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.

Today we are highlighting Robert Penn Warren and the numerous documents that the University of Iowa holds related to his time in Iowa City. The University of Iowa Special Collections holds a large number of letters from Robert Penn Warren to Paul Engle, which are available to view in the Special Collections wing of the Main Library.

Their correspondence varies from invitations to as a visiting instructor, comments about past and future work, and descriptions of projects in progress. For example, in this highlighted letter, Robert Penn Warren writes on November 22, 1948:

“I might be able to get down for the Workshop meeting on Thursday, but to be absolutely sure we had better make the meeting on Friday if you can arrange that without too much difficulty.”

In the letter, he describes the visit as a “pleasure trip” and writes

“Your description of the situation at Iowa could not fail to be attractive to anyone.”

Explore this story and more at the LitCity website!