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What Is The Legacy Of Nile Kinnick Jr.?

Talk of Iowa, hosted by Charity Nebbe

A long-time Iowa City resident and retired teacher dug deep into the history of a football icon.

From the Hawkeye's offensive line to his aspirations to go into politics, the life of Nile Kinnick, Jr. is full of intrigue. And writer Mark D. Wilson tried to relay that in his book "The Way of Nile C. Knnick, Jr."

Wilson says Kinnick was a prolific writer and kept extensive diaries. In fact, his book features a quote from Kinnick for every day of the year. The Heisman Trophy winner was even more remarkable than you might have thought, making it even more of a tragedy that he died in a naval training flight during World War II.

On this episode of Talk of Iowa, host Charity Nebbe speaks with Wilson about what he learned from his study of a man whose name so many Iowans revere.

Last, Nebbe speaks with Kimberly Stuart about her eighth novel, "Heart Land." The novel tells the story of an Iowan who left home with a dream to make it big in the New York fashion industry, but when that dream falls flat, she comes back home to rebuild her life.

This show was first broadcast on August 27, 2018.

Guests:

  • Mark D. Wilson, author of "The Way of Nile C. Kinnick, Jr: Insights, Images, and Stories of Iowa's 1939 Heisman Trophy Winner"
  • Kimberly Stuart, author of "Heart Land," "Sugar" and other fiction
Charity Nebbe is the host of IPR's Talk of Iowa
Dennis Reese was the mid-day host for Iowa Public Radio