Talk of Iowa

The Spirit Lake Conflict of 1857 is remembered at the Abbie Gardner Sharp Cabin state historic site in Arnolds Park. This history is being re-examined and reinvigorated for Iowans today. On this episode, we talk with historian Kevin Mason about the event which came amid rising tensions between Dakota tribe members and new settlers. State Archaeologist John Doershuk joins to share about his Lakeside Laboratory class that just finished its years-long excavation at the state historic site, and what was discovered about generations of use at the land. Mason and Doershuk have also been players in the Iowa Department of Natural Resources' efforts to make the Inkpaduta Canoe Trail a state waterway. This has been a life-altering project for John Wenck of the Iowa DNR, who has been working with Inkpaduta's descendants and local tribes to establish this state waterway, including Cody Seaboy, who shares his perspective.

Warm season crops like tomatoes and green beans need consistent warmth to thrive, and it may seem like they love the heat, but when it gets too hot some of our favorite vegetables go on strike. On this Horticulture Day episode, we talk with entomologist Laura Iles about how heat affects pollination and pollinators. Then, Iowa State University Extension Horticulture Specialist Aaron Steil joins the conversation to answer listener questions.

On this episode, it's summer school! We talk about the summer slide with University of Iowa expert Leah Zimmermann. The University of Iowa launched a literacy hub to help caregivers develop literacy skills whether at home or on the move. We also hear from Kathleen Locher, an elementary teacher librarian in Iowa City. She shares how a book that hadn’t been checked out in a decade has had a profound impact on her students. We hear poems read by rising fourth-grade Poetry Invaders Lina Ahmed, Sadie Linder, Kate Fina and Etta Schons. Then, Iowa State’s University Museums announced its new director, David Schmitz. We talk with him about how he found a passion for supporting other artists and plans for the future at University Museums.

Elizabeth Wehrle of Montezuma went into the hospital in February and this week she gets to go home. In March, she received a first-of-its-kind lifesaving surgery, a quadruple organ transplant. On this episode, we talk with Wehrle and Dr. Ankit Bharat of Northwestern Medicine, the lead surgeon for this groundbreaking procedure. We hear about the health issues that led to these transplants, what this surgical advancement means and what goes into the decision to perform a surgery that hasn’t been done before. Then, we talk with Suzanna de Baca, Iowa author of 'You Were Never Lost: Poems From The Tallgrass Prairie.' De Baca didn’t expect to write about grief, but when back at the place where she spent her childhood with a friend who died, poetry and nature helped her cope.

The Granny Basketball League is growing fast, and this year's national tournament is in Ankeny. We hear from the Cedar Rapids Sizzlers, the Iowa Gold Stars and league founder Barb Tomlinson Trammel. We learn all about the sport, the league and how it connects with a rich history of women’s basketball in Iowa. Then, the freedom to wear trousers was one that women had to fight for and one of the earliest styles of pants that began to give women the freedom to move without restriction were called bloomers. Amelia Bloomer, women’s rights pioneer and reluctant fashion icon who lived in Iowa, inspired the name.

The Iowa Water and Land Legacy (IWiLL) Constitutional Amendment passed in 2010 with 63% of the vote. It was designed to fund a Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation trust fund, but 16 years later, the trust has never been funded. A new effort to fund the trust is underway. On this episode, we hear from Adam Shirley, CEO of Iowa’s County Conservation System, Anna Gray of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, and Lindsay Brice of Audubon Upper Mississippi River. We talk about the strain of stagnant or dwindling funding on county conservation boards and what IWiLL could mean for those programs. Then, we listen back to a conversation about some of the oldest book clubs in Iowa from their members. (Part of this show was originally produced March 31, 2026.)

Thanks to storms and severe weather, tree limbs are down while tree stress is up. But there are ways to help the timber in your area and to keep damage from happening. On this Horticulture Day episode, Caitlin Troutman sits in for Charity Nebbe. We talk with Iowa State University professor of horticulture Jeff Iles about helping trees with storm damage, as well as preventative measures to consider before the next round of severe weather. Then, Iowa State University Extension Horticulturist Aaron Steil joins us to answer listener questions.

In a new University of Northern Iowa course, a pottery lesson from a local artist is a chance for intergenerational connection. Jim Kerns has been joining the class, Understanding Aging Through a Creative Lens, to not only share his artistic skills, but also to show the benefits of creative pursuits as we age. Kerns joins the show, along with Melinda Heinz, a gerontologist who started the class, and one of her students, Randy Williams. Later in the hour, we learn about Iowa's first men's shed, a space for men in the area to create and connect. (This show was originally produced November 6, 2025.)

