Charity Nebbe
Talk of Iowa HostExpertise: Interviewing, literature, ecology, political science, history and life in Iowa, all in order to help IPR listeners and readers better understand, appreciate and explore their state
Education: Bachelors degree from Iowa State University
Favorite Iowa Destination: Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge
Experience:
Has served as a talk show and podcast host for IPR and WOI Radio, as well as for Michigan Public in Ann Arbor from 2000 — 2010
- Has been the host of Talk of Iowa since 2010
- Hosts the podcasts Garden Variety and Unsettled
- Founder of the Talk of Iowa Book Club
- Is a multi-award-winning host and reporter, including a regional Edward R. Murrow for The Bonobo Hope Great Ape Trust Sanctuary, a first place award from the Public Media Journalists Association for her Iowa Veteran Talks About Being Trafficked as a Teenager interview, a first place newscast award from the Public Media Journalists Association, and a Regional Upper Midwest Emmy for Iowa PBS' Iowa Ingredient
- Created the nationally-syndicated public radio show Chinwag Theater, which she produced and co-hosted with author Daniel Pinkwater
- Honored with an Alumni Achievement Award by Iowa State University's Department of Political Science
- Host of Iowa Life and Iowa Ingredient for Iowa PBS
- Author of the children's book Our Walk in the Woods, published in 2008
- Co-founder of Let Me Run Eastern Iowa Corridor, a character development and running program for boys
My Favorite Conversations
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The Talk of Iowa team hops into a dugout canoe on Lake Darling to learn about Indigenous cultural practices. Plus, Project AWARE uses canoes to clean up Iowa waters. -
While floodwaters destroyed and damaged Spencer homes, neighbors organized to help their community, supporting each other and the community after the devastating floodwaters receeded. -
Every spring, nearly one million Sandhill Cranes pass through an 80-mile stretch of the Platte River in Nebraska on their northward migration. -
In her memoir, Lucinda Williams explains how she spent her career making music on her own terms. -
The 108th annual Meskwaki Powwow takes place this weekend. It’s a four-day celebration of Meskwaki culture and tradition where everyone is welcome.
My Latest Stories
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In 1926, Ruth Suckow published Iowa Interiors, the short story collection that put her on the map. A centennial reissue aims to keep her legacy alive. -
The new guide from Golden Hills Resource Conservation and Development details 20 places to hike and explore in Western Iowa. -
Monica Nassif founded the company Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day, using her mother, Thelma Meyer, as the spokeswoman.
My Latest Podcasts
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In 1997 Annette Gordon-Reed published 'Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy.' Her work has inspired other historians to look beyond the traditional narrative when researching and writing about American history. We talk with Gordon-Reed about her contributions to historical scholarship and dedication to preserving complex American history. Then, we listen back to a 2024 conversation with musician Lucinda Williams about her memoir 'Don't Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You'. Williams is headlining the Iowa City Songwriters Festival in November. (Part of this episode was originally produced Aug. 20, 2024.)
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Iowa City-based artist Sonja Strathearn began making Regency-era attire three years ago to attend The Jane Austen Fest and the obsession has only grown from there. To celebrate Jane Austen's 250th birthday, Strathearn welcomes Charity Nebbe into her home to talk about her love for Austen and show off her closet of Regency attire. Then, Nebbe speaks with author Curtis Sittenfeld, an Austen fan and the author of the 'Pride & Prejudice' reimagining, 'Eligible.' Then, musicologist Marian Wilson Kimber talks about Austen's musical inclinations, the pieces in her playbook and the ways music influenced her books. (This show was originally produced Dec. 16, 2025.)
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In 1965, John and Mary Beth Tinker went to school in Des Moines wearing black armbands to protest the Vietnam War. They were suspended, and the incident led to a landmark Supreme Court decision that guaranteed free speech rights for public school students. Host Charity Nebbe revisits this history with John and Mary Beth and they discuss present day threats to the First Amendment. Then, Donna Reed is beloved for roles like Mary Bailey in 'It's a Wonderful Life' and Donna Stone in 'The Donna Reed Show.' She was born in Denison, Iowa, where the Donna Reed Foundation keeps her legacy alive. We speak with her daughter, Mary Owen, board member and treasurer for The Donna Reed Foundation. (Portions of this episode were originally produced on Jan. 13, 2026 and Sept. 22, 2025)