Talk of Iowa
908 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 days ago - ★★★★★ - 82 ratingsTalk of Iowa is a place for Iowans to connect to our shared culture and what it means to live in Iowa. Host Charity Nebbe brings a mix of regular guests and a range of experts to discuss the arts, history, literature and everything else happening in Iowa. Every day brings something new — even if it's in a recurring segment like Talk of Iowa Book Club or comes from a familiar voice on Horticulture Day.
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Episodes
A new book remembers vibrant Cedar Falls watercolorist Marjorie Nuhn
December 04, 2021 13:00Marjorie Nuhn had little recognition of her talents as a watercolorist in life. But a posthumous memoir written by her brother is leading some to take a look back at the Cedar Falls native. We also hear from Rick Garmin, a screenwriter, who was born in Marion, Iowa.
A hedge fund, ten Iowa newspapers and the future of local journalism
December 03, 2021 13:00First we hear the latest on Alden Global Capitol's attempt to buy Lee Enterprises which owns 10 Iowa newspapers. In the past, Alden's purchases have been followed by shrinking newsrooms. How could this impact your local newsroom?
Remembering disability advocate Tyler Greene of Waterloo
December 02, 2021 13:00First some advice on how to let holiday stress fall off your back. Then we spend some time remembering the life and work of Waterloo's Tyler Greene and his work to make the world more accessible.
Iowa teacher shares why he's had enough and is leaving the classroom
December 01, 2021 13:00A Johnston teacher’s resignation came after a state lawmaker’s personal attack against his inclusive classroom. Then we move on to a conversation about what exactly it means to challenge a book in your local library.
The myth of the eureka moment and the real story of innovation
November 30, 2021 13:00A psychologist explains how myriad innovations arose from context, consequence and coincidence — not some moment of brilliance. And a preview from the directors bringing "Black Nativity" to the Quad Cities.
Top book recommendations for kids and young adults from Iowa booksellers
November 25, 2021 13:00Devin Redmond, Amanda Lepper and Louise White join host Charity Nebbe to talk about their top book choices for kids and young adults this holiday season.
Local booksellers offer their picks for gifts or a good holiday read
November 24, 2021 13:00Books can be a world in and of themselves. But they don't have to cost you the world to be a great gift to yourself or others.
Nikole Hannah-Jones reflects on her humble roots, growing up in Waterloo and receiving the 2021 Iowa Author Award
November 23, 2021 13:00Charity Nebbe speaks with the creator of ":The 1619 Project," Nikole Hannah-Jones.
Delicious fruit in the summer requires protecting plants through the winter
November 20, 2021 13:00Host Charity Nebbe talks with Gail Nonnecke of Iowa State University about the best ways to successfully protect fruiting plants through the winter.
A new book provides an in-depth look at farming from the inside
November 19, 2021 13:00Journalist Beth Hoffman moved from San Francisco to her husband's family farm in Iowa. Host Charity Nebbe talks with Hoffman about her new book "Bet the Farm: The Dollars and Sense of Growing Food in America," an un-romaticized account of their experiences and the difficult business of farming.
The good and bad choices for heating garages, sheds and other nontraditional spaces
November 18, 2021 13:00Charity Nebbe talks to home improvement expert Bill McAnally.
Willa Cather's classic novel was ahead of its time and also very much of its time
November 17, 2021 13:00This is the November meeting of the Talk of Iowa Book Club. Host Charity Nebbe and her guests have been reading "My Antonia" by Willa Cather, a classic work published in 1918 that tells the stories of immigrant families near Red Cloud, Nebraska.
Living with someone else's grandparents
November 16, 2021 13:00Charity Nebbe and her guests talk about intergenerational relationships.
Eat salad from the garden year-round by extending the season in your garden
November 13, 2021 13:00Host Charity Nebbe talks with extension horticulture specialist Dan Fillius about simple techniques for extending the growing season in home vegetable gardens.
Remembering and marking the lives lost to COVID-19 in 2021
November 12, 2021 13:00As COVID deaths in Iowa surpass 7,000, we hear from the storytellers gathering voices that might otherwise be forgotten.
The safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination for kids and boosters for adults
November 11, 2021 13:00Pediatricians address the concerns parents have had with vaccinating their kids. And a pharmacist talks through the specifics of getting booster shots as adults.