As Carl Weems conducted research in New Orleans, he documented children's recollections of Hurricane Katrina. When Hurricane Gustav hit, Weems found that those with another negative experience maintained their recollection of trauma during Hurricane Katrina. Those with a more positive experience during Gustav remembered Katrina more positively than before. This is part of the foundation of Weems' new developmental theory that reshapes how experts understand the fluidity of memories and the impact of trauma. Weems joins the program to talk about his theory and the broader impact of traumatic and adverse childhood experiences, or TrACEs. Dr. Padget Skogman, a pediatrician, also joins the hour to share the long-term health impacts of TrACEs. (This show was originally produced November 18, 2025.)

The Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake is a rock and roll landmark and one of the few historic ballrooms still operating today. Its legacy is closely tied to 'The Day the Music Died,' when Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. 'The Big Bopper' Richardson performed their final show at the Surf on Feb. 2, 1959, before their fatal plane crash in a field north of Clear Lake the following morning. Often described as a living museum, the Surf has recently expanded with the opening of their Music Experience Center next door, which has artifacts of the three late stars, along with other artists that have performed at the Surf, since it first opened in 1933. In this episode, we tour the Surf Ballroom and the Music Experience Center which includes their immersive 'Not Fade Away' exhibit and Surf Music Academy. We also visit the crash site with Jeff Nicholas, whose family owns and maintains the crash site, which has become a tourist attraction for music lovers around the world. (This show was originally produced February 2, 2026.)

On this episode of Talk of Iowa, we talk with Dan Roche, author of Eyes By Hand: The Prosthetics of Art and Healing, a book on how prosthetic eyes are crafted and how ocularists provide care for those that have experienced eye loss. We hear about his experience losing an eye, how he became interested in researching prosthetic eyes and what he’s learned. We also talk with Lindsay Wagner-Pronk, one of just a few ocularists in Iowa, who is featured in the book. (This show was originally produced August 18, 2025.)

Peter Simons, author of 'Global Heartland: Cultivating the American Century on the Midwestern Farm,' shares an in-depth look at the role farmers throughout the Midwest played in America’s rise to power post-WWII. Then Adam Janke, Iowa State University wildlife extension specialist, joins the program. Janke's new series of articles shares low-cost, accessible tips for landowners and homeowners to sustain wildlife. (This show was originally produced August 11, 2025.)

Nicole Terrizzi joins the show to discuss her memoir, 'Learning in Free Fall: A Testimony of Mental Health, Poverty and Race in American Education.' Her book focuses on the crisis in America's education system. Every day school children feel the impacts of increasing budget cuts, teacher shortages and threats to the accessibility of a quality education. Terrizzi shares her path to teaching from growing up in rural Iowa, and asks what happens when those leading our classrooms are in crisis themselves? (This show was originally produced August 6, 2025.)

Dave Good was a District Court Judge living in Cedar Rapids. In 2003, at the age of 56, he was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. His wife Kathy became his caregiver while continuing to work full time. On this episode, Kathy Good, who now guides other caregivers as the Senior Director of the Chris and Suzy DeWolf Family Innovation Center for Aging and Dementia of Mercy, shares her story. Then Good and Michael Wagler, Iowa State Director for the AARP, will talk about the resources those who care for loved ones with dementia. (This show was originally produced July 24, 2025.)

We choose our spouses or life partners, but the in-laws they come with are part of the package. They come with a long history, a family culture and expectations for the future. On this archive episode, host Charity Nebbe is joined by Sylvia Mikucki-Enyart, who studies in-law relationships, to discuss why these relationships can be fraught and how family structures and sexism can warp our view of these relationships. Listeners join the conversation to share their own experiences with in-laws. (This show was originally produced May 20, 2025.)

Native plants improve biodiversity and help local wildlife thrive. On this Horticulture Day episode of Talk of Iowa, host Dani Gehr sits in for Charity Nebbe. She talks with Iowa State extension horticulture specialist Ray Kruse about what natives have succeeded in his garden, and what plants he's needed to pull. Then, Iowa State University extension horticulture specialist Aaron Steil joins us to answer listener questions.

