Talk of Iowa
Weekdays @ 10 a.m. on News & Studio One (FM) | Weekdays @ 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. on News (Online & AM)
Talk of Iowa is a place for Iowans to interact with and learn from each other. Together, we delve into culture, history, art and literature. We want you to come away connected to our culture and what it means to live in Iowa.
Host Charity Nebbe brings a mix of regular guests and a range of experts to the microphone to discuss what’s happening in Iowa and what makes this a special place. Every day brings something new — even if it's in a recurring segment like Talk of Iowa Book Club or comes from a familiar voice on Horticulture Day.
Talk of Iowa is produced by Caitlin Troutman, Danielle Gehr and Samantha McIntosh, and our digital producer is Natalie Dunlap. Our executive producer is Katherine Perkins. Our theme music is by The River Monks. Call into the live show on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at 866-780-9100. Email the show's hosts and producers anytime at talkofiowa@iowapublicradio.org. Or download the latest episode to listen to the conversations you missed.
Latest Episodes
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In the novel Nothing to See Here, 28-year-old Lillian Breaker is unhappily drifting through life when an old school friend asks for a big favor. Suddenly she is the caretaker of 10-year-old twins — who sometimes burst into flames. Kevin Wilson’s novel is also about friendship, class, politics, parenting and family, both found and biological. On the Talk of Iowa book club, host Charity Nebbe talks about the work with author Wilson and expert readers, Lauren Haldeman, a poet and graphic novelist, and Karen Kedrowski, professor of political science at Iowa State University. -
Gathering with extended family can be wonderful, pleasant, awkward, difficult or even toxic. Sylvia Mikucki-Enyart, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Family Communication, joins with advice about how to navigate the stress of hosting, be a gracious guest and bring new people into family traditions. But first, holiday gatherings can be a great opportunity to learn more about a family member on a deeper level. Von Diaz, senior producer at StoryCorps, shares tips for asking them questions.
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Comedian Jane Lynch, known for roles in Glee and Only Murders in the Building, has been bringing holiday spirit and her musical talents across the country for the last decade. Lynch spoke with Charity Nebbe ahead of her Iowa City performance about spreading the Christmas spirit through song. But first, we get to know Studio One host Mark Simmet, as he prepares to retire, and Iowa Public Radio's Morning Edition host Megan McKinney.
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When science journalists Sadie Dingfelder mistook a stranger for her husband at the grocery store, it was the beginning of her discovery that she literally sees and processes the world differently than most people do. She details her experience in the memoir, Do I Know You?: A Faceblind Reporter’s Journey into the Science of Sight, Memory, and Imagination. Host Charity Nebbe talks with Dingfelder about her journey of self discovery and her obsession with hidden neurodiversities. (This episode was originally produced April 28, 2025.)
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Andrew Lopez is on FX's The Bear and Apple TV's Platonic with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. He also has his own show in development with HBO. But it wasn't long ago that he was a kid growing up in Pella. 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, where the Donna Reed Foundation keeps her legacy alive.These segments were produced in September and October 2025.
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On this Horticulture Day, DNR Forester Mark Vitosh is here to give us some insight into the industry that brings so many people joy this time of year. When you buy a Christmas tree at a farm, tree lot or store, you’re buying an agricultural product. More than 35 million Christmas Trees are harvested every year in the United States, and there are approximately 200 Christmas tree growers in Iowa. Later, horticulture expert Aaron Steil joins the conversation and the two give their advice on sprucing up your Christmas tree traditions and answer gardening questions.
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The third annual Iowa Farmers of Color Conference takes place Saturday, Dec. 6. It's an opportunity for farmers of color from around the Midwest to come to together to learn from each other and build community. Sixth-generation farmer Todd Western III joins the program to preview the event. We also get to know another founder of Iowa Farmers of Color, Hannah Scates Kettler. She and her husband co-own Minerva's Meadow, an organic, no-till flower farm located near State Center. Then, we learn more about how farming has played a role in Black resiliency and activism for centuries from Felicite Wolfe of the African American Museum of Iowa. The exhibit "Rooted: Labor, Land and Legacy," shares the struggles and triumphs that Black farmers have seen in Iowa and the U.S. through present day.
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Author and baker Beth Howard moved into the American Gothic house 15 years ago, started a pie stand and became known to many as the “pie lady.” Now, she’s created a documentary that demonstrates how pie is baked into the cultural fabric of our state, called Pieowa: A Piece of America. Later in the show, naturalist Michelle Wiegand shares how Johnson County Conservation is encouraging residents to reduce their environmental footprint with a clothing swap event.
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A conversation with author Kevin Wilson about his novel Run for the Hills, recorded at the Des Moines Public Library. Wilson and Charity Nebbe talk about reading out loud, Wilson's writing process and why his book sales spike in December.
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If you’re looking for brilliant, beautiful and delicious ideas for the holiday season, influencer and best-selling author Kaleb Wyse is the man to turn to. Wyse shares his favorite seasonal traditions and recipes, plus tips to avoid overwhelm and disregard the pressure to follow the latest trends at the holidays.