David Belgum This is Me

Education

 Web References

1. 1. Iowa City Press-Citizen: News

   www.press-citizen.com/news/112 - [Cached]

   Published on: 11/29/2002   Last Visited: 11/29/2002

   David Belgum caught the writing bug 10 years ago and it never went away
   
   ...
   David Belgum, a former professor of religion at the University of Iowa and former professor in the College of Medicine for clinical pastoral education, has written five books during the past 10 years of his retirement.
   
   The long-time Iowa City resident got hooked on fiction after he sat in on a summer session writers' workshop taught by former director Jack Legget. The session motivated him to tackle the craft of story telling, he said.
   
   Belgum, 79, wrote his first book, an autobiography, in the early 1990s. The title, "Excuse Me I'm Just Passing By," reflects his apologetic sense of humor likely inspired by a Norwegian Lutheran upbringing, he said.
   
   As a young man, Belgum suffered with stuttering for 17 years until he attended a speech clinic at the University of Minnesota. His speech was so bad his freshman year that he was put in the lowest level English class, he said.
   
   Still he persevered and discovered he had a knack for writing interesting papers loosely based on real-life experiences. Belgum wrote a research paper on stuttering that was later printed in HyGea Magazine, now known as Today's Health.
   
   When inspiration hits - sometimes in the middle of the night - Belgum can be found in his study, typing away on his electric Smith Corona typewriter, which he prefers over his computer.
   
   "When it's a fiction story, I wake up in the morning and think what he's going to do," Belgum said, referring to the fictitious characters he creates.
   
   Surrounded by books left over from academia and photos of family, Belgum will pause often to white-out mistakes.
   
   "That's my exercise," he said, laughing.
   
   Belgum graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in sociology in 1944, from Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary in Minneapolis and from Boston University with a Ph.D. in religious psychiatry. Though he wrote several books related to his field, he never pursued writing full-time. But after retiring in 1987, he was able to take life experiences as an educator, ordained minister, father of three, and grandfather to develop fictitious stories.
   
   His fourth book, "A Story of Religion and Cultural Diversity," was displayed at a conference in Cedar Rapids for area educators. The book tackled issues involving cultural diversity and religion - issues that are still ongoing, he said, adding that his favorite book is the most recently published, "Yonder Fork."
   
   His third book, "A Boy From Nowhere," was recently converted to audiotape for the School for the Blind in Vinton.
   
   "It's about a boy who has many problems, gets so angry, that he is put in a mental hospital," Belgum said. "He goes to a speech clinic, weds a gypsy and must deal with the culture differences."
   
   Wife Katherine said her husband is a very dedicated writer and so she stays out of his way.
   
   "I just kind of leave him alone," she said "He has a great curiosity about writing and has always enjoyed doing it."
   
   Belgum plans to write another novel but will continue to experience life. In January, he will conduct a six-session class on religion at Gloria Day Lutheran Church. His books are available at Prairie Lights Books in Iowa City.
   
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2. 2. Video Tapes - C2

   www.irms.org/vtc2.htm - [Cached]

   Published on: 11/9/2000   Last Visited: 8/1/2002

   Video and Guide written by David Belgum, Professor Emeritus at the University of Iowa. Subject areas include: Jewish community in Iowa City; Islam in Iowa; Native Americans; Amish; and many more. The quality of the videotape is poor.
   
   Diversity Multiculturalism Human Relations
   
   CURING AFFLUENZA SERIES