Danish artist Thomas Dambo has built giant troll sculptures all over the world. He makes them entirely out of reclaimed materials and hides them in natural spaces. Iowa is now home to four trolls, as part of Dambo's 'Trolls of America' dream to have at least one troll in all 50 states. On this archive episode, we talk with Dambo about he came to be a world-famous trash artist and hear from the Clinton residents, who convinced Dambo's team to install wooden trolls. (This show was originally produced April 28, 2026.)

Mrs. Meyer of Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day cleaning products is a real woman who lives right here in Iowa. Today, we hear from Thelma Meyer and her daughter Monica Nassif, founder of Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day and author of 'I Bottled My Mother.' Then, we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Beaverdale Bluegrass Festival.

Five young journalists spent a week learning about radio, exploring moments of truth and creating multimedia stories. On this episode, we meet the journalists who participated in the NextGen Journalism Project, a program that helps coach and train public media’s next generation, and hear their work.

The Des Moines Gay Men's Chorus sings music with a message. On this episode of Talk of Iowa, we hear from two members as the chorus turns 25 years old. Then, we hear from the founder of 'The Healing Obituary.' She teaches how to write obituaries and makes the case for why they should be done by humans.

Addressing the challenges that are showing up in our trees and perennials this summer.

Shakespeare is everywhere in Iowa this summer! On this episode we talk to the creatives behind the inaugural Northern Iowa Shakespeare Festival in Cedar Falls, which is holding its final performances of 'As You Like It' this weekend. Then, we feature two established Shakespeare events in the state - Riverside Theatre's Free Shakespeare in Lower City Park which is performing 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' this June in Iowa City, and Shakespeare on the Lawn, which is co-produced by Iowa Stage Theatre Company and Salisbury House and Gardens in Des Moines. They're producing 'Measure for Measure' this July. Later in the episode, Amanda Thomas-Murphy of Iowa Pride Ensembles joins to talk about their busy Pride Month with marching band performances around central Iowa, as well as their jazz and concert bands.

A summer road trip is a ticket to adventure, and experienced road trippers know to expect the unexpected. On this episode, we’re hitting the road — we’ll hear stories about two of Iowa’s most over the top road trips, RAGBRAI and Relay Iowa, a cross-country journey with a few twists and a happily-ever-after, and much more.

Mark Twain said the Missouri River is too thick to drink and too thin to plow. The Big Muddy doesn’t get the kind of attention the Mighty Mississippi does, but it’s the longest river in North America and pivotal in the history of our nation. When it was time for Lisa Dill’s family to replace the old pontoon boat on Lake Okoboji, her cousins suggested taking it on a journey down the Missouri and giving it away at the end. Dill jumped on board. She wrote about the experience and the river in 'Around the Bend: Floating Down the Missouri River.' Then, school's out for summer, but that doesn't mean we can't still learn. In the first installment of 'Talk of Iowa Summer School,' middle school science teacher Mark Dorhout shares how birdhouses can be a tool to encourage the next generation of citizen scientists.

A pediatrician who works with a range of patients with autism helps us understand autism spectrum disorder, why diagnosis is more common today and what we know about possible causes on this award-winning episode. Then, Iowans in the autism community share their thoughts and experiences. (This episode was originally produced in October 2025.)

There are a lot of different things that can derail a fruit crop, even after your blossoms have survived the last frost. It was a tough spring for many fruit crops, but if you are lucky enough to have some fruit on your tree, there are a few things you can do to help them thrive. On this Horticulture Day episode, we hear from Iowa State University Extension Horticulture Specialists Randal Vos and Aaron Steil. We find out what we should be doing when it comes to summer fruit management and answer listener questions.

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.

Frederick Newell came to Iowa City 20 years ago as a college freshman and single father, who recognized a need for support for young parents and underrepresented Iowans. As social worker, in 2012 Newell founded Dream City, a nonprofit that supports youth, families and entrepreneurs in Iowa City. Later in the program, we hear from documentary filmmaker and Muscatine native Chris Ward about his new film, 'The Journeying.'

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.

Clematis plants make a beautiful addition to any yard. Iowa State Horticulturists Cindy Haynes and Aaron Steil share tips for growing and caring for your clematis.

Best-selling author Tim Johnston was a master of the thriller. He passed away in May. To mark his passing, we’re revisiting a conversation from 2025 with Johnston and author Anna Bruno. We talk about their books 'Distant Sons' and 'Fine Young People' and the art of writing suspense. Then, the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County reopened the Rails West Museum after a year and a half of renovations, where people can explore a historic train depot and train cars. We’ll talk to the museum’s site manager as well as the site manager of the Squirrel Cage Jail. (This show was originally produced July 21, 2025.)

