Ralph Henry Reese: Giving Exiled Writers Security and Freedom

 

Ralph Henry Reese remembers clearly the day he and his wife decided¹ to start City of Asylum² Pittsburgh.

It was in 1997. He and his wife, Diane Samuels, were attending a talk by British Indian writer Salman Rushdie at the University of Pittsburgh. The famous author had just started making public appearances again after several years of hiding.

Rushdie’s 1989 novel ‘The Satanic Verses’ had offended many Muslims because of its portrayal³ of Islam. After its publication, the Supreme⁴ Leader of Iran issued a fatwa ordering Rushdie’s execution.

While in hiding, Rushdie and other writers in danger formed the International Parliament of Writers.The group urged cities in Europe to provide support and safety for writers in exile. These cities became known as “Cities of Asylum.” Writers who stayed in these cities could feel safe and secure again. More importantly, they could also enjoy freedom of expression again.

Rushdie spoke⁵ about the Cities of Asylum in that 1997 talk at the University of Pittsburgh. Almost immediately, Reese and Samuels started thinking about how they could make Pittsburgh a city of asylum, too.

Reese grew up near Pittsburgh in a small town called Homestead, Pennsylvania. The area was home to one of the first big steel plants in the United States.

“A very famous small town because it was the site of the original labor⁶ riots back in the early steel industry. And it was sort of legendary⁷ and it was a much-studied community because of the turmoil⁸ and the immigrants in the community and the diversity of the people.”

For much of his adult life, Reese was an entrepreneur. He owned his own business. He describes himself as being able to create and develop ideas.

And in 1997, a new idea presented itself. Rushdie’s mention of European cities of asylum made Henry Reese and Diane Samuels think about how they – and the city of Pittsburgh – might be able to help writers in exile.

“He [Rushdie] talked briefly⁹ about the City of Asylum network in Europe. And Diane and I had a house at the time. We were renting out -- it had been at one time a crack house and we had acquired it to keep it from becoming a crack house again. And we thought, ‘what a perfect house for a writer.’”

Shortly after hearing Rushdie’s talk, Ralph Henry Reese wrote to the Cities of Asylum network in Europe. He expressed interest in giving a writer in danger to a safe place to live.

Several years went by before Reese and Samuels heard anything. Then, in 2003, they received an email. The Cities of Asylum program was looking to expand in the United States.

And one year later, the City of Asylum Pittsburgh opened its doors.

“City of Asylum Pittsburgh began to provide sanctuary¹⁰ to a writer exiled under threat of persecution¹¹. Persecution meaning the writer could be endangered with prison, violence or censored¹² in a way that you can’t publish freely.”

City of Asylum Pittsburgh’s first writer was Huang Xiang, a poet from China.

“When he came here he wanted to celebrate his freedom. He had never been allowed to express himself. [He had] never been published. He'd been tortured where his mouth had been beaten in so he couldn't even recite his poetry publicly, or they try to prevent it.”

When Huang arrived in Pittsburgh, Reese says, he wanted to “carve his poetry into the mountains outside the city.”

Huang spoke little English. He communicated through his wife, who translated for him. At first, Reese and Samuels thought they might have misunderstood Huang’s wishes.

"And we thought ‘Oh are we really hearing this?’”

Indeed, that was Huang’s wish. But, Samuels came up with an easier way for Huang to display his words.

“So Diane came up with the idea of putting his poetry on the outside of the house there. So he immediately came and did this beautiful calligraphy¹³. It became a landmark¹⁴ instantly people came looking for it. He would come out and perform at his house.”

The row house was once a drug house. Now, it is decorated with Chinese poetry. Huang’s home is known as “House Poem.”

Today, City of Asylum Pittsburgh is made up of several row houses on the block of Samsponia Way. Its other houses have names. The names serve as reminders¹⁵ of the exiled writers who have lived there.

City of Asylum Pittsburgh has provided homes for exiled writers from six countries: China, El Salvador, Burma, Venezuela, Iran and Bangladesh. The program gives the writers a place to live, an income and medical benefits. It also provides support for them to continue being who they are: writers.

“We feel it’s extremely important that the writer maintain the identity of being a writer and the only way to do that, in exile, is to be published in the country you’re in.”

Reese says the City of Asylum Pittsburgh offers its writers a chance to express themselves freely, without threat. And for some, that feeling is entirely¹⁶ new.

“Freedom of expression can inspire many people in a deep way. This is a country -- the United States is a country -- where First Amendment¹⁷ rights and the idea to speak your mind is just so deeply ingrained that I think that is fundamental and everybody feels that is a sense of entitlement.

“But, I think everybody in this community understands the value of what we have here, and is more committed to understanding the meaning of creative expression, First Amendment rights in a different way, than maybe we did before. Because we have monuments in our midst, living monuments, who represent what it's like to lose that.”

Words In This Story

appearance – n. the way that someone or something looks

portrayal – n. the act of showing or describing someone or something especially in a painting, book, etc.

fatwa – n. a ruling on a point of Islamic law given by a recognized authority.

turmoil – n. a state of confusion or disorder¹⁸

crack house – n. a house or apartment where the illegal drug crack is made, used or sold

sanctuary – n. a place where someone or something is protected or given shelter

endangered – adj. seriously at risk or in danger

persecution - n. the unfair or cruel treatment treat of someone, especially because of race or religious or political beliefs

tortured – v. to cause someone to experience severe physical pain especially as a form of punishment to force that person to do something or say something

carve – v. to create something by cutting into a surface

calligraphy – n. the art of making beautiful handwriting

landmark – n. an object or structure on land that is easy to see and recognize

row house – n. a house in a row of houses that shares a wall with the houses next to it

entirely – adv. completely or fully¹⁹: not lacking or leaving out any part

First Amendment – an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified²⁰ in 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights, prohibiting Congress from interfering²¹ with freedom of religion, speech, assembly, or petition.

ingrained – adj. existing for a long time and very difficult to change

fundamental – adj. forming or relating to the most important part of something

entitlement – n. the condition of having a right to have, do or get something

commitment – n. a promise to do or give something

midst – n. used to say that someone is among the people in a group

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

3 portrayal   

n.饰演；描画

参考例句：

• His novel is a vivid portrayal of life in a mining community.他的小说生动地描绘了矿区的生活。
• The portrayal of the characters in the novel is lifelike.该书中的人物写得有血有肉。

4 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

7 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

8 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

9 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

10 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。

11 persecution   

n. 迫害,烦扰

参考例句：

• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
• Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。

12 censored   

受审查的，被删剪的

参考例句：

• The news reports had been heavily censored . 这些新闻报道已被大幅删剪。
• The military-backed government has heavily censored the news. 有军方撑腰的政府对新闻进行了严格审查。

13 calligraphy   

n.书法

参考例句：

• At the calligraphy competition,people asked him to write a few characters.书法比赛会上，人们请他留字。
• His calligraphy is vigorous and forceful.他的书法苍劲有力。

14 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

15 reminders   

n.令人回忆起…的东西( reminder的名词复数 )；提醒…的东西；（告知该做某事的）通知单；提示信

参考例句：

• The film evokes chilling reminders of the war. 这部电影使人们回忆起战争的可怕场景。
• The strike has delayed the mailing of tax reminders. 罢工耽搁了催税单的投寄。

16 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

17 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

18 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

19 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

20 ratified   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准，因此被宣布无效。
• The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。

21 interfering   

adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词

参考例句：

• He's an interfering old busybody! 他老爱管闲事！
• I wish my mother would stop interfering and let me make my own decisions. 我希望我母亲不再干预，让我自己拿主意。