With LitCity Lore, we periodically feature a story from our new LitCity website, which maps unique Iowa City literary stories to the locations where writers lived, worked, gave readings, socialized and were inspired by the town.

This week we are highlighting Tomaž Šalamun’s reading for the IWP’s 40th anniversary, where he recalls a serendipitous meeting with writer Anselm Hollo, who a friend told him to find in the United States:

“... in Donnelly’s there was an older person and some people around him, and they were laughing and they included me. I realized they were poets, and I said, “I’m a poet, and come from the IWP.” And then the older person said, “Let me drive you to Mayflower.” On the road he had a small accident, and, when he handed his driver’s license to the police officer, I realized that he was Anselm Hollo! That is how Iowa started for me, and it didn’t stop. Every third year there is some strange connection!”

Explore this story and more at the LitCity website.