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New Members / Politics / Around Iowa / Sports / Cars / Dining, Movies & Travel / Humor / Poetry / Who We Are, Roster
Too hot to handle
According to a story in the NY Times, Chris Gloninger left the Chief Meteorologist position with KCCI-TV when he was cautioned against using the words '“climate change” on air, even though that is what he had been hired to do. He faced harassment from viewers who deny climate change exists. So much so that he and his wife decided to leave the state.
When appropriate, I tied weather events to climate change, which resulted in a death threat and subsequent harassing emails. The police caught the main culprit, leaving my wife and me unnerved. After some soul searching, I started working for Arcadis, an environmental engineering company, exploring a career outside TV. This work reopened my relationship with Woods Hole Group, which developed a role for me where my skillset could be integrated into their business model. Chris Gloninger, Weathering Climate Change
We helped Chris launch his column this week, and his reporting on the subject that’s fascinated him since he was a little kid will starkly contrast with the cowardice enveloping media not being forthcoming about what is happening to the climate, all of which we can see, feel, and experience with our senses. And pocketbooks.
Adapting to climate change is fiscally responsible. Chris Gloninger takes a look at the return on investment and action in: The Cost of Climate Action is Much Less Than Climate Inaction.
To our readers: We now have over 60 Iowa Writers’ Collaborative members. Not all writers post each week; however, this column is a weekly roundup of those who do. The criteria we use for membership is that all must have professional writing experience, and our mission is to link readers to writers interested in Iowa. Cars and weather interest Iowans, and our newest members, Phoebe Wall Howard and Chris Gloninger write about these topics of universal interest, AND have Iowa ties.
Politics
Regarding Trump’s convention speech, Dave Busiek on Media says so much for the unity thing.
Storm Lake was a center for abortions when Dr. Swallum practiced from the 1920s to the 1950s. It was illegal but it was also tolerated as a practical matter, Art Cullen writes.
Cheryl Tevis asked last week if the good news about jobs and infrastructure in left-behind counties can break through in time, and why J.D. Vance isn’t likely to share it with Trump's base.
After speaking during prime time during the previous two Republican National Conventions, Senator Joni Ernst was just a spectator at last week's festivities in Milwaukee. Laura Belin pondered whether the RNC snub signals lasting fallout for Iowa's junior senator.
On "KHOI's Capitol Week," Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks discussed Iowa's reaction to the assassination attempt against Donald Trump, some news about the Iowans at the RNC, an update on the state's flood recovery effort, and one of State Auditor Rob Sand's recent town hall meetings.
Dennis Goldford writes: Where Is Jack Kemp When We Really Need Him? Politics Requires Civility, or It’s Not Politics. Its purpose is to turn enemies into opponents.
Julie Gammack featured former Chicago Tribune metro editor Mark Jacob, who has turned his sights on how right-wing media is influencing reporting today. Check out the podcast and interactive interview with her column readers. On Monday, she invites Phoebe Wall Howard to join the conversation at noon central time.
A week after the shootings at Donald Trump's campaign rally, are we really any more unified? Dave Price looks at why we might not want to wait for politicians to unite us. He offers Alan Jackson’s take on the meaning of the word ‘unity'.
Letters From Iowans: John and Terri Hale believe that President Joe Biden should not run for re-election. If you have an opinion piece you’d like to submit, please do in the Letters From Iowans column.
Daniel Finney says one of the late Bob Newhart's earliest routines from 1960, "Abe Lincoln vs. Madison Avenue," tells us much about politics in 2024.
Last week Bob Leonard wrote The 'Jump Scare' Biden Press Conference and asked for readers' thoughts in Trump Safe After Assassination Attempt: What Now? This week he offers "An Old Woman Sitting on the Sidewalk: Structural Violence and Lessons in Humanity at Deep Midwest: Politics and Culture.
The Iowa Writers Collaborative Politics Panel will convene this week. Ed Tibbetts will host the conversation. It will then be uploaded in podcast format. To receive it immediately, please subscribe, and if you can support the effort in any way, we appreciate your being a part of the team. Check out the Benefactors page to see a list of supporters to date. We will gladly add your name. Benfactors.
Around Iowa
Marianne Fons, in Reporting from Quiltropolis (Winterset, Iowa 50273) offers a mini-lesson in the difference between traditional quilts, which generally go on beds, and studio art quilts, which hang on walls like paintings.
Jeff Morrison interviewed tractor riders and families participating in the 17th, and last, North Iowa Tractor Ride.
