DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically and clinically confirmed low-grade follicular B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), including the following subtypes:

  • Follicular small cleaved cell
  • Follicular mixed small and large cell
  • Small lymphocytic lymphoma
• CD20-positive by immunohistochemistry or flow cytometry

• Relapsed and/or refractory disease

  • Received at least 1, but no more than 4, prior chemotherapy regimens for low-grade follicular NHL

    • For phase II, prior therapies may have included rituximab or fludarabine as a single agent only

    • For phase I, prior rituximab and fludarabine must not have been administered in combination or sequentially

      • Prior rituximab and/or fludarabine as single agents are allowed provided patient achieved a 50% response (i.e., partial response to prior therapy)

• Measurable disease 4 weeks after the last chemotherapy regimen, meeting at least 1 of the following criteria:

  • At least 1 unidimensional lesion > 1.5 cm by CT scan
  • Positive bone marrow biopsy
• No bulky disease (single mass ≥ 10 cm)
• No known CNS involvement by MRI and/or cerebrospinal fluid examination NOTE: A new classification scheme for adult non-Hodgkin's lymphoma has been adopted by PDQ. The terminology of "indolent" or "aggressive" lymphoma will replace the former terminology of "low", "intermediate", or "high" grade lymphoma.

However, this protocol uses the former terminology.

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

• At least 4 months

Hematopoietic

• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,000/mm^3 (500/mm^3 for bone marrow involvement by lymphoma)
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3 (50,000/mm^3 for bone marrow involvement by lymphoma)

Hepatic

• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST/ALT ≤ 3 times ULN

Renal

• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN

Cardiovascular

• No left ventricular hypertrophy on EKG
• No prior life-threatening arrhythmias
• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• No severe coronary artery disease
• No cardiomyopathy
• No New York Heart Association class II-IV congestive heart failure
• Ejection fraction > 40%

• No EKG abnormality (i.e., ischemic ST-T abnormalities, QT prolongation, pathologic q waves, or arrhythmias)

  • Benign premature atrial or ventricular contractions or first- or second-degree atrioventricular block allowed

Other

• No prior life-threatening allergic reaction to study agents
• No other prior malignancies except basal cell carcinoma or cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia
• No prior uncontrolled seizures
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use 2 (1 highly active and 1 additional effective) methods of contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 6 weeks since prior rituximab and recovered
• Concurrent growth factors (e.g., filgrastim [G-CSF] or epoetin alfa) allowed
• No prior allogeneic stem cell transplantation

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas and mitomycin) and recovered
• More than 6 weeks since prior fludarabine and recovered (phase II)
• No prior FR901228 or any other histone deacetylase inhibitor

Endocrine therapy

• No concurrent pharmacological doses of corticosteroids for concurrent medical conditions

Radiotherapy

• More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered

Surgery

• Not specified

Other

• More than 8 weeks since prior UCN-01 and recovered
• No concurrent drugs that would cause prolongation of QTc
• No concurrent hydrochlorothiazide
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy