Writers Protest Fed Crackdown On Iowa University Writing Program
TSWW co-director Rex Weiner said 'Since 1967, over 1,600 writers from more than 160 countries have participated in the University of Iowa's renowned program. At home and abroad, IWP is a unique conduit for the world's literatures, and the administration's attack on this writing program is an attack on writers everywhere.'
IWP Director Christopher Merrill, who also serves as TSWW's poetry workshop instructor, said in a UI statement that while the 58-year partnership with the federal government has ended, the university remains dedicated to the program's mission to 'promote mutual understanding through creative writing and literature.'
The federal grant to IWP of nearly $1 million 'was roughly equal to what the writing program would have contributed to the U.S. economy next year,' according to the Iowa City Press-Citizen, noting the university's statement that 90% of funds associated with the IWP's federal grants are spent domestically, much of it in Iowa City, a UNESCO City of Literature.
TSWW co-director Jeanne McCulloch said, 'As an international creative writing program with workshops in Mexico, France, and online globally, TSWW will continue to work with Christopher Merrill to explore ways to help advance IWP's goals, and support writers around the world.'
About the Todos Santos Writers Workshop:
Now in its 13th year, the acclaimed Todos Santos Writers Workshop is a creative writing workshop with classes in fiction, memoir, and poetry based in the town of Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, MX, with its annual Todos Paris workshop upcoming May 18 – 24 in Paris, France.
Keywords: Education and Schools, Todos Santos Writers Workshop, University of Iowa,US State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, IOWA CITY, Iowa
Send2Press® Newswire. Information is believed accurate but not guaranteed. Story ID: S2P124631 APNF0325A
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Associated Press
4 days ago
- Associated Press
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TODOS SANTOS, Baja California Sur, Mexico, Aug. 4, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Bestselling author Ann Hood has joined the faculty of the Todos Santos Writers Workshop (TSWW) for the 13th annual Winter Session, January 31 – February 7, 2026. Hood's international bestsellers include 'The Knitting Circle,' 'The Obituary Writer,' and 'The Book That Matters Most.' Her most recent book is the novel 'The Stolen Child.' Hood joins Christopher Merrill (poetry), Karen Karbo (memoir), Jeanne McCulloch (memoir), and Rex Weiner (storytelling strategies) to lead the fiction class in the acclaimed Baja creative writing retreat's 2026 teaching lineup. 'I have always been a huge fan of Ann's singular narrative finesse,' says TSWW co-founder and co-director Jeanne McCulloch, 'Her work is a clarion call, delivered in finely chiseled, unforgettable prose, teaching us about love, courage, and the will to overcome unparalleled grief – a celebration of life in all of its quirky, mysterious forms. Her students over the years have been blessed by her care, contagious good humor, and the many lessons she has to teach. She is a truly special addition to TSWW, and we are delighted to welcome her and her husband, the celebrated writer Michaell Ruhlman, to our workshop family.' 'I'm so excited to be part of the Todos Santos Writers Workshop faculty with the ever-fabulous Jeanne McCulloch, Christopher Merrill, Karen Karbo, and Rex Weiner. Looking forward to meeting our writers in this magical place and sharing time together.' About Ann Hood: Author of over a dozen novels, Hood has also written five memoirs, including 'Fly Girl,' about her days as a TWA flight attendant in the 1970s and 80s; and 'Comfort: A Journey Through Grief,' the story of her five-year-old daughter Grace's sudden death from a virulent form of strep in 2002, a NYT Editors' Choice and one of Entertainment Weekly's 2008 top ten non-fiction books. She is the winner of two Pushcart Prizes, two Best American Food Writing awards, a Best American Travel Writing award, and a Best American Spiritual Writing award. Her essays and short stories have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Food and Wine, Traveler, National Geographic Traveler, The Paris Review, The Atlantic, and many more. More info: About Todos Santos Writers Workshop: The Todos Santos Writers Workshop, founded in 2014, is a center for creative writing based in the historic pueblo mágico of Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, Mexico. TSWW's annual winter session offers workshops for writers at all levels in fiction, memoir, poetry, and storytelling strategies. Classes are limited to eight participants to ensure maximum individual attention. Todos Paris, the annual spring session in Paris, France, focuses on memoir and fiction writing. More info: Winter Session Information: RELATED LINKS: MUILTIMEDIA: Photo link for media: Photo caption: Bestselling Author Ann Hood. NEWS SOURCE: Todos Santos Writers Workshop Keywords: Creative Writing and Poetry, Bestselling author Ann Hood, Todos Santos Writers Workshop TSWW, Baja creative writing retreat, literary, educational, arts, political, creative writing, creative writing workshop, creative writing retreat, fiction, author, TODOS SANTOS, Baja California Sur, Mexico This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Todos Santos Writers Workshop) who is solely responsibile for its accuracy, by Send2Press® Newswire. Information is believed accurate but not guaranteed. Story ID: S2P128198 APNF0325A To view the original version, visit: © 2025 Send2Press® Newswire, a press release distribution service, Calif., USA. RIGHTS GRANTED FOR REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART BY ANY LEGITIMATE MEDIA OUTLET - SUCH AS NEWSPAPER, BROADCAST OR TRADE PERIODICAL. MAY NOT BE USED ON ANY NON-MEDIA WEBSITE PROMOTING PR OR MARKETING SERVICES OR CONTENT DEVELOPMENT. Disclaimer: This press release content was not created by nor issued by the Associated Press (AP). Content below is unrelated to this news story.
