What do Caitlin Clark, a Jazz Legend, and a Sheep Farmer Have in Common?
...it's all here in the Flipside Edition of the Iowa Writers' Roundup
Note to New Subscribers: Yes, members of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative write hard-hitting commentaries about politics, policy, and issues of public interest. But midweek, we take a break and serve commentary about other aspects of life. Welcome to the Flispisde. Here’s some joy.
Here in Iowa, spring doesn’t just mean blooming daffodils and muddy fields—it signals a creative awakening across the state. This week’s Flipside Edition is overflowing with voices stretching from fashion runways in Valley Junction to lambing pens in Calhoun County and jazz-filled childhoods in Des Moines to the backroads of Cuba. Whether you’re looking for laughs, music, memory, or meaning, these 25 Substack writers bring it all. Think of this list as your literary picnic basket—filled with stories to savor, from the soulful to the absurd.
We’ve sorted our categories to highlight Music, Travel, and Strictly Personal right up front—isn’t that what we’re all craving right now? Sound, movement, and a sense of connection. You’ll find reflections on grief and groove, dog birthdays, toxic masculinity, Caitlin Clark’s latest media moment, and even a shout-out to smoked oysters (yes, really). Dive in, share what moves you, and if you feel inspired, consider becoming a subscriber to those members you like best.
We are in this experiment together.
FYI - 28 of our members will be gathering in the riverside town of Keosauqua to learn from one another how to serve you, dear reader, best. Thanks to our paid subscribers for making these real-time learning sessions possible. We will have a couple of announcements to make after this meeting. Stay tuned.
🎷 Music
Dartanyan L. Brown
In a soulful kickoff to Jazz Appreciation Month, Dartanyan Brown invites us into his integrated, music-filled life.
🔗 Read it hereKathryn Severing Fox
A touching reflection on love, loss, and pets as creative muses.
🔗 Read it hereChip Albright
An ode to John Prine and the lingering power of the Pink Moon.
🔗 Read it here
From Kathryn Severing Fox’s column
✈️ Travel
Wini Moranville
A guest post by Deb Gore Ohrn about her eye-opening, heartwarming trip to Cuba.
🔗 Read it here
Ernest Hemingway’s home, Finca Vigia. John Naughton What is bluegrass, really? In this toe-tapping travel piece from Owensboro, Kentucky, John Naughton explores the genre’s rich roots at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame—where tradition meets trend, and visitors can pluck a banjo while soaking in the sounds of American music history. Read it here
💬 Strictly Personal
Christie Vilsack
A 50+ year friendship formed in college stands the test of time, change, and difference.
🔗 Read it here - posting after 8:00 a.m. April 16
Joan Zwagerman
On the cusp of Easter, Joan is not feeling holy—and she's got thoughts.
🔗 Read it hereNicole Baart
Hosting a live Zoom to connect with paid subscribers—because community matters more than ever.
🔗 Read it hereRomen Borsellino
Fully aware of his “soy boy” energy, Romen gets real with Iowa Public Radio about masculinity in 2025.
🔗 Read it here
🌽 Agriculture
Darcy Maulsby
Spring in rural Iowa means tulips, planters in fields, and 61 years of sheep farming in Calhoun County.
🔗 Read it hereJason Walsmith
Which came first: the chicken or the coop? Walsmith cracks open that egg.
🔗 Read it here
🏙️ Around Iowa (features about places and things)
Chuck Offenburger
Jefferson, Iowa, wins the Great American Main Street award—thanks to vision, art, and preservation.
🔗 Read it hereRobert Leonard
A glorious spring emerges, as Bob and Violet explore the natural beauty of Mahaska County.
🔗 Read it here
Photos from columns by Robert Leonard and Chuck Offenburger
💼 Business
Dana James
Des Moines fashion gets a fierce and fresh reboot with The Fashion Circuit, a new creative platform. This story was written by Peyton Houangvan for Black Iowa News.
🔗 Read it here
Peyton Houangvan
🌈 Diversity in the Heartland
Jane Nguyen
Community leader Swallow Yan bridges cultures and fosters global ties from right here in Iowa.
🔗 Read it here
🍽️ Food & Dining
Julie Gammack
This Corn & Oyster Casserole serves up holiday memories and paves the way for creative expression at Okoboji.
🔗 Read it here
🎙️ Human Interest (interviews)
Julie Gammack
A tribute to Helen Miller’s memoir, I Don’t Swim, and a celebration of resilience, race, and storytelling.
🔗 Read it hereVicki Minor
Maxwell Schaeffer: 45 Years of Radio and Storytelling.
🔗 Read it here
Maxwell’s column: Maxwell’s Voice
😂 Humor
Tory Brecht
A blast from 1995: Rookie reporter Brecht's mechanical misadventures in the Wayback Machine.
🔗 Read it hereVicki Minor
Easter Unwrapped: Laughs, reflection, and maybe a little irreverence.
🔗 Read it hereMarianne Fons
Celebrating Scrabble: our dog’s golden birthday.
🔗 Read it here
Then and now. Happy birthday, Scrabble. Look at all those 6, 7-letter words!
📝 Poetry
Kelsey Bigelow
What keeps creatives going when there’s no job promotion to chase? Poet Kelsey Bigelow explores the answer.
🔗 Read it here
🏈 Sports
Rob Gray
ISU’s Matt Campbell views the Spring Game as more practice than spectacle—and he’s not alone.
🔗 Read it hereJane Burns
Caitlin Clark charms David Letterman on Netflix in a moment of sports-meets-showbiz sparkle.
🔗 Read it here
🌼 Weather and Environment
Larry Stone
Spring awakens—and so does Larry Stone’s camera lens—on the forest floor among the first blooms.
🔗 Read it here
Larry Stone captures Spring awakening. Feedback for the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative?
Jane Burns wins the award for this week’s best column-kicker promoting the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative:
I’m happy to join fellow Iowa writers and journalists as part of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. The collaborative is more than 70 writers throughout the state - likely some familiar names to longtime Iowa readers - publishing on topics ranging from politics to food to sports and so much more. With a subscription to this newsletter, readers get two weekly compilations of stories: a news roundup on Sundays, and The Flipside, a feature-filled newsletter that arrives on Wednesdays.
Meet the writers here, and see for yourself the great variety the collaborative offers.
And tell your friends about us.
Proud to be included; need to write another blog! Will write soon 🌺
Wow!! What a glorious array of writers!!