Hotpants, Hot Takes, & Heartfelt Music
...your Flipside edition of the Iowa Writers' Collaborative
Welcome to the Flipside edition of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative—our midweek trek to the some times lighter side of life. Think of this as the old-school “lifestyle” section, only with essays by 21 of Iowa’s finest storytellers.
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Food & Drink (Restaurant Review)
Wini Moranville
“Wini Moranville reviewed two restaurants—a Vietnamese place that's stylish enough for a fun night out with friends (nice cocktail list, too!). Alas, the second restaurant didn’t measure up.”
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From Wini Moranville's column. Culinary / Cooking
Marianne Fons
“Marianne Fons takes on the New York Times (Cooking).”
Read moreEntertainment / Profile
Michael Judge
“The Day I Met Clint Eastwood: In a meeting my son calls ‘awesome,’ we talked about his ‘antiwar’ films, the violence inherent in humanity, and why society is ‘at odds with itself.’”
Read moreHuman Interest
Dan Henderson
“Today, I stumbled onto a scene of community-wide grief, mourning, sorrow, and solidarity like I have seldom ever experienced. The scene was an accident of circumstance on my part. I had no idea what I was walking into. It was sort of like a scene from ‘Forrest Gump’ where Forrest constantly shows up unknowingly at major historical events. I was like Forrest Gump today.”
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Firefighters in Idaho were lead into a trap and shot. A town mourns, and Dan Henderson happened to be there. Spiritual
Debra Engle
“Sometimes the most ordinary objects hold the most extraordinary stories.”
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Travel
Art Cullen
Art is on the road with his brother, John, as they travel to the western edge of the country. What does an Iowan do when in the ‘hood of the USS Iowa? Find out.
Read moreJohn Naughton
John Naughton is a veteran road warrior when it comes to travel. He's sharing Five Essential Road Trip Snacks that you could consider for your own trips.”
Read moreArts & Culture (Musical Theatre)
Kurtis Meyer
“Buddy Holly died in North Iowa. This riveting jukebox musical brings him back to life. My lofty expectations were exceeded with room to spare by about the third song.”
Read moreReader Reactions
Christie Vilsack
“After six months, I want to share some Reader Reactions to Common Ground.”
Read moreMusic
Carol Montag
“A New Song of Gratitude.”
Read moreKathryn Severing Fox
“In ‘Opinions & songwriting,’ Kathryn Severing Fox walks the tightrope between heartfelt protest and universal compassion, showing how one brave song can spark the change we all need.”
Learn moreOutdoor Adventure
Tory Brecht
“The typically docile Rock River holds a fun little paddling trail that will make you feel like an Amazon explorer.”
Read moreNostalgia / Personal Essay
Christie Vilsack
Relive my mid-June 1971 crash course as a New York nanny—complete with satin hotpants, street-preaching prophets, clandestine carousel capers and an unsuspected Dustin Hoffman cameo—that quietly scripted the prologue to my return home to Iowa.
Read moreJoan Zwagerman
Muskmelon a la mode. Remembering the 4th of July church picnic in Hospers, Iowa. What fun!
Read morePersonal Essay
Vicki Minor
“Hot and Bothered.”
Read moreFood & Drink
Connie Taylor
“Making this pea salad takes Connie back to spring days spent at her grandma’s house. But the question is: to bacon or not to bacon?”
Read moreGardening & Sports
Rob Gray
“The ‘slow time’ in Rob Gray's sports coverage meets ‘prime time’ in his ‘chaotic and beautiful’ garden.”
Read moreJulie Gammack will interview USA TODAY columnist and television commentator Christine Brennan to talk about her newly released book, On Her Own: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women’s Sports. To receive the Zoom link, Subscribe.
Mental Health
Lisa Grouette
“Lisa Grouette guides you through the dark tunnels of a recent mental health crisis.”
Read moreEnvironment / Science
Beth Hoffman
“Beth Hoffman was hearing the same media reports about the nitrate problem in Des Moines again and again, but didn't really understand why the problem was happening. This podcast breaks down the how and why of nitrates in Iowa, and sheds light on the state of the water cycle in our state.”
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Learn about ‘Nitrate Watch’ in Beth Hoffman’s column. Music
Chip Albright
“A hometown reunion and weekend of live shows had nostalgia pumping through the veins of singer-songwriter, Chip Albright.”
Read moreTravel & Transportation
Mary Swander (Buggy Land)
“How do you get around in Mary Swander's Buggy Land? Horse, e-bike, or recliner?”
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Travel & Entertainment
Lea Donovan
“Glastonbury never fails to delight and entertain!”
Read moreLocal History
Pat Kinney
“A state-renowned Parkersburg-born historian and former Peace Corps worker who has helped a Waterloo museum amass more than 2,300 oral history interviews of Iowa veterans over the past 25 years receives some local recognition.”
Read moreLocal History / Civil Rights
Pat Kinney
“A Waterloo woman has renewed her call for a permanent memorial to the all-Black Boy Scout troops which organized in the city 100 years ago and the World War I veteran who led them.”
Read moreBusiness / Regional Entrepreneurship
Tej Dhawan
“Parsons Technology of Hiawatha, IA is another entrepreneurial company whose employees launched many others in its wake. Though not derived from an interview, this is the story of a company that deserves credit for the Cedar Rapids region's continued successes.”
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The Iowa Writers’ Collaborative Members Invite You to Hang Out in Winterset
RSVP! On July 26, we’re hosting an event—a movie screening and an after-party—in Winterset for paid subscribers to this Substack. Get details here. By the way—if a movie and a discussion and a party sounds like too much to do in one afternoon/evening, feel free to dip in and out of any event you’re most interested in attending. Come and go as you wish. Explore the surrounding area. Meet our community of writers and readers. Have fun!
Hope to see you there!
You can find fascinating stories from across the state written by members of our collaborative of professional writers.