Gossip. Politics. Pie. Pot shots. War. Peace.
...and an invitation
Please welcome the somewhat notorious Chris Jones to our Iowa Writers’ Collaborative ranks. As he reported in his post this week, talking about the politics of dirty water, some politicians hate him. His followers and readers love him. You’ll see why in the recent column: Arrs and Dminusers. You’ll discover he’s an equal opportunity critic between the Arrs (translation R=Republican and Dminsusers, D=Democrat).
His lively column will now be included in our Roundup, a service for readers who want to connect to writers with a shared interest in the state.
This has been a helluva week, and our team is on top of much of the news.
Politics
All politics are local, and Cheryl Tevis writes of a new mayor in Boone who belies the belief that being ‘woke’ is ‘bad.’ Learn about this new mayor in Boone: Restocking the Supply Chain of Rural Leaders. This column is why the Iowa Collaborative matters. You are reading stories you might not find elsewhere.
Douglas Burns hunts down candidates for president on the GOP side of the aisle you might not know much about. This week’s case in point: Combat pilot, 42, entering GOP presidential race, promises American ‘turnaround,’ homeland defense at borders.
Art Cullen (did you know he won the Pulitzer Prize?)bemoans just about everything. Check out Something is Amiss in Iowa for his latest take.
Jody Gifford tells us that The Kids are Going to Be Alright and other Miscellaneous Musings, leading with a story about a nationwide reading of “Enough! Plays to End Gun Violence” at Waukee High School—a must-read.
Laura Belin has two contributions this week. Kim Reynolds endorsed in the GOP presidential race, Fetterman’s visit to Iowa, local elections, and more. Then, after the election was held, she reviewed how the progressives won and how book banning did not.
Elections without candidates? Jeff Morrison looks closely at the consequences, intended or not, of ‘smushing’ different elections together.
Food, Travel, and Entertainment
Wini Moranville says pumpkin pie is dead to her after sampling sweet potato pie from a local baker. Read a little Pie + Gossip (possible new restaurants coming to the area) to learn.
The Inquisitive Quad Citizen candidly discusses why she’s sometimes reluctant to go out into the world, her world, and experience the live entertainment she loves. Alison McGaughy’s authentic voice is delightful and relatable to many women who face doing things solo. It’s gonna be another solo show.
John Naughton had a wild time traveling to New York City, and tells readers all about it.
Macey Shofroth (our newlywed was formerly Spensley) is our Midwest Creative who, in this week’s column, introduces readers to several area creative artists in a motivating piece about what inspired them.
Veterans Day is every day for many families…
A Veterans Day salute to all who have served from Chuck Offenburger this week is a reflective look at how he served by covering Iowans in wars. Telling the stories of our veterans is vital to understanding the price of conflict and the importance of human interest coverage of war is imperative. Thanks for your service, Chuck.
Pat Kinney wrote about a Waterloo Vietnam MIA’s daughter who keeps her father’s memory alive, and a Cedar Falls veteran who nears ‘century soldier’ milestone. Kinney’s stories about Iowa service men and women are a staple in his reporting from Cedar Valley.
Portraits of the Great War, is a piece by Francoise Gourronc and appears in Mary Swander’s Emerging Voices column. Mary showcases writers in the format to introduce readers to voices they might not otherwise know.
Media
Dave Busiek writes that whether you are a journalist or a news consumer, you need to know about Mike Giudicessi. Helping Iowa journalists stay out of trouble.
Iowa Life
Julie Gammack interviews Midwest publisher Steve Semken in her Monday Zoom lunch podcast. It’s a conversation worth hearing for anyone who values books.
Issues: Immigration, Mental Illness, Labor history, and a Woman’s Right to Choose Pregnancy
Kali White VanBaale visits a convicted murderer in prison. She has befriended her former neighbor, while most others have abandoned the severely mentally ill man. The reader can feel what it is like to enter the prison and interact with him. The Fragile Grace of Mental Illness.