The precarious case of documented Dreamers
November 10, 2021 13:00Your parent migrated to the United States under an official work visa when you were just a few months old. You grow up, go to school and live much like any other American. But at the age of 21, you learn you risk deportation.
Iowa's redlined history
November 09, 2021 13:00Charity Nebbe and her guests talk about the history of redlining in Des Moines.
Here's why certain insects are coming indoors this time of year
November 06, 2021 12:00Donald Lewis and Cindy Haynes of Iowa State University join Charity Nebbe to talk about insects making their way indoors for the winter and answer the plant and tree questions in the lives of listeners.
Hear what this year's Iowa Artist Fellows will write, capture and film
November 05, 2021 12:00Annually, the state of Iowa provides support to artists, filmmakers, musicians and creative writers. We hear from this year's five fellows.
Mic Check Poetry Fest brings spotlight to Iowa poets, young and old
November 04, 2021 12:00A new poetry festival is aimed at building stages for the many Iowa poets looking for a mic. And a Buena Vista University student has published a book of poetry on his parents' journey from El Salvador to the United States.
Amy Tan's novel explores the world of Shanghai courtesans
November 03, 2021 12:00Amy Tan joins Charity Nebbe to discuss her 2013 novel "The Valley of Amazement."
Chuy Renteria talks about culture, racism and break dancing in his new book
November 02, 2021 12:00Host Charity Nebbe speaks to Chuy Renteria about his new book and the Iowa Center for the Book announces the 2022 "All Iowa Reads" selections.
How to protect your garden from the winter cold and hungry critters
October 30, 2021 12:00As winter slowly approaches in the coming weeks, it’s always good to start planning ahead to get your yard, garden or landscape ready for the winter.
Fictionalizing the Jazz Age's most iconic couple
October 29, 2021 12:00Love him. Hate him. Many of us are forced to read F. Scott Fitzgerald. We revisit a conversation with one writer who used fiction to explore the relationship of the writer with his wife, the iconic Zelda Fitzgerald.
The surprising things humans can learn about themselves from animal illness
October 28, 2021 12:00We return to the conversation with a cardiologist and animal behaviorist about the connection between human and veterinary medicine. And then hear from a scholar about the life and legacy of Alexander Clark, an African American Iowan who won the first successful school desegregation case in the history of the United States.
The Mississippi River is the American story
October 27, 2021 12:00Author Paul Schneider joins Charity Nebbe to discuss his book, "Old Man River: The Mississippi River in North American History."
Return this Halloween to a werewolf story with political commentary for our time
October 26, 2021 12:00We revisit our conversation with author Benjamin Percy about his 2013 book "Red Moon" and Ethan Rutherford's "The Peripatetic Coffin and Other Stories" from the same year.
Winter is coming. Time for some final lawn care before the frost.
October 23, 2021 12:00Iowa State University horticulture specialists Cindy Haynes and Adam Thoms join Charity Nebbe to talk about lawn care and answer the plant questions in the lives of listeners.
Elissa Altman's book details her love of food and finding the love of her life
October 22, 2021 12:00Charity Nebbe speaks to Elissa Altman about her memoir "Poor Man's Feast: A Love Story of Comfort, Desire, and the Art of Simple Cooking."
Even with a Pulitzer in hand, local journalism remains imperiled in Iowa
October 21, 2021 12:00If we believe that a strong press is key to a thriving democracy, what does the shuttering of local newspapers and shrinking of staff necessitate from Iowans looking to stay informed?
Tayari Jones reminds readers that racism, antiblackness and white supremacy does not take a day off
October 20, 2021 12:00This is the October meeting of the Talk of Iowa Book Club. Host Charity Nebbe and her guests have been reading “An American Marriage" by Tayari Jones.
Are political fault lines showing up in Iowa's nonpartisan school boards and elections?
October 19, 2021 12:00As culture war issues froth into school board meetings, how are political issues shaping these nonpartisan offices? Hear about what we are seeing statewide, whether we’ve seen it before and what impact it is having on these local offices.
Understanding the give and take of your organic garden
October 16, 2021 12:00Iowa State University horticulture specialists Cindy Haynes and Kathleen Delate join Charity Nebbe to talk about organic gardens and answer the plant and tree questions in the lives of listeners.
