There are many joys that come along with womanhood, but there are plenty of challenges as well. 'You Know Nothing' is a collection of very short stories from Yasmina Din Madden that focuses mostly on the challenges. The stories are insightful, funny, heartbreaking — and readers may occasionally feel like they’re looking in a mirror. Yasmina Din Madden joins us on this episode to talk about her eclectic collection. Then, in 1933, Eleanor Roosevelt published an article titled 'I want you to write to me,' a call that was answered with droves of letters from American people struggling through the Great Depression. Musicology professor Marian Wilson Kimber came across these letters, music and poetry sent to the First Lady in the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library. We speak with Wilson Kimber and UI archivist Kate Orazem about this peek into the lives of Iowans during the Great Depression.
Gavin McGough
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Iowa Public Radio
Caitlin Troutman
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Iowa Public Radio
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Jean Lloyd-Jones served in both the Iowa House and the Iowa Senate, starting in 1979. Now, at age 96, she has published a memoir called 'A Women's Place: My Life as a Public Servant.' On this episode, Lloyd-Jones shares about how her career expectations didn't extend much beyond finding a husband in the early 1950s, to then spending 60 hours a week volunteering for the Iowa League of Women Voters, realizing that she can make a difference at the Iowa Capitol and helping other women pursue careers in politics. -
Behind every great man in a powdered wig is a remarkable woman. As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we’re reading about some of the women who helped shape our country at its founding. On the 'Talk of Iowa' Book Club, host Charity Nebbe and expert readers discuss 'Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation' by Cokie Roberts. The book shares stories of the many roles women played in the Revolutionary War and the founding of the United States.
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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. 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.
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The Pentagon launched a formal review of women in ground-combat positions. On this archive episode, what lead to this review and how could it impact the United States Armed Forces? Amy Rutenberg, an ISU historian, summarizes the long arc of women's service in the U.S. Military. Then, guests offer competing perspectives on combat effectiveness and standards. (This episode was originally produced in January 2026.)
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For the last century, Roosevelt High School’s synchronized swimming team has fostered a community for women both in and out of the water. This year marks the Sharks’ 100th anniversary, making them the oldest club of their kind. -
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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The Pentagon recently launched a formal review of women in ground-combat positions. On today's episode, what lead to this review, and how could it impact the United States Armed Forces? Amy Rutenberg, an ISU historian, summarizes the long arc of women's service in the U.S. Military. Then, guests offer competing perspectives on combat effectiveness and standards.
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As survivorship increases for most cancers, the rate of uterine cancer survivorship is lower than it was in the 1970s. It's also the sixth most common cause of death among women in the United States. The preferred treatment is a hysterectomy, and young women who want to have children have to choose between becoming infertile or being at a higher risk of recurrence. On this Talk of Iowa, Charity Nebbe speaks with a survivor of endometrial cancer who was able to conceive her first child after undergoing hormonal therapy. Then, Nebbe is joined by a gynecologic oncologist, Dr. Megan McDonald, as well as researcher Kristina Thiel and a Ph.D. candidate in her lab, Katie Colling, who share their research into hormonal therapies.
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Iowa roller derby leagues are carrying on a sport rooted in community and inclusion.
