Warren Buffett, a Bug Invasion, and the Meaning of Life
...stories with a few laughs, tears, angst, anger, fear, and resolve
This week’s lineup is a masterclass in personal storytelling, brought to you by writers who’ve lived big lives and aren’t afraid to tell the truth.
has an announcement to make, and takes us into a powerful meditation on regret, resilience, and the art of blooming in hard places. shares a surprising origin story of fundraising that begins with Warren Buffett and ends with a profound lesson in leadership. takes us from standardized-test anxiety to a laugh-out-loud childhood memory—offering wisdom her younger self could have used. ponders the weight of time and memory through the lens of a compelling new book. And reveals that Iowa’s seasonal bug life isn’t just fascinating—it’s personal. has a humorous, albeit minor, issue with a ubiquitous household item.From the deeply reflective to the delightfully bizarre, this week’s collection will move you, amuse you, and maybe even inspire you to write your own.
Each one of these posts is either moving, informative, and in some cases, a call to action.
Pull up a chair.
Strictly Personal
Peter Hedges
In a deeply personal and moving meditation on regret, resilience, and the wild beauty of protest, Peter Hedges traces the unlikely path from a summer teaching job to What’s Eating Gilbert Grape—and invites us all to “Bloom Anyway.”
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Christie Vilsack
Christie Vilsack reflects on a life-changing conversation with Warren Buffett that sparked a journey of fundraising and personal growth. From asking the Oracle of Omaha for a $1,000 donation to leading a major initiative for the Buffett family’s foundation, this story reveals valuable lessons about humility, opportunity, and the importance of handing the bat to others.
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Christina Fernández-Morrow
In this heartfelt reflection, learn how a name became a source of childhood stress during standardized tests. Discover how a seven-year-old's desperate plan to marry into a two-letter last name (that happened to be "Ho") reveals the surprising roots of anxiety, and the compassionate advice the author wishes she could give her younger self.
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Music
Alison McGaughey
So much is so wrong with the world right now, we have to take a moment to celebrate something good, no matter how small—even if it’s as small as a good song on the radio. Read Alison McGaughey's appreciation of an instant pop-radio classic.
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Chip Albright
The practice of music sharing is uniquely human. To make it meaningful, it requires inspiration from a sender to pass it on, and for the receiver to give it a chance. To be open to something new. To listen.
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Maxwell Schaefer
In this high-energy CoffeeCast episode, Maxwell reconnects with legendary Iowa DJ Jimmy Jim to trace a nearly 50-year journey of turntables, dance floors, and the enduring power of music to move hearts—and hips.
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Kathryn Severing Fox
From Stardust to Summer Moon, this lyrical journey explores how poetry lives in song—where love, nature, and metaphor dance in the verses of a songwriter’s heart, and yes, she sings her original ballad too.
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Agriculture
Darcy Maulsby
It's May Beef Month! See how a southwest Iowa farmer and cattle producer is strengthening the farm-to-fork connection in his hometown.
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Mary Swander (Emerging Voices)
Chickenshit? In this excerpt from his memoir of growing up on a diversified farm in the Loess Hills, Russ Mullen does battle with bees.
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Around Iowa (features about places and things)
Beth Hoffman
For everything there is a season. That goes for bugs too. Beth Hoffman describes the different insect seasons in Iowa, and their impact on our lives.
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Joan Zwagerman
Buena Vista University in Storm Lake remembered V-E Day in a big, big way, and it all began with some scut work in the BVU Archives.
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Books, Art
Arnold Garson
A compelling new book: Where were you on this day 10 years ago? A sense of meaning from the journey through life
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Business
Tej Dhawan
Not all startups succeed. Sometimes the original hypotheses are proven incorrect. Sometimes the business models are flawed. Sometimes regulation gets in the way. Sometimes worthier competitors displace well-regarded ideas. Sometimes winds simply blow in opposing directions. Culture has an insatiable appetite for strategy. This is one such story.
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Diversity in the Heartland
Jane Nguyen
Jane Nguyen shares details about Iowa's largest Asian celebration. This year's theme for CelebrAsian is "In Full Bloom" commemorating 50 years since SE Asians began to resettle in Iowa.
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Education
Dartanyan L. Brown
When Dr. James E. Ford challenged Iowans to stand up for public education, Iowa CCI answered the call—launching “Public School Strong,” forging alliances with educators, and earning the DMEA’s Friend of Education Award for their unwavering advocacy.
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Entertainment & Travel
Hola Iowa
Liz Sayasane has transformed the music industry in Iowa with her DJ business for private events and festivals. Read what else she has planned!
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Jason Walsmith
Come Along for the Ride
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Humor
Vicki Minor
Toilet Paper: How Do You Roll?
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Mental Health
Sarah Scull
Sarah Scull expresses her feelings on failing to secure mental-health care for her brilliant yet withdrawing 14-year-old in rural Iowa. Her fear echoes the suicide of a childhood friend, underscoring systemic gaps and parental vigilance. This week she urges intentional connection, hand hugs, presence, and shares crisis resources for Mental Health Awareness Month.
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Public Affairs
Rick Morain
The first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired 250 years ago last month. The war lasted eight years. It was hard enough by itself, but some 400,000 Americans still loyal to the British Crown ("Loyalists") made it even tougher.
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Sports
John Naughton
Bernie Saggau wasn't a physically imposing guy, but he was a giant when it came to contributing to Iowa high school sports. John Naughton shares his view of his legacy.
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Strictly Personal
Connie Taylor
One of those birthdays that ends in zero? Yep, she just had one. While her body might agree to play along, her mind and soul do not. Connie shares this adventure in her column from The Life and Times of a Midwestern Girl.
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Daniel P. Finney
One gave birth to him, one gave him a life, and one helped him thrive. The many blessings of Daniel Finney's three moms.
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Jane Burns
Mother's Day offered Jane Burns a chance to reflect on how even as an adult her mom came to her rescue, and the essay she wrote about that years ago for the Des Moines Register.
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Kurtis Meyer
Is the warmth of friendship actually better than ice cream? Kurt Meyer's latest column tells us about Jim (...and wrestles with this question).
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Pat Kinney
Pat Kinney shares some entries from his father's World War II diary on the 80th anniversary of V-E Day, the end of the war in Europe.
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The Iowa Writers’ Collaborative is breaking new ground.
With more than 80 members, we are the largest state-based collection of independent writers in the country. No other state has taken on a project of this magnitude—bringing professional, deeply personal, and locally rooted content directly to readers who care about where their home.
We’re proud to be the first.
And we’re grateful to you—our readers. Your shares, your engagement, and your decision to become paid subscribers help sustain this remarkable experiment in community-powered journalism and storytelling.
Our roster includes award-winning columnists like Rekha Basu and Art Cullen, cultural critics like Suzanna de Baca and Robert Leonard, voices like Christina Fernández-Morrow, and bestselling authors like Peter Hedges. Together, we write about everything from politics and poetry to food, farming, sports, and the stories that shape our lives.
Want to meet the crew?
Iowa Writers’ Collaborative Roster
If you are a paid subscriber to any member of the collaborative, please know we will be holding a thank-you party in Winterset, that will showcase the film, Storm Lake, and the focus of this documentary, Art Cullen. Learn more and RSVP.
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