Goats, Glam, and the Day the Music Died: This Week’s Must-Read Stories Across Iowa, Life Lessons, and Pop Culture Milestones
...Welcome Deidre Baker, from Eldridge, to the Iowa Writers' Collaborative
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Welcome to the Flipside!
This week’s Midweek edition offers a rich tapestry of stories spanning Iowa's heart and beyond. Avery Gregurich responds to Art Cullen’s call for help in Marengo with a heartfelt open letter. At the same time, Beth Hoffman shares an unexpected life lesson involving a goat named Mabel—or was it Myrtle? Over in the arts, Mary Swander highlights Amy Kolen’s moving memoir Inside Voices, where singing in a prison choir brings unexpected harmony to family caregiving.
Take a nostalgic trip with Sarah Scull to Clear Lake’s Surf Ballroom, or dive into the quirky world of Vicki Minor, who brings humor to the new role retirement plays at home. Cheryl Tevis isn’t holding back in national politics, questioning the silence of Congress amidst troubling developments. If you’re feeling a bit lost, Debra Engle offers clarity with a dose of tough love, while Jane Burns takes us behind the scenes with an Iowan shaping ESPN’s NFL coverage.
For those craving personal reflections, Macey Shofroth shares an intimate essay on bruising and bodies, and Sarah Scull reflects on activism, wool overload, and the power of consumer choices. Phoebe Wall Howard introduces us to a 96-year-old woman whose quiet life left a big impact, while Jeff Morrison navigates the frustrations of recording Jeopardy! in the streaming age.
Cultural commentary shines with Kyle Munson’s exploration of Saturday Night Live and The New Yorker anniversaries, and Chip Albright delves into the paradox of modern technology. Music lovers will appreciate Kathryn Severing tribute to her unforgettable Uncle Steve and John Naughton’s musings on whether today’s performers could learn a thing or two from legendary octogenarian showmen like Chubby Checker and Tom Jones.
No matter your interests, this edition offers something to inspire, provoke, and entertain. Dive in and explore these thoughtful reflections from voices across Iowa and beyond!
Around Iowa
Avery Gregurich: In this edition of The Five and Dime, Avery Gregurich pens an open letter to Art Cullen, responding to his call for help for Marengo, Iowa.
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Beth Hoffman: Beth Hoffman and her husband John brought the goat back to the house on a Monday, the one we called Mabel, or Myrtle, or Myra, depending on who you asked. They hoped for her healing, but they got an important life lesson.
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Books, Art
Mary Swander (Emerging Voices): Highlighting Amy Kolen's brilliant new memoir Inside Voices from Ice Cube Press. Amy Kolen sings in a prison choir for over a year, then drives across town to care for her mother in a nursing home. One experience liberates the other, finding harmony in the spirit of the experience. It is a must-read for anyone who has struggled with family dynamics or assumed the role of elder caretaker.
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Diversity in the Heartland
Deirdre Cox Baker: Interesting blurbs of all kinds.
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Entertainment & Travel
Sarah Scull: Sarah Scull heads to Clear Lake, where the Surf Ballroom becomes a time machine racing straight for 1959. She's there to honor "the day the music died" only to discover it's very much alive.
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Humor
Vicki Minor: Retirement: A New Role at Home
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National Politics
Cheryl Tevis: In her column this week, Cheryl Tevis is asking why Congress is MIA while unelected DOGE individuals trample the Rule of Law and the Separation of Powers without transparency or oversight.
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Spiritual
Debra Engle: If life is feeling especially confusing right now, here's some clarity and a little tough love.
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Sports
Jane Burns: As the Super Bowl and NFL dominate sports news, Jane Burns introduces us to Heather Burns (no relation), an Iowan and former Iowa City Press-Citizen reporter who has been directing the NFL’s ESPN digital coverage for 12 years.
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Strictly Personal
Macey Shofroth: Macey Shofroth shared a short, personal micro essay this week about bruising and bodies.
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Sarah Scull: A reflection on 30 years of activism through the lens of consumer power. From red lipstick as a symbol of defiance to the impact of everyday spending, Sarah Scull explores how small, intentional choices can resist oppression and shape a more just world.
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Sarah Scull: When Sarah Scull asked for a little wool, she got 99 sheep’s worth. Now she’s knee-deep in fleece and questioning all her life choices. At least it's therapeutic!
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Phoebe Wall Howard: Because sometimes in this busy life, we forget that people leading quiet lives make the biggest difference. This is the story of a 96-year-old woman who kept her age a secret and didn't want to die.
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Jeff Morrison: The IWC's resident elder millennial, Jeff Morrison, routinely tapes — er, records — Jeopardy!, but with a recent change by Mediacom, it's not so easy anymore. Follow along for some television technology history.
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Trends
Kyle Munson: Are you a fan of Saturday Night Live? The New Yorker? Kyle Munson writes about how the anniversaries of these two revered New York institutions—converging in 2025—have a lot to say about where we now find ourselves in our modern cultural conversation.
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Music
Kathryn Severing Fox
A heartfelt tribute to my Uncle Steve—an unforgettable jokester, hockey player, fisherman, and brave soul who continues to inspire me through cherished memories, honest conversations, and a song written in his honor.
Chip Albright: Technology is a paradox of good and evil just like so much of today’s world. Thankfully, as humans, we are equipped to discern such things if we keep ourselves aware and attentive.
