ulty ▁member ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁in ▁Chinese . ▁ ▁She ▁met ▁Paul ▁Eng le , ▁then ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Iowa ▁Writ ers ' ▁Work shop , ▁while ▁he ▁was ▁visit ing ▁Taiwan ▁to ▁research ▁the ▁contemporary ▁literary ▁scene ▁in ▁Asia . ▁He ▁invited ▁her ▁to ▁attend ▁the ▁Writ ers ' ▁Work shop . ▁As ▁the ▁political ▁climate ▁grew ▁worse ▁in ▁Taiwan , ▁she ▁was ▁placed ▁under ▁surve ill ance ▁and ▁prevent ed ▁from ▁publishing . ▁She ▁decided ▁to ▁accept ▁Eng le ' s ▁inv itation ▁and ▁arrived ▁in ▁Iowa ▁City ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁with ▁seven ▁books ▁already ▁published . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁after ▁receiving ▁her ▁Master ▁of ▁Fine ▁Arts ▁degree ▁in ▁fiction ▁from ▁the ▁Writ ers ' ▁Work shop , ▁she ▁suggested ▁to ▁Eng le , ▁then ▁ret iring ▁from ▁the ▁Work shop , ▁that ▁they ▁start ▁a ▁writing ▁program ▁sole ly ▁for ▁international ▁writers . ▁Their ▁joint ▁plan ▁was ▁to ▁inv ite ▁published ▁writers ▁from ▁all ▁over ▁the ▁world ▁to ▁Iowa ▁City ▁to ▁h one ▁their ▁craft , ▁exchange ▁ideas , ▁and ▁create ▁cross - c ult ural ▁friend ships . ▁With ▁support ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Iowa ▁and ▁a ▁private ▁grant , ▁the ▁first ▁group ▁of ▁international ▁writers ▁conven ed ▁in ▁Iowa ▁City ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁participants ▁in ▁the ▁International ▁Writing ▁Program ▁( I WP ). ▁ ▁They ▁were ▁married ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 . ▁ ▁With ▁Eng le ▁as ▁director ▁and ▁Nie h ▁Eng