Caucus Eve...lots of creatures are stirring
...and a whole lot more is going on around here, too
Welcome to our new subscribers. This is your Sunday Roundup of columns produced by Iowa Writers’ Collaborative members. The complete roster of members is listed below, with links to their full-column archive. When you see words highlighted in a red accent, that links to the current column mentioned in the blurb below.
This collaboration is a bold experiment. We believe commentary is essential to being informed about the world around us. Our work is not funded by advertising, so the only compensation our writers receive for this work is from the approximately 10% of our readers who become paid subscribers. Thank you for reading, sharing, and supporting this work.
Caucus Eve
Yes, the Iowa Caucus cometh and national newspapers pluck some of our Iowa Writers’ Collaborative commentators to lend a local perspective to the story. Bob Leonard had a busy week. He scored the Haley/DeSantis CNN debate for the New York Times and previewed the caucuses for the Kansas City Star and other McClatchy newspapers. He links to the columns and gives us some background in The Iowa Caucuses Cometh; and so does the Storm.
On the cusp of the Iowa Caucuses, Ed Tibbetts offers us a reminder — and a prediction.
It's finally here. The Iowa Caucuses will have the nation's attention even if the winner is all but certain already. Dave Price, covering his sixth caucus, shares what he'll watch on Monday night.
Dave Busiek on Media reports Fox has learned nothing from its $787 million legal settlement.
Between writing an opinion piece for CNN, a longer post that will appear in Raw Story on Monday, and editing 15 guest posts this week, Laura Belin ‘only’ has one column this week. She discussed the Perry school shooting and aftermath, the opening day of the Iowa legislature’s 2024 session, and plenty of Iowa caucus news with Dennis Hart on their KHOI radio show, “Capital Week.”
Fern and Joe say: We know who he is and what we’re getting, and half of us want him again.
Last Sunday, Iowa Boy Chuck Offenburger wrote a column endorsing Nikki Haley. He stirred up a surprised reaction, which prompted Richard Gilbert to write a response backing him up (Sh*t Richard Says) which caused Richard’s wife, Julie Gammack, to ‘set them both straight. And this week, Offenburger appears undaunted by the backlash his column created, including at home, and stands tall with Haley again. He eludes to this in today’s piece.
More caucus stuff: Julie Gammack will host Democratic Party officials on her Monday Zoom call:
Farm Bill? Where is it?
Barry Piatt writes about the long over due five year Farm Bill that Congress failed to enact last year, and may not complete for nearly another year in this week’s column titled: “The Dog Ate My Farm Bill.”
Dining in Des Moines
Wini Moranville offered a highly selective list of where to dine downtown. Her picks were geared toward those attending the caucuses, but bookmark this resource- it will be great whenever you want to head downtown for one of the city's best meals.
Gun Violence
Mother, author, columnist, and Iowan Nicole Baart responds to the latest school shooting with her column titled: The Power of And.
Mental Health
Kali White VanBaale is on a mission to bring awareness to the mental health system, and lack thereof, in Iowa.
Around Iowa
Cheryl Tevis digs deep to get the dirt on foreign farmland ownership and how it relates to the U.S. appetite for food security.
Art Cullen says higher education is under assault, and it’s not just about those pointy-headed Ivy Leaguers. It’s hitting Moo U and good ol’ Boola Boola (Buena Vista in Spanish).
Hungry birds are swarming to Larry Stone’s feeders while he recalls tales of past Iowa winters.
Kurt Meyer thumbed through a few beloved hymnals as he assembled his latest column. See what he found.
Jeff Morrison looks at some Iowa milestones for 2024, including Cedar Rapids’ 175th anniversary (which was celebrated Thursday) and school buildings turning 100 years old. More: http://homegrowniowan.com/cedar-rapids-marks-175-years-with-time-capsule-dedication/
Douglas Burns is passionate about Iowa journalism and, in today’s column, writes about a gem in Denison serving a Spanish and English reading audience.
Dartanyan Brown has two offerings this past week. His column gives insight into his ‘Integrated Life,’ as a writer, a legendary jazz musician and as a kid whose life was impacted by being a part of the YMCA Bell Ringers. He also posted a musical offering, No Words. This integrated life of Dartanyans is enchanting. Dartanyan was a featured guest in Julie Gammack’s Potluck podcast.
Snow days remind our man in Cedar Valley of his mom. Read Pat Kinney’s piece today and his tribute to ‘one strong woman.’
Macey Shofroth is our Midwest creative who finds other interesting and creative souls to tell us about.
For all you snowbirds. See what you're missing. Mary Swander’s Emerging Voices posted this excerpt on winter from Liberty Hyde Bailey, one of the best U.S. nature writers. Edited by John Linstrom, printed with permission from the Cornell University Press.
Local Schmocal writes Beth Hoffman when she discovers apples in her local grocery store being touted as ‘local’ even though they came from Michigan.
John Naughton takes stock on his first Substack anniversary.
Sports
Tory Brecht says Iowa men’s basketball has a fan base problem.
Rob Gray: Iowa State's longtime head women's basketball coach got emotional when describing what his team's fans mean to him after the young Cyclones toppled No. 4 Baylor Saturday at home.
Coming Soon!
We welcome former Des Moines Register sports writer Jane Burns to the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. Subscribe now, so you’ll be on the list to receive her first column post. Burns intends to focus on Iowa women’s sports in a column she calls ‘Crossover.’ She wrote a guest post in Julie Gammack’s Potluck last March about U of I basketball phenomenon Caitlin Clark, which set a record for page views, unmatched until Richard and Julie took to debating the Nikki Haley endorsement.
Health
Arnold Garson reports about a miracle therapeutic for some of the most scary diseases and how he learned about the endeavor.
Humor
Something fishy inside an Urbandale waiting room, says Vicki Minor, in her column, Relatively Minor.
The Inquisitive Quad Citizen, Alison McGaughey, has lofty wishes for the new year. One of them is about the self-checkout at ALDI. We missed highlighting this last week, and regret the omission.
Poetry
The Iowa Writers’ Collaborative Roster
If you have the means, please pick five of your favorite writers and become a paid subscriber. You will receive our gratitude and be invited to participate in special events that are just for paid subscribers. This includes a monthly Zoom call with members and real-time gatherings throughout the year. If you cannot afford to become a paid subscriber but want to help, please share this column with those interested.