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John Berryman’s Apartment

John Berryman’s Apartment

ADDRESS
409 E. Jefferson St.

This apartment in Iowa City’s Northside neighborhood is where John Berryman lived during part of his time teaching at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

Stories
Place

John Berryman’s Apartment on Jefferson Street

Berryman spent his first few days back in Iowa City

registering students, then moved into an apartment at 409 East Jefferson Avenue. Later, after an intense argument with a fellow professor, and a night of drinking heavily, Berryman staggered back to his apartment, where, unable to find his key, he tried to force the door. When the landlord saw how drunk he was, he refused to let Berryman in. Upset, and desperately needing to go to the bathroom, Berryman began shouting obscenities. But when the landlord refused to let him in, Berryman squatted on the front porch and defecated. Berryman was locked up for ‘disorderly conduct,’ and was fired shortly thereafter.

Mariani, Paul L. Dream Song: The Life of John Berryman. New York: W. Morrow, 1990. Print.