At its peak in the late 1950s, there were over 4,000 drive-in movie theaters in the U.S., with nearly 70 in Iowa. Today, there are four drive-in theaters operating in the state. On this episode, we hear from operators of three of the remaining theaters. Then, we talk with Iowa's new poet laureate, Paul Brooke.

Liz Ledgett, Des Moines gallery owner and author of 'Art is for Everyone,' shares how to curate an art collection on a budget. Then, we hear from Chris Nelson, the founder of Nelson Media Company, who is working to turn around several small-town newspapers.

E-bikes have made cycling more accessible and expanded the ability to replace car trips with a bike ride. However, electric motors have complicated bike trails and have people worried about safety. Today, we go on an e-commute with IPR's Meghan Polk and her young kids. The Iowa Bicycle Coalition's Matt Burkey shares why he has embraced e-bikes and how most problems on the trail are due to e-motos. Ankeny Police Sgt. Trevor McGraw shares how they are trying to improve trail safety. Lake Shore Cyclery & Fitness owner Riley Godfredson joins to talk about booming e-bike sales and how to choose the right bike. Finally, Iowa Waste Reduction Center director Joe Bolick talks about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries, how to safely dispose of them and reduce e-waste.

When you flip through the pages of your favorite garden catalog, your eye might be caught by any number of new varieties of your favorite plants. All of the new plants at your garden center or in that garden catalog have to be tried and tested before they make it to market. Horticulturist Jessie Liebenguth of Reiman Gardens joins the show to talk about how new plant varieties are tested, and we'll find out about some of her favorites. Then, Aaron Steil joins the program to answer your gardening questions.

Looking for a deep dive into current affairs, a captivating memoir or an opportunity to get lost in a novel? We’ve got you covered. Booksellers Jan Weismiller, Tim Budd and Linzi Murray share the best new fiction and nonfiction books to add to your TBR this summer.

Summer is here and it’s a great time to share a book with a child or find some books that will light up the imaginations of the kids you love. Host Charity Nebbe is joined by expert readers to talk about the best new titles in children's and young adult literature, from 'Little Women' reimagined as a mystery thriller to a fish-boy undercover at an elementary school.

Author Paige Lewis discusses their debut novel, 'Canon.' With echoes of the Odyssey and other historic epics, the novel's heroes go on is full of quests, battles — and a trip to the mall. Then, the Quire of Eastern Iowa is an LGBTQIA+ community choir. Their upcoming performance, 'Sincerely Yours, Pauli Murray,' is a tribute to civil rights activist Pauli Murray. Nebbe speaks with Quire members Sydney Houlton and Elena Cressy.

Danish artist Thomas Dambo has built giant troll sculptures all over the world. He makes them entirely out of reclaimed materials and hides them in natural spaces. Iowa is now home to four trolls, as part of Dambo's 'Trolls of America' dream to have at least one troll in all 50 states. On this episode we talk with Thomas about he came to be a world-famous trash artist. Then, we hear from the Clinton, Iowa residents who convinced Dambo's team to install wooden trolls in what was once considered the lumber capital of the world, as well as from some of the volunteers and builders who helped construct the trolls named Helmut, Marvin and Warren around the city. (This show was originally produced April 28, 2026)

The oak is the state tree of Iowa and an important part of native Iowa ecosystems, but Iowa’s oak woodlands are disappearing at an alarming rate. On this Horticulture Day, Charity Nebbe talks with DNR District Forester Mark Vitosh about why oak woodlands are at risk and what we can do about it. Then, Iowa State University Horticulture Specialist Aaron Steil joins to help answer your questions about plants and trees.

There are many Indigenous people in this country working on food sovereignty. The best known member of this movement is Chef Sean Sherman, founder and CEO of The Sioux Chef, which specializes in pre-colonization cuisine. Host Charity Nebbe talks with Sherman about his latest co-authored book, 'Turtle Island: Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America,' and he will be speaking at the inaugural Iowa Culinary Conference on June 22 in Coralville. Also, the 50th Loess Hills Prairie Seminar takes place May 29-31, hosted by Monona County Conservation. This free event started in 1977 as a modest, back to nature event for local educators, and has now expanded to include dozens of activities for conservationists, families and beyond.

