Charity Nebbe

As a method for processing the end of a nine-year marriage with a gay man, Kellie Kramer has channeled her energy and emotions into a one-woman cabaret show, "All the Good Men Are Gay."  Kramer, an actor and singer who hosts Iowa Outdoors on Iowa PBS, pieces together the story of love and loss through songs that range from Judy Garland to "Weird Al" Yankovic. 

Weightlifting didn't appear on Cynthia Martin's radar until age 64, when she picked up barbells for the first time through a Cross Fit program. Just a few years later, the Marion native won the 2018 National Weightlifting Championship in Buffalo, New York. 

  This program origionally aired on 5-3-2018. 

For more than 25 years, U.S. TV viewers have been captivated by "reality television," watching "real people" in supposedly unscripted events.  Author Lucas Mann is not immune to this guilty pleasure.

After divorce number two, getting married again was the last thing on Niki Boesen-Bonker’s mind. “I would have said, no way, over my dead body,” Boesen-Bonker says. But a few years later she fell in love and decided, once again, to take the plunge.

What does it mean to find love and companionship after the end of a marriage? On this episode of Talk of Iowa, host Charity Nebbe is joined by Iowans who share their story of finding love again. 

Traveling hundreds or even thousands of miles to seek medical attention is just one of many potential barriers to receiving care. One Midwestern organization is working to break down that barrier, and they're doing it at no cost to the patients in need. 

From the creator of "Caucus: The Musical," a new song-by song parody of "A Chorus Line" showcases the 2020 Democratic candidates auditioning for Iowa voters. 

Composer, Playwright, and Producer Robert John Ford joins this edition of Talk of Iowa to discuss the opening of his musical, "Adore Us! Line." 

The ideal window of time to safely prune oak trees is around the corner.

On this 'Horticulture Day' edition of Talk of Iowa, Iowa State University Extension Horticulture Specialist Richard Jauron and ISU Horticulture Professor and Chair Jeff Iles give advice on properly trimming and pruning oak trees. 

It's difficult to be in one of Iowa's major college towns without running into a mascot. These days mascots are big business. Whether for marketing, birthday parties or being ambassadors for universities, mascots have become a major part of a university's identity and alumni pride.

When Kwizera Imani was attending school in the Mtabila refugee camp in Tanzania, he never imagined a life in Iowa, let alone attending college in Ames.

More than a decade later, Imani has graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in aerospace engineering with five interships under his belt and a brand new job  as a senior associate software engineer for Collins Aerospace that will take him from the Midwest to Sterling, Virginia. 

The impacts of trauma can be unexpected, affecting not only mental and emotional health but also physical well being. Through Trauma Sensitive Yoga, a modified yoga practice that prioritizes a healthy realtionship with one's body and similarly informed tai-chi programs, some survivors have found a new kind of relief.

In this segment of Talk of Iowa, host Charity Nebbe talks with Sean Adams about his debut novel “The Heap,”  which follows the aftermath of the collapse of Los Verticales, a 500-floor vertical city that houses an inner world teeming with life. In his novel, Adams takes us to a dystopian version of our present world, but the people we meet, their motives, and actions are all too familiar.

Brent Herrig is a culinary lifestyle photographer living in New York City, and he has created a photo exhibit that features the favorite spoons of chefs, bartenders and baristas around the world and the stories behind each spoon. In collaboration with chefs, Herrig shows us in his website the chefs' favorite spoons with the ingredients that inspired them. 

Photographer and 2018 Iowa Arts Council Fellow Molly Wood joins this edition of Talk of Iowa to reveal the inspirations behind her exhibit "The Poison Garden," which is on display at the Dubuque Museum of Art through Jan. 12. Her exhibit "Fatal Flora" is at the State Library of Iowa through Jan. 31. 

After spending 31 years as a counselor at the Anamosa State Penitentiary, Steve Wendl began compiling historical stories from the prison. He not only launched the Anamosa State Penitentiary history website, he also helped found the musuem. Recently, Wendl has been creating and producing podcast episodes that are based on stories from the prison for the Voice of Jones County website.  The series features dramatic voice acting and storytelling based on real people who were imprisoned at the Anamosa State Penetentiary. 

Spending time in forests in pursuit of boosting health and happiness makes up forest bathing or forest therapy, a practice that is gaining popularity among people searching for natural wellness treatments.

