All Faculty Profiles

Irene Zabytko

by Samantha Dunne

If there’s one thing Irene Zabytko loves, it’s exploring the world through the written word.

She does so as a novelist reflecting on her Ukrainian heritage, a YouTuber making pilgrimages to writer-centric meccas, and a Gotham teacher hosting students from around the world.

Her interest in other cultures took root when she was a girl growing up in Chicago’s Ukrainian Village.

“It’s where many Ukrainian emigres established homes, churches, schools, and cultural centers especially after World War II,” she says. “My growing up in a very ethnic area of a mainstream city, and inside a diaspora community, gave me the privilege of being simultaneously immersed in two cultures and the added incentive and inspiration to write about the people I know best.”

When Luba Leaves Home, Irene’s short story collection about a girl living with her immigrant parents in a Ukrainian community in the US, closely resembles her own upbringing.

In the collection, the parent characters want to assimilate to American life while maintaining their country’s traditions, but Luba, the young protagonist, struggles to accept this double identity.

“I hope my stories will introduce readers to Ukrainians and their culture, especially now while they are in the midst of a brutal war they did not ask for,” Irene says. “But as any writer who focuses on a particular ethnic group, I hope readers will also recognize and empathize with the universality of my characters and their world.”

Irene’s work often touches on true events and people, like in her historical fiction novel The Sky Unwashed, which takes place in the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster, and her upcoming book about Nikolai Gogol, the 19th century Ukrainian writer. She traveled to Ukraine as a Fulbright Award recipient and wrote about his life in the same building he attended school.

Irene’s fascination with other writers, and the process of writing itself, even manifested in a YouTube channel: The Literary Groupie.

“It’s directed at fiction writers where I offer tips and information about writing and publishing,” she says. I’ll also be visiting writer-related places and events, especially the homes of famous writers in the US and around the world.”

Gotham students get to see firsthand the knowledge and passion Irene has for the craft.

“I’m always amazed at how much I learn from my students, especially when they share the titles of their favorite books. I’ve discovered new writers in different genres I hadn’t heard of before, for which I’m grateful,” she says. “Because our students come from different parts of the country and globe, and from many career paths and lifestyles, they often bring amazing insights and perspectives into their writing.”

But Irene knows resilience is what defines a writer. Her hope as a teacher is that her students maintain the momentum that got them into the classroom in the first place.

“Keep going, and don’t give up,” Irene says. “Be proud that [you] took the brave initiative to take a writing class. So many people yearn to write, but never do.”