Touched by the death of a 16-year-old named Max, Dave Price writes about bullying, mental health care, and an interview he had with Governor Kim Reynolds. What I Learned This Week.
Arnold Garson reflects on U.S. Immigration: Not America’s Finest Hour, on what would have been the 100th anniversary of his mother’s arrival in this country. Garson is transforming his investigative reporting skills into family history projects and, by doing so, gives context to our past.
Fern Kupfer celebrates the vindication of a woman's right to make medical decisions about pregnancy in nationwide elections last week by retelling an experience her husband, Joe Geha, had volunteering in a medical clinic in the Dominican Republic. No Mas Ninos
Kurt Meyer’s take on the history of the labor movement and how younger workers today are enthusiastic supporters of union organizing. Read his piece about transformative changes taking place.
Robert Leonard
Our man in Bussey has a column today that does not fit the usual categories. Here’s his story on a WWII Navy Code Talker and his Grandfather.
Ed Tibbetts
In Davenport, Ed Tibbetts has a tribute to a beloved school building. It’s like an old friend.
Poetry
An Invitation
SAVE THE DATE: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7; PAID SUBSCRIBERS ARE INVITED TO A HOLIDAY PARTY AT THE WITMER HOUSE, 2900 GRAND (former governor’s mansion). Let us know if you would like to attend:
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Columnists
Nicole Baart: This Stays Here, Sioux Center
Ray Young Bear: From Red Earth Drive, Meskwaki Settlement
Laura Belin: Iowa Politics with Laura Belin, Windsor Heights
Doug Burns: The Iowa Mercury, Carroll
Dave Busiek: Dave Busiek on Media, Des Moines
Iowa Writers’ Collaborative, Roundup
Steph Copley: It Was Never a Dress, Johnston
Art Cullen: Art Cullen’s Notebook, Storm Lake
Suzanna de Baca: Dispatches from the Heartland, Huxley
Debra Engle: A Whole New World, Madison County
Arnold Garson: Second Thoughts, Okoboji and Sioux Falls
Julie Gammack: Julie Gammack’s Iowa Potluck, Des Moines and Okoboji
Joe Geha: Fern and Joe, Ames
Jody Gifford: Benign Inspiration, West Des Moines
Rob Gray: Rob Gray’s Area, Ankeny
Nik Heftman: The Seven Times, Los Angeles and Iowa
Beth Hoffman: In the Dirt, Lovilia
Chris Jones, Chris’s Substack, Des Moines
Pat Kinney: View from Cedar Valley, Waterloo
Fern Kupfer: Fern and Joe, Ames
Robert Leonard: Deep Midwest: Politics and Culture, Bussey
Letters from Iowans, Iowa
Darcy Maulsby: Keepin’ It Rural, Calhoun County
Tar Macias: Hola Iowa, Iowa
Alison McGaughey, The Inquisitive Quad Citizen, Quad Cities
Kurt Meyer: Showing Up, St. Ansgar
Wini Moranville: Wini’s Food Stories, Des Moines
Jeff Morrison: Between Two Rivers, Cedar Rapids
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
Chuck Offenburger: Iowa Boy Chuck Offenburger, Jefferson and Des Moines
Barry Piatt: Piatt on Politics Behind the Curtain, Washington, D.C.
Dave Price: Dave Price’s Perspective, Des Moines
Macey Shofroth: The Midwest Creative, Norwalk
Larry Stone: Listening to the Land, Elkader
Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Buggy Land, Kalona
Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Emerging Voices, Kalona
Cheryl Tevis: Unfinished Business, Boone County
Ed Tibbetts: Along the Mississippi, Davenport
Teresa Zilk: Talking Good, Des Moines
The Iowa Writers Collaborative is also proud to ally with Iowa Capital Dispatch.
SAVE THE DATE: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7; PAID SUBSCRIBERS ARE INVITED TO A HOLIDAY PARTY AT THE WITMER HOUSE, 2900 GRAND (former governor’s mansion). Let us know if you would like to attend: