Dani Gehr

The 108th annual Meskwaki Powwow takes place this weekend. It’s a four-day celebration of Meskwaki culture and tradition where everyone is welcome.

Some parents struggle to see their children leave the home, while others see it as a new and exciting phase of their life. Empty nesters share their experiences

In the 1980s, an Iowa City art teacher wrote to Keith Haring not expecting a response. This resulted in a friendship and two visits by Haring to Horn Elementary.

A now retired school principal, Iowa's own Kittie Weston-Knauer picked up BMX racing at 40, when she was one of two women in the country racing in her age group.

Our sense of community is tied to economic opportunity, and according to CBS News, wealth inequality hit its widest gap in three decades. Not only that, discrimination and segregation have created more inequality for people of color.

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.

On this episode, we talk with Laura Wifler, a bestselling author of books for adults and children. She's hosted a popular podcast and founded Kid Lit Lab to help aspiring authors of children’s books. She writes about womanhood, motherhood, health and her Christian faith. A few years ago, she accidentally became a poet, and her latest book is a poetry collection called 'This Side of the Sky: 101 Poems and Scriptures for the Hungry, Hopeful and Homesick.' Then, a podcast created by an eighth grader in Marion is one of the middle school finalists in the 8th annual NPR Student Podcast Challenge. We talk with Kate Baker about her podcast, 'Dear Kate.' It’s a tribute to her Grandpa Ted and an effort to understand the disease — dementia — that took him from her.

On this episode, the science of menopause and the aging brain. Women are more vulnerable to strokes, yet they're historically underreported and underdiagnosed. On this episode, the science of menopause and the aging brain. First, University of Iowa neurologist Dr. Hannah Roeder shares how stroke risk in women nearly doubles in the decade after menopause, and the gender disparities of stroke cases, response and recovery. Then, we learn about a new study to examine whether the menopause transition quietly accelerates brain and blood vessel aging, potentially helping explain why women face higher risks of stroke and Alzheimer's disease. Finally, University of Iowa Comprehensive Stroke Center Head Dr. Enrique Leira joins to share how the Code Stroke system has improved recognition and response to strokes for the past 20 years across the state. (This episode was originally produced June 2, 2026.)

Over 20 years ago, Iowa State University’s creative writing program wanted to elevate its Master of Arts program to a Master of Fine Arts, but the University of Iowa was already home to one of the most acclaimed MFA programs in the country. Iowa State University created something different — an MFA program focused on creative writing and the environment. On this episode, we mark the 20th anniversary of ISU's Creative Writing and Environment MFA program with professor Debra Marquart. We discuss the literary journal that predated it, the 'Flyway Journal of Writing and the Environment,' with founding editor Steve Pett. We also hear from Zara Chowdhary, a graduate of the program and assistant professor of English at the University of Iowa, and Charissa Menefee and Claire Boyles who teach in the program. The 20th anniversary will be marked at the annual Home Voices Festival, a celebration of the publication of new books by writers with ties to the Creative Writing Program.