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Associated Press
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- Associated Press
Hulk Hogan's sex tape lawsuit had a lasting effect on cases involving celebrity privacy
Famous for his fearless bravado as a pro wrestler, Hulk Hogan won one of his most notable victories in a Florida courtroom by emphasizing his humiliation and emotional distress after a news and gossip website published a video of Hogan having sex with a friend's wife. A 2016 civil trial that pitted the First Amendment against the privacy rights of celebrities ended with a jury awarding Hogan a whopping $140 million in his lawsuit against Gawker Media. Though both parties later settled on $31 million to avoid protracted appeals, the case put Gawker out of business. It also ensured Hogan, who died Thursday at age 71, and his legal team would have a long-term impact on media law. The case showed that, in certain circumstances, celebrities could persuade a jury that their right to privacy outweighs the freedom of the press — even when the published material was true. The case put media outlets on notice that 'the public doesn't necessarily like the press,' especially when reporting intrudes into intimate details of even public figures' private lives, said Samantha Barbas, a University of Iowa law professor who writes about press freedoms and First Amendment issues. She said it also emboldened celebrities, politicians and others in the public spotlight to be more aggressive in suing over unflattering news coverage — as seen recently in President Donald Trump's pursuit of court cases against the Wall Street Journal, ABC and CBS. 'I think the lasting effect of the Hulk Hogan case was it really started this trend of libel and privacy lawsuits being weaponized to kind of take down these media organizations,' Barbas said. Hogan wept hearing the verdict in a case that was 'real personal' Hogan, whose given name was Terry Bollea, sued Gawker for invading his privacy after the website in 2012 posted an edited version of a video of Hogan having sex with the wife of his then-best friend, Florida-based radio DJ Bubba The Love Sponge Clem. Clem gave his blessing to the coupling and recorded the video that was later leaked to Gawker. Hogan insisted he was unaware the intimate encounter was being filmed. The former WWE champion testified that he was 'completely humiliated' when the sex video became public. Hogan's lead trial attorney, Ken Turkel, recalled Thursday how his muscular, mustachioed client cried in court as the jury verdict was read. 'To him the privacy part of it was integral. It was important,' Turkel said. 'Eight-year-old kids were googling 'Hulk Hogan' and 'Wrestlemania,' and they were getting a sex tape. That was hurtful to him in a real personal way.' The three-week trial was closely followed far beyond the courtroom in St. Petersburg, Florida, as thousands of wrestling fans, First Amendment watchers and others stayed glued to their screens as the trial was streamed live online. Salacious details emerged about Hogan's sex life as jurors and spectators viewed. images of him in thong underwear. Other testimony focused on how New York-based Gawker practiced journalism differently than traditional news outlets. And Hogan explained to the jury about the difference between his wrestling persona and his private life. Jury rejected that First Amendment protected publishing sex tape The jury ultimately rejected arguments by Gawker's attorneys that Hogan's sex tape was newsworthy and that publishing it, no matter how distasteful, was protected speech under the First Amendment. 'Now more people, including judges, understand that it's possible to sue someone for revealing something truthful, as long as that something is deeply personal and its publication is highly offensive,' said Amy Gajda, a Brooklyn Law School professor who followed and wrote about the case against Gawker. News outlets still have broad legal protection for publishing information about public figures, even things that would generally be considered private, Gajda said 'As long as there is news value in what is published and the media can argue that effectively, they can get a privacy case dismissed very early on,' she said. ___ Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia.