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John Naughton
What do Chubby Checker, Wayne Newton, Paul Anka and Tom Jones have in common? These octogenarians are all master showmen. But could they also teach some lessons about entertaining an audience to younger acts?
URL: Is Showmanship Missing from Today’s Acts?
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First, welcome to our community of writers who provide local, independent content to those who have an interest in the state of Iowa, and our role in the world at large.
In less than three years, we have grown from a group of seven, mostly former Des Moines Register columnists, along with Pulitzer-winner
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from Oelwein, and , who currently lives in Iowa City. John brings an extensive background and passion to all things rural, and Michael follows global and regional issues, drawing upon his years of experience as a writer and editor with the Wall Street Journal.In this week’s Flipside edition, we introduce you to
, from Eldridge in eastern Iowa. Deirdre is a retired journalist who worked for the Quad-City Times, a daily newspaper serving the Quad Cities region in Iowa and Illinois. She graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism and history. During her tenure at the Quad-City Times, she covered a variety of topics, including local news and community issues.
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Did you see last Sunday’s Roundup?
Iowa Writers’ Collaborative Roster
Central Iowa
Chip Albright: Chip Happens, Des Moines
Rekha Basu: Shouts and Whispers, Des Moines
Laura Belin: Iowa Politics with Laura Belin, Windsor Heights
Kelsey Bigelow: There’s a Poem in That, Des Moines
Dartanyan L. Brown: My Integrated Life, Des Moines
Jane Burns: The Crossover, Des Moines
Dave Busiek: Dave Busiek on Media, Des Moines
Randy Evans: Stray Thoughts, Des Moines via Bloomfield
Christina Fernández-Morrow: Hola Iowa and Christina Fernández-Morrow, Des Moines
Daniel P. Finney: Paragraph Stacker, Des Moines
Julie Gammack: Julie Gammack’s Iowa Potluck, Des Moines and Okoboji
Dennis Goldford: Let’s Talk Politics, Clive
Rob Gray: Rob Gray’s Area, Ankeny
Nik Heftman: The Seven Times, Iowa
Kyle Munson: Kyle Munson’s Main Street, Des Moines
Jane Nguyen: The Asian Iowan, West Des Moines
John Naughton: My Life in Color, Des Moines
Dave Price: Dave Price’s Perspective, Des Moines
Maxwell Schaeffer: Maxwell’s Voice, Ankeny
Macey Shofroth: The Midwest Creative, Norwalk
Kali White VanBaale: Mind the Gap, Bondurant
Teresa Zilk: Talking Good, Des Moines
Eastern Iowa
Deidre Cox Baker: Baker’s Heartbeat, Eldridge
Tory Brecht: Brecht’s Beat, Quad Cities
Avery Gregurich: The Five and Dime, Marengo
Daniel Henderson: Things We Don’t Talk About, Like Religion, Washington
Nina Elkadi: Corn Belt Confidential, Iowa City
Chris Jones: The Swine Republic, Iowa City
Michael Judge: The First Person, Iowa City
Pat Kinney: View from Cedar Valley, Waterloo
Alison McGaughey: In the Fields, Davenport
Carol Montag: Monday’s Music, Cedar Rapids
Jeff Morrison: Between Two Rivers, Cedar Rapids
Ty Rushing: Ty’s Take, Iowa City
Steve Semken: Ice Cube Press, LLC, North Liberty
Zachary Oren Smith: Cornhole Champions, Iowa City
Larry Stone: Listening to the Land, Elkader
Ed Tibbetts: Along the Mississippi, Davenport
Northwest Iowa
Douglas Burns: The Iowa Mercury, Carroll
Nicole Baart: This Stays Here, Sioux Center
Art Cullen: Art Cullen’s Notebook, Storm Lake
Joan Zwagerman: Nuts and Bolts, Storm Lake
Darcy Maulsby: Keepin’ It Rural, Calhoun County
Chad Elliott: Iowa’s Renaissance Man, Jefferson
Chuck Offenburger: Iowa Boy Chuck Offenburger, Jefferson
Southern Iowa
Beth Hoffman: In the Dirt, Lovilia
Robert Leonard: Deep Midwest: Politics and Culture, Bussey
Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Buggy Land, Kalona
Mary Swander's Emerging Voices: Emerging Voices, Kalona
Sarah Scull: The Piecemaker, Creston
Kathryn Severing Fox: Creston
Debra Engle: A Whole New World, Madison County
Vicki Minor: Relatively Minor, Winterset
Marianne Fons: Reporting From Quiltropolis, Winterset
Jason Walsmith: The Racontourist, Earlham
Northern Iowa
Hannah Breckbill: Humble Hands Harvest, Decorah
Kurtis Meyer: Showing Up, St. Ansgar
Statewide/General Iowa
Iowa Writers Collaborative: Roundup
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Alliance with IWC
Black Iowa News: Dana James, Iowa
Letters From Iowans
Hola Iowa: Iowa
Okoboji/Lakes Area
Arnold Garson: Second Thoughts, Okoboji
David Thoreson: Northwest Passages, Okoboji,
Out of State
Romen Borsellino: Romen Borsellino, Hollywood, CA
Phoebe Wall Howard: Shifting Gears, Detroit, MI
Barry Piatt: Piatt on Politics Behind the Curtain, Washington, D.C.
Chris Gloninger: Weathering Climate Change, US
