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'Asylum' writers teach Americans a lesson

'Asylum' writers teach Americans a lesson

As the crowds drifted away after the City of Asylum program on the North Side Sept. 9, the message of the evening seemed to linger in the air.

Two writers who were jailed in their native countries for opposing official policy -- Wole Soyinka and Huang Xiang -- read their poetry that night. Their presence was a living example of the value of courage in oppressive times.

Two days later, we marked the fifth anniversary of Sept. 11 in ceremonies where the word was invoked many times.

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We were also reminded, some might say warned, by administration officials before and after last Monday, that objections to and criticism of the government's foreign policies reflected cowardice and appeasement.

Xiang, whose teeth were knocked out by his Chinese jailers, and Soyinka, who spent nearly two years in a Nigerian prison, would disagree. They know what it's like to live in nations without freedom of speech, and while their readings in America are taken for granted, they are both aware of how valuable that freedom is.

The administration would argue however, in echoes of another foreign conflict, that it seems OK to erode those freedoms in order to save them.

Its threat earlier this year to invoke the 1917 sedition laws against journalists and its blind support of Section 215 of the Patriot Act are proof enough of its casual attitude toward the First Amendment.

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In a few weeks, another exiled writer will take up residence in a City of Asylum home on Sampsonia Way a few doors away from Xiang and his wife, who have lived here two years. The Sept. 9 ceremony was the dedication of the second house.

Henry Reese, the Pittsburgher behind the writers' asylum program here, said the effort is "not a commitment to an individual, but a commitment to providing sanctuary" to artists who need it.

The presence of the sanctuary effort here should serve as a reminder that freedom of speech is a fragile thing that needs protection and support.

City of short stories, too

Two of the country's major honors for the short story -- the Drue Heinz Literature Prize and the Rea Award for Short Fiction -- are local products.

The Rea Award marked its 20th anniversary last week by honoring John Updike with its $30,000 prize.

The 74-year-old Pennsylvanian, author of 11 short-story collections, is now the dean of American fiction. He published his 19th novel, "The Terrorist," this year.

The Pittsburgh connection? The prize is named for Michael Rea, a former executive with the Oliver Tyrone real estate firm from 1952-69 who grew up in Sewickley.

After several other ventures, Rea initiated the literary prize in 1986. It honors "artistic achievement, originality and influence on the genre." He died in 1996.

The Heinz Prize, endowed by Drue Heinz, widow of H.J. Heinz II, is administered by the University of Pittsburgh Press. It recognizes authors in their early career and celebrated its 25th anniversary last year.

This year's winner, Todd James Pierce, teaches English at California Polytechnic University. His collection, "Newsworld," will be published this month by Pitt Press. He also gets a $15,000 check.

Pierce will read from his stories at Pitt Nov. 1. For details, check the listing of literary events beginning on Page E-1.

First Published: September 17, 2006, 4:00 a.m.

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