Historians and artists collaborate to look back and move forward as Iowa marks 175 years of statehood
October 15, 2021 12:00Historians Andrew Klumpp, Ashley Howard and artist Awki Nji join Charity Nebbe to discuss the latest special edition of the history journal "Annals of Iowa," which celebrates 175 years of statehood.
Now is the time to make improvements to the air quality in your home
October 14, 2021 12:00Charity Nebbe speaks with home-improvement expert Bill McAnally about preparing our homes for winter and a lot more time spent indoors.
Ninth-grader wins National History Day competition
October 13, 2021 12:00Caleb Sinnwell, a ninth-grader at Nashua-Plainfield High School, and his teacher Suzan Turner join host Charity Nebbe to discuss Sinnwell's first-place win in a National History Day competition. Later, two very different Iowa singers, Jessica Faselt and Kelsey Madsen, talk about their ties to New York City and how the pandemic impacted their musical careers.
Zac Easter wanted people to view his death as a way to spread awareness about CTE
October 12, 2021 12:00Author Reid Forgrave joins Charity Nebbe to talk about his book "Love, Zac: Small-Town Football and the Life and Death of an American Boy." It tells the tragic story of Indianola's Zac Easter and the negative impact of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy). Easter's mother, Brenda, and Ali Epperson, Easter's girlfriend, also join the conversation.
Autumn leaves are coming. Ready or not!
October 09, 2021 12:00Once again, summer is coming to an end. But that just means another phase in the life cycle of Iowa's forests.
The lifelong practice of letting go
October 08, 2021 12:00In his new book, an essayist shares his ups and downs, fears and joys while living through his ninth decade. And a sexagenarian describes how breaking boards saved her life.
It took decades for Iowa to establish its borders
October 07, 2021 12:00Charity Nebbe speaks with three historians about Iowa's complicated border history, Mildred Pelzer's 1934 map of Iowa celebrating statehood and the nation's first female lawyer, Belle Babb Mansfield, a southeast Iowa native and graduate of Iowa Wesleyan University.
Author Heather Gudenkauf talks about how she shook writer's block to publish her most personal novel yet
October 06, 2021 12:00In "Not a Sound," the protagonist is dealing with the aftermath of a car accident that leaves her deaf when she stumbles across a body in the woods and a mystery.
Children with special needs and veterans find balance and develop strength on horseback
October 05, 2021 12:00A Swisher, Iowa-based ranch is using horseback riding to help improve neuromotor function, including coordination, balance, and strength for children.
If you're planting bulbs this fall, you can be more adventurous than tulips and daffodils
October 02, 2021 12:00Horticulturist Ed Lyon, director of Reiman Gardens in Ames and Aaron Steil, of Iowa State University Extension, take us beyond the usual choices for planting spring-blooming bulbs.
Kyle McCord’s debut novel tells the story of a utopian community and the death of its followers
October 01, 2021 12:00Charity Nebbe talks to author Kyle McCord about his book, “Reunion of the Good Weather Suicide Cult.” Then, a conversation with a double Master's degree graduate student at ISU, Derrick Kapayou.
What Would A Net-Zero Emission Iowa Look Like?
September 30, 2021 12:00Whether we see it or not, many of our daily activities — driving to work, powering our homes and grabbing a bite to eat — produce carbon or require emitting carbon. What would a low-carbon or zero-carbon lifestyle look like in Iowa.
Awkward Teenagers, Spiritual Experiences, Cultural Connections, A UFO Sighting -- "Black Eagle Child: The Facepaint Narratives" Has It All
September 29, 2021 12:00This is the September meeting of the Talk of Iowa Book Club. Charity Nebbe and her guests have been reading “Black Eagle Child: The Facepaint Narratives” by Ray Young Bear.
The Health Benefits Of Forest Bathing And Documentary Follows Soybeans From Midwest Farm To South Korea
September 28, 2021 12:00Charity Nebbe and her guests discuss a practice that is gaining popularity — spending time in forests in pursuit of boosting health and happiness, and how a single soybean travels the world before it ends up as part of a meal in Seoul, South Korea.
A Guide To Planting, Caring For And Harvesting Garlic
September 25, 2021 12:00Charity Nebbe speaks to Iowa State University Horticulturist Ajay Nair to guide listeners through planting, caring for and harvesting garlic.
Getting 'All Access' To Studio One's New Show From IPR
September 24, 2021 12:00Charity Nebbe speaks to all three IPR Studio One hosts about their new show: All Access