The Lincoln and Jefferson highways were two of the nation's earliest transcontinental roads. These two highways intersected in Colo, Iowa, where a farmer named Charlie Reed had the idea to sell gas to motorists in 1923. He also let travelers pitch tents overnight on his property. On this episode, we learn about the history of the Reed-Niland Corner, with a former Reed Station employee, Scott Berka, who was also instrumental in the site's restoration project of the late 1990s to early 2000s. Then we learn about a new nonprofit, Reed-Niland Corner, Inc. that recently bought the site from the City of Colo to keep the history alive into the future. Later, we head east down the Lincoln Highway to Lisbon, where the McElmeel family has formed their own nonprofit to restore the Meyers Farmstead Historic District and open it to the public as Pleasant Grove Heritage Park.

In 2008, 47% of Iowa’s college students planned to stay in the state after graduation. That dropped to 41% in 2024. That’s a big concern in a state where many businesses are already seeing a worker shortage. We talk about the factors that seem to be driving brain drain and how to combat it. (This episode was originally produced July 30, 2025.)

For her entire adulthood, Melissa Febos went from one relationship to another, shaping her life around each new partner’s needs and desires. At the age of 35, she decided she needed a break. Host Charity Nebbe talks with Febos about her book, 'The Dry Season: A Memoir of Pleasure in a Year without Sex.' Her book examines the solitude, freedoms and feminist heroes she discovered during a year of celibacy and a new understanding of relationships and self-knowledge. Then, a conversation about Iowa's native Muppet, Miss Piggy, as part of our 'Iowa Famous' series. (This episode was originally produced July 1, 2025.)

Fire blight can spread fast through orchards and backyard fruit trees, leaving growers scrambling to protect their crops. On this Horticulture Day episode, we talk with Iowa State University assistant professor and fruit tree specialist Suzanne Slack about how fire blight develops, what warning signs to look for and the impact it can have on fruit trees across Iowa. Later, Aaron Steil, Iowa State University Extension horticulture specialist, joins the conversation to share more gardening insight and answer listener questions.

Iowa alum and author Tayari Jones set out to write a very different story for her much-anticipated novel 'Kin' following the widely acclaimed 'An American Marriage.' She joins the show to shares how she was derailed when these characters came to her. Then, the new National Youth Poet Laureate is Cedar Falls senior Daniel Daniel Umemezie. He joins the show with Rachel Morgan, the editor of the 'North American Review' who helped started the Cedar Valley Youth Poet Laureate program.

In his book 'Freedom Season: How 1963 Transformed America’s Civil Rights,' Peniel Joseph writes how 1963 was a landmark year for the Civil Rights Movement. Now, Joseph says, the United States is experiencing rollbacks of civil rights and racial justice ideals that the turmoil and violence of 1963 ushered in. Host Charity Nebbe speaks with Joseph about his book, and how the events of 1963 help us better understand contemporary political polarization and racial and cultural divisions. Joseph explains struggles for racial justice in 1963 reverberated worldwide, at times strengthening and damaging America’s global reputation in a manner that echoes the present. (This episode was originally produced June 17, 2025.)

Neil Hamilton wants Iowans to listen to the land, and throughout his career as director of Drake University’s Agricultural Law Center, he advocated for the land and sustainable agricultural practices. He has dedicated his retirement years to the same mission. Hamilton joins the program to talk about his third book in a series on our environment, 'Through Nature’s Lens: Do We Really Love Our Land and Water.' Then, the early months and years of motherhood are filled with contradictions; it's a time of wonder and discovery, but also drudgery. Emily Bright captures that time in her poetry collection, 'Fierce Delight: Poems of Early Motherhood.' (A portion of this episode was originally produced on May 7, 2025.)

Mother’s Day looks different for everyone, and for some, the holiday can bring difficult emotions and relationship challenges. We discuss how to navigate complicated family dynamics with University of Iowa communication expert Sylvia Mikucki-Enyart and hear from Erin Wissler Gerdes about her University of Iowa Three Minute Thesis research. Plus, we meet Monica Holt, the new president and CEO of Des Moines Performing Arts. Holt was previously at The Kennedy Center, but left following President Donald Trump's firing of Kennedy Center leadership and replacement of board members.

We are living in a time of deep division, and this week we have been looking at the forces driving us apart. But people in communities across the country are working to combat this division, and today, we meet some of Iowa's community builders using the tools at their disposal — from giant trolls to the local bar. We meet Gabi Torres and Ari Lewerenz of Clinton, Jessica Bolton of Cedar Rapids, Maggie Reyes of Storm Lake, Byron of Pomeroy and Leslie Jackson and Caroline Peterson of Des Moines.