A never-to-be-forgotten experience

Instead of travel to Europe in July 2021, when Covid 19 forced IWL to hold its program on Zoom, my summer highlight was virtual world travel through global texts, informative discussions with IWL registrants, productive fortnight-long seminars, diverse stimulating lectures by expert academics, and colloquia in which we each presented work and listened to papers of fellow participants.

There was a range of diverse choices.  My first seminar by B. Venkat Mani focused on “Exiles, Migrants and Refugees,” topics that are unfortunately more urgent each day as world events make a deleterious impact on these issues and the many people who have and still suffer unspeakable wrongs and loss of loved ones, material possessions, and their own identities.  Venkat not only plumbed the depths of many theoretical and literary texts he modeled teaching practices that I admired and have tried to incorporate in my classes. He gave unstintingly of himself and transformed a disparate group of graduate students and new and seasoned faculty from many international venues into one big family.

The second seminar by David Damrosch, “Globalization and its Discontents,” was outstanding and memorable in its own way.  David, the founder of IWL, is a walking encyclopedia of world texts and many languages which he delighted in performing at opportune moments. He has imbibed the subject matter, published many books, and passionately shared his knowledge and his humanity. Each day he warmly welcomed us and enthusiastically launched into the material.

Despite having received all the readings for the course and going through them prior to July, there were many re-readings to digest. Every day was densely packed and filled with material that enriched my mind and touched my heart.

Everything ran smoothly; I offer thanks and appreciation to David Damrosch and Delia Ungureanu, Associate Director of IWL, who accomplished a mammoth task of organization and immeasurable hours of work efficiently and with kindness.

I heartily recommend this amazing institute to anyone who wants to experience new knowledge of the world and develop greater sensitivity to theories and texts that leave one, after four short weeks, a better academic and human being.

Marcia Blumberg

2021 IWL alumna

Associate Professor

                                                            Department of English, York University, Toronto, Canada