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Talk of Iowa: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Iowa Public Radio
Talk 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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- Today48 min
Africa Live Network launches Iowa African Film Festival
When the Africa Live Network announced the first Iowa African Film Festival, they were overwhelmed with submissions. We talk with Jack Chimbetete, founder of the Africa Live Network, about how the Iowa African Film Festival will showcase African culture and about what it means to connect people from the African diaspora. We also talk with Omar Love, founder and executive director of The Motherland Experience Festival. The Iowa African Film Festival takes place Aug. 6 through 8 at Drake University in Des Moines. The festival ends on Aug. 8 with the Motherland Experience Festival, a day of African arts, culture, and community. Then, Talk of Iowa Summer School continues with Alex Grapp, a high school language arts teacher at Ames High School. He shares how he is turning his students into readers by teaching them how to connect books to their own lives.
- Yesterday47 min
Iowa painter wins international award for portrait
Painter Rose Frantzen of Maquoketa recently won top honors at the prestigious Portrait Society of America's International Portrait Competition. Frantzen, co-founder of the Maquoketa Art Experience, discusses her career and why Iowa is where she makes her home. Then, Tamara Marcus, owner of Empowered Solutions Collective, discusses how a gardening and yoga class helps Cedar Rapids youth make sustainability a part of their everyday lives.
- 2 days ago47 min
Find hidden gems across the state with the Iowa State Park Passport
Any time is a great time to visit an Iowa State Park, but if you go now through the end of October, you can discover hidden gems with the Iowa State Parks Passport. On this episode, we learn about the Iowa State Parks Passport, which encourages Iowans to explore historic landmarks and scenic overlooks around the state. We also talk with William Bortz about his new poetry collection. Then, we meet Anne Harris Carter, the new director of the African American Museum of Iowa.
- 5 days ago47 min
Best practices for this harvest season
We are at the height of the season for homegrown produce. On this Horticulture Day episode, we talk about what's ripe and nearly ripe, and best practices for this harvest season. Then Dan and Aaron answer listener questions.
- 6 days ago47 min
Funding cuts threaten public libraries across Iowa
In 2023, the Iowa Legislature overhauled our property tax system with overwhelming bipartisan support. Part of that overhaul changed the way that many Iowa libraries and museums are funded, and the consequences of that change are making themselves known. On this episode, we talk with Billie Bailey, the retired executive director of the Grout Museum District in Waterloo, and Cindy Wells, president of the Board of Trustees for the Waterloo Public Library. Over 90% of the affected libraries and museums are at risk of budget cuts before the end of the 5-year sunset period, according to a report compiled by Bailey and Wells. Then, when tractors replaced horse-drawn implements, it revolutionized agriculture, and competition among tractor makers was fierce. We talk with Peter Tubbs, producer of Tractor Wars and Tractor Wars II from Iowa PBS, which tells that story. (Iowa PBS is an underwriter of IPR.)
- 1 weeks ago48 min
Marshalltown couple celebrates community through a unique public art exhibit
If you find yourself in Marshalltown, keep your eyes open for some very small art installations. On this episode, we meet Josh Cox and Dawn Gettler, the artistic couple behind the Tiny Art Walk. Tiny Art Walk displays work by Dawn and five other local artists on West Main Street in Marshalltown. After spending decades as artists in other cities, Josh and Dawn have made their home in Marshalltown and have connected with and celebrated art in the community. Later in the hour, Talk of Iowa Summer School continues with a lesson about surface mapping from historian Mike Zahs. It's a lesson he's used to help Iowans rediscover and preserve some of Iowa's buried history.
- 1 weeks ago48 min
Should I be my own contractor?
Let's say you're building a house or tackling a massive remodel. Should you try to save some money by acting as your own contractor? On this episode of Talk of Iowa, home improvement expert Bill McAnally shares his advice. He and host Charity Nebbe talk about some of the many challenges faced by people who take on the contractor role in their home projects. Then, Bill answers listener questions on all things home improvement.
- 1 weeks ago48 min
Archaeological and recreational projects examine the complicated history of the Spirit Lake Conflict
The Spirit Lake Conflict of 1857 is remembered at the Abbie Gardner Sharp Cabin state historic site in Arnolds Park. This history is being re-examined and reinvigorated for Iowans today. On this episode, we talk with historian Kevin Mason about the event which came amid rising tensions between Dakota tribe members and new settlers. State Archaeologist John Doershuk joins to share about his Lakeside Laboratory class that just finished its years-long excavation at the state historic site, and what was discovered about generations of use at the land. Mason and Doershuk have also been players in the Iowa Department of Natural Resources' efforts to make the Inkpaduta Canoe Trail a state waterway. This has been a life-altering project for John Wenck of the Iowa DNR, who has been working with Inkpaduta's descendants and local tribes to establish this state waterway, including Cody Seaboy, who shares his perspective.
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About Talk of Iowa
Talk 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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Frequently Asked Questions
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