Iowa's Independent Red State Book Publisher, Steve Semken, Ice Cube Press, LLC shares a cautionary tale of living the "writing" life:
Larry Stone reflects on his love for an iconic prairie species, the compass plant.
Hola Iowa’s Christina Fernández-Morrow has a story about businesswoman Miriam De Dios Woodward, who often led the Multicultural Business Network at Iowa State University, and recently launched a consultancy practice.
Taylor Deckert went to a gala for a new non-profit in the Siouxland area, and it all had to do with flowers and spreading kindness.
Kurtis Meyer collects art and curates exhibits of his collection for museums… but only if he can talk about these artworks with museum audiences. In this week’s column, “The Art of Lakes, Streams, and Seas,” Kurt shares his comments about a water-related exhibit in a small midwestern community.
Beth Hoffman, our In the Dirt columnist ponders why her farming neighbor is knocking down all of their trees. The reasons are paradoxical.
Alice Shirey of Cedar Falls followed her heart, risked her vocation as a preacher and found a whole new ministry as an ally of the LGBTQ+ community. Read her story in Pat Kinney's new "View from the Cedar Valley" column.
Sports
Rob Gray reports on Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht's NIL-based camp in Perry last weekend that put "smiles on faces"
At The Crossover, Jane Burns finds out what's behind a new softball league that combines the opportunity for college players with a goofy minor-league baseball environment.
Cars and Sailing
Former Detroit Free Press auto reporter, Phoebe Wall Howard will be writing about cars, sailing, the people behind both industries and much more. She just leased a Ford Mach E, so that’s fun.
Phoebe wrote a powerful story about a near-death experience during a sailboat race. It’s gripping.
Dining, Movies, Books, and Travel
In her column Unfinished Business, Cheryl Tevis shares personal memories of the 1996 movie, “Twister,” and highlights the new stand-alone sequel, “Twisters.”
Garrison Keillor is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his folksy public radio shows, and last week brought the tour home to St. Paul, Minn., where it all started. Iowa Boy Chuck Offenburger was there and recalls his fascinating interactions with Keillor over the decades.
Thin-crust pizza, gelato, and a one-of-a-kind European bakery! Wini Moranville at Wini's Food Stories found a few great reasons to go to the increasingly abandoned Valley West Mall.
The New York Times recently published its list of the "100 Best Books of the 21st Century," and it's produced much discourse around what constitutes a great and influential book. Macey Shofroth added her thoughts to the mix with "The 15 Best Books of Macey Shofroth's 21st Century."
From the bingo parlor to the caravan of the movie stuntman, to the door of the local school teacher, Mary Swander passes through many gates to search for her family in Connemara, Ireland.
"Horizon: An American Saga" is Kevin Costner's dream project. Is it a great Western? John Naughton offers his view.
Humor
Something has been bugging Vicki Minor. Check out her column: Relatively Minor
Poetry
Suzanna de Baca shares that a selection of poems was published in the July issue of The Mackinaw, a literary journal of prose poetry. She includes one titled “La Sociedad Folklorica,” about her great-aunt Fabiola Cabeza de Baca Gilbert, an American educator, nutritionist, activist, and writer who is also known as the inventor of the U-shaped fried taco shell. She was also the first known published author of a cookbook describing New Mexican cuisine.
Your Boots Are Too Big For My Feet is one of four poems that Teresa Zilk wrote and are all featured in the gallery book for the Iowa-based artist b. Robert Moore. This poem is one of four featured in the gallery book for Iowa artist b. Robert Moore’s groundbreaking exhibit In Loving Memory, is on display at the Des Moines Art Center until October 20th.
Click on the topics of interest
New Members / Politics / Around Iowa / Sports / Cars / Dining, Movies & Travel / Humor / Poetry / Who We Are, Roster
IOWA WRITERS’ COLLABORATIVE
Two years ago this month, we founded the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative with a few veteran columnists. Today, we have over 60 writers, and our readership of this roundup column is the size of a daily paper in a medium-sized Iowa town. Our writers have their subscriber base, so our average accumulated readership is over 60,000.
Much of this content is free and does not depend on advertising. YOU are the only source of financial support. We don’t want you to over-stretch your budget, but if you can spare enough to become a paid subscriber, please know how important that is to keep this going.
Below is a roster of our members. We hope you have the means to pick five and become paid subscribers. If enough readers can do so, we can keep providing this important commentary. To make a direct, one-time donation:
I grew up in Iowa and now live in Paris. Getting this in my Substack is such a joy and reminds me of home. ☺️🌽🐮