Manoleria by Daniel Khalastchi

Daniel Khalastchi is the author of two critically-acclaimed works: Manoleria (Tupelo Press/Crazyhorse) and Tradition (McSweeney’s). Additionally, he serves as assistant director of University of Iowa’s Undergraduate Certificate in Writing program and co-founded Rescue Press.

He is an Iraqi Jewish American graduate of the Iowa Writers Workshop whose works have been featured in The Believer Logger, Colorado Review and Iowa Review among others.

Early Life and Education

Khalastchi’s poems explore religion, politics, illness, assimilation, love and loss with an unsettling mix of humor and candor. Drawing upon his experiences as the son of Iraqi Jewish immigrants residing in America today – using carefully constructed language he creates contemporary American life with urgency and possibility.

McSweeney’s Press is pleased to announce the publication of Daniel Khalastchi’s hilarious, heartrending and brilliant new collection Tradition from Tupelo Press/Crazyhorse Press/Crazyhorse Press – following Manoleria which won Poetry Northwest book prize 2011. An Iowa Writers Workshop graduate and former Fellow at Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center Fellow (FAWC), his poems have appeared in The Believer Logger, Colorado Review, Iowa Review and Rumpus among others. Daniel currently teaches advanced writing classes at Augustana College and Marquette University as well as serving as associate Director at University of Iowa Magid Center for Undergraduate Writing.

Professional Career

Daniel Khalastchi is a poet and professor of writing at the University of Iowa. He is the author of three collections of poetry – Manoleria (Tupelo Press), Tradition (McSweeney’s), and American Parables, winner of University of Wisconsin Press’ Brittingham Prize – as well as having written for numerous journals such as Believer Logger, Colorado Review Fence The Iowa Review The Rumpus among many others; He has taught advanced writing, literature, publishing courses at Augustana College Marquette University and Iowa Writers Workshop before co-founding Rescue Press which resides in Iowa City; being first generation Iraqi Jewish American is both exciting and rewarding for him!

This talk explores how images can be either literal or symbolic and how using these various techniques can make language come alive.

Achievement and Honors

Daniel Khalastchi is a graduate of Iowa Writers’ Workshop and former Fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown. His debut poetry book, Manoleria, won the Tupelo Press/Crazyhorse First Book Award while Tradition by McSweeney’s was nominated for Brittingham Prize nominations. American Parables by University of Wisconsin Press will be published later in 2021 – his poems often bring humor and solemnity together in poems that explore unavoidable absurdities inherent within love war family relationships, religion and tradition – captivating readers along their journey into unavoidable absurdities of love war family ties as they unravel ever deeper into love war families religion traditions traditions that go further into unavoidable absurdities found within love war family religion traditions & tradition!

Iraqi Jewish American, he currently teaches writing at the University of Iowa Magid Center for Writing as well as serving as cofounder and managing editor of Rescue Press. Based out of Iowa City, he received a 2012 National Endowment for the Arts fellowship award.

Personal Life

Daniel Khalastchi, an Iraqi Jewish American poet, professor, and assistant director of the new Undergraduate Certificate in Writing program at the University of Iowa. He is the author of three poetry collections – Manoleria (Tupelo Press), Tradition (McSweeney’s), and American Parables (University of Wisconsin; winner of Brittingham Prize). Furthermore, several poems by him have appeared in The Believer Logger, Colorado Review and Iowa Review among others. A graduate of both Iowa Writers Workshop as well as Fine Arts Work Center Provincetown residency (graduate Iowa Writers Workshop), Daniel currently resides with wife and daughter in Iowa City where they reside with family he works from.