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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When plants start growing and insects start buzzing, plant diseases aren't far behind. On this Horticulture Day episode, Chelsea Harbach of the Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic at Iowa State University joins to share what you can do to prevent some common diseases. Horticulture Specialist Aaron Steil and Iowa DNR forester Mark Vitosh also join to answer tree and gardening questions. -
Cartoonist Lauren Haldeman talks about her new collection, Wild That We’re Alive. Then a dance theater performance explores the emotional and physical toll of infertility and pregnancy loss.
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Lizzie Hershberger grew up in an Amish community in Minnesota. She is a survivor of sexual abuse and rape, and she left the community, eventually writing the memoir, Behind Blue Curtains: A True Crime Memoir of an Amish Woman's Survival, Escape, and Pursuit of Justice. Hershberger connected with journalist Sarah McClure, who published a year-long investigation about incest, rape, and abuse in Amish communities. Hershberger and McClure then set out on years-long journey filming the documentary Keep Quiet and Forgive, which premieres March 23rd on PBS. Also, water quality is a huge challenge for the Midwest and the Great Plains, but there is a great deal of beauty to be found in the aquatic ecosystems that surround us. ISU professor Amy Burgin joins to share of the Great Plains' water wonders and what she calls "wicked problems."
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A new documentary, Simon Estes: A Heart and A Voice tells the remarkable story of a Centerville native who shattered the color barrier for Black men in opera, and has used his acclaim and devout faith to give back as a philanthropist and humanitarian. Then and interview with Council Bluffs-based author, John T. Price, about his latest work, Goethe’s Oak: A Holocaust Story.
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When you plant a tree, the hope is that it will remain healthy and strong for decades but the recommendations for what to plant often change faster than the trees themselves, sometimes creating frustration and even controversy. On this Horticulture Day, we talk with Jeff Iles, professor of horticulture at Iowa State University, about how recommended plant and tree lists are created and why they sometimes spark debate. Later, Iowa State University Extension horticulture specialist Aaron Steil and entomologist Laura Iles join the conversation to answer listeners’ gardening questions.
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Many of the places where people gather have disappeared. In some cases, people have adapted to meet elsewhere. In others, people have become more isolated. On this epidsode, rural sociologist Dave Peters shares how gas stations have become a social hub for small towns. Library director Mary Kathryn Gepner talks about the local library enduring as a third space. Jennifer Drinkwater talks about her work uplifting third spaces in Iowa's small towns and how they inspire her art. Finally, Tiara Phillips has been bringing people in the Iowa City area together with "stuff swaps," book clubs and bingo nights through her Instagram page, Bitchin' Events.
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CultureAll is a Des Moines nonprofit that works to introduce Iowans of different cultures to each other with the goal of building community. One of the ways they do that is through their Open Book program — a community project that creates connections and builds social cohesion through story sharing. We learn about that project and new research that shows that Open Book and the act of reciprocal storytelling can cultivate empathy. Later, we talk with Drake University health sciences professor Stacy Gnacinski. When she's not teaching, Gnacinski does mental performance consulting for athletes, from local youth, to the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia, where she's a mental performance consultant. She shares about her recent trip to the Winter Olympics.
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Bison once dominated North America, with estimates between 30 and 60 million once roaming and shaping the prairies and grasslands. Westward expansion and U.S. policy greatly diminished the species, and by 1870, there were no more bison in the state of Iowa. On this episode, we learn about the keystone species with wildlife experts Jim Pease and Pete Eyheralde, and how the species became a conservation success story. We'll also learn about a herd of 70 bison at the Neil Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Iowa from visitor services manager Nancy Corona.
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A new book uncovers the story of two Vaudeville performers from an Iowa coal mining town who rose to fame on the national stage. Dan Henderson is the author and the great-nephew of the book's subjects. He shares their how their story offers a window into everyday life and entertainment in the 1920s. Plus, the Iowa City High School teacher behind the viral TikTok account @squirehaligast talks about bringing classroom humor to 1.4 million followers.
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Thinking about planting fruit this spring? While it may take some time before you can enjoy the fruits of your labor, choosing the right cultivars can make all the difference in creating a successful home harvest. On this Horticulture Day, we talk with Randall Vos, an Iowa State University Extension horticulture specialist, about how to select the best cultivars for your garden. Then, horticulturist Aaron Steil joins the conversation to answer listeners' questions.