1941. He served in the role until 1965, and his guidance helped shape the program into one of the world's finest. Engle brought in writers to serve as faculty, including Kurt Vonnegut, Robie Macauley, and John Berryman, and the workshop thrived under his leadership.

When Engle left the Iowa Writers’ Workshop in 1967, he and Nieh Hauling co-founded the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program. The program, a platform for dozens of published authors to collaborate in Iowa City each year, continued to build the Johnson County town’s reputation as one of the world's premier literary cities. #Iowa #OTD #History #Writing #Author