Freshly harvested from cropland in Illinois, a single soy bean travels the world before ending up as part of a meal in Seoul, South Korea. Its long journey through the global agricultural and food industries paints a detailed picture of the real farm to table processes.

The origins of many of Iowa's town and city names are obvious: Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Mason City, Fort Dodge. But what about places like What Cheer, Gravity, Sabula? And how do you pronounce Nevada? Also, why is Des Moines not in Des Moines county? 

This program originally aired on 9-27-19

All this week, Talk of Iowa has explored the question “Iowa: Is this home?” On the final episode of this Iowa Week series, six stories of finding, or perhaps not finding, home from Iowans originally from other parts of the country and the globe.

News fatigue is real. As the year closes out with rising awareness of climate change, international tension, multiple refugee crises, constant political wrangling, and so many important but difficult stories, Talk of Iowa pauses to focus on acts of kindness and positive connections.

On this edition of Talk of Iowa, we get a rundown of some of IPR's favorite new releases from 2019 from classical, folk and blues musicians. Charity Nebbe talks with IPR Classical's Barney Sherman, the Folk Tree's Karen Impola and the one and only Bob Dorr, who hosts Blue Avenue and Backtracks on IPR's Studio One. 

During this episode of Talk of Iowa, Iowa State University Associate Professor Cindy Haynes and Reiman Gardens Associate Director Aaron Steil offer gift recommendations for gardeners and plant-enthusiasts. 

Hayden Fry came to Iowa to coach the Hawkeye football team in 1978. When he got here the Hawks had been through 17 consecutive non-winning seasons. It took a couple of years, but Coach Fry transformed Hawkeye Football.

During his tenure, he won 143 games, the team shared three Big Ten titles, and went to three Rose Bowls. In addition to being a great coach, he was also a larger than life character. He was funny, smart, tough and could throw a temper tantrum with the best of them. His players loved him. The fans loved him. And he loved them back.

On this edition of Talk of Iowa, IPR's Studio One hosts Mark Simmet, Tony Dehner, and Cece Mitchell share their top  albums of 2019. They take turns describing the value of each album and presenting short clips of music. Later on in the hour, we hear their favorite albums of the decade. 

Find the full list of the albums here. 

Guests:

This program originally aired on 2-5-18.

For the last decade Sean Sherman, also known as the Sioux Chef, has been on a mission to educate Midwesterners about indigenous food and the recipes of his ancestors. Sherman is Ogalala Lakota, and his new cookbook is called The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen. During this Talk of Iowa interview, he talks with host Charity Nebbe.  

Nate Staniforth is a professional magician. While he’s built a career by performing magic tricks in front of audiences, he also believes in real magic – the kind that keeps wonder alive in the world.

Claire Lombardo released her debut novel "The Most Fun We Ever Had" over the summer. The novel follows a large family's complex dynamics and relationships over four decades through a Midwesterner's lens.

In 2005, Richard Louv came out with his book “Last Child in the Woods,” a story that managed to put into words something a lot of people were worrying about - a disconnect between children and nature. In his book, he introduced the term nature-deficit disorder and globalized a movement.

Fourteen years later, Louv is still focusing on that connection with nature in his latest book, “Our Wild Calling: How Connecting with Animals Can Transform Our Lives and Save Theirs.” 

Indoor plants are popular during the holiday season and often require specific instructions for maintenance and care. During this Talk of Iowa podcast, ISU Extension Horticulture Specialist Richard Jauron and Assistant Director of Reiman Gardens Aaron Steil explain how to help plants and flowers like Poinsettias, Norfolk Island Pine, and holiday cacti thrive throughout December and beyond.

Just about every four years the rest of the country turns its attention toward Iowa. Everybody wants to figure out what makes us tick and who we'll vote for.

Robert Leonard is a keen observer of his fellow humans. He studies us from the perspective of a trained anthropologist and a seasoned journalist. He also, it turns out, has the heart of a poet. All of these facets come together in his latest book "Deep Midwest: Midwestern Explorations," published by Ice Cube Press.

George Bernard Shaw said, "make it a rule to never give a child a book you would not read yourself."

With that in mind, we asked some knowledgeable bookworms to create a recommendations list for the best new books for this winter.