Biography

Blanche Redman was born in 1901 in Ottumwa, IA to Beryl and Kare Bodner Redman. She grew up in the Jewish community where her father owned a clothing store and her mother owned a small grocery. Redman graduated from the University of Iowa with both a BA a MA in English in 1953. She taught English and German at St. Clair College in Port Huron, MI where she found the literary publication, “Patterns” until she retired in 1969. Upon retirement, Redman moved to Davenport and was active in many writers’ organizations including the Writers Studio, Quad-City Writers, Quint-Cities Poets, the Iowa Poetry Association and was on the Governor’s Board of the Mississippi Valley Poetry Contest. She was also active with Temple Emanuel Sisterhood in Davenport. As chairman of the Iowa American Association of University Women (AAUP) Redman led a campaign to uncover New Deal murals created through the Federal Art Project. Redman located, documented and preserved dozens of murals throughout the state including several by Grant Wood.

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