This is a scrappy story of young folks bum-rushing the airwaves through sheer force of will. With humble origins that can be traced back to a University of Iowa dormitory […]
Iowa City history
In memoriam: Chris Wiersema, curator of the weird and wonderful
An obituary by Andre Perry Christopher (Chris) Wiersema of Iowa City died on Wednesday, March 13, unexpectedly, but peacefully in his sleep. A public memorial will take place on Sunday, […]
Is this building a landmark? Iowa City Council will discuss status of Pagliai’s Pizza home at Tuesday hearing
There will be a public hearing during the Iowa City Council’s formal meeting on Tuesday about whether to designate the 19th century building and longtime home of Pagliai’s Pizza as […]
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence have entertained, aided and provoked for 45 years. Their habits began in Iowa.
In 2014, while the marriage equality movement worked to prove just how normal and nuclear LGBTQ families could be, Des Moines-born musician Perfume Genius released “Queen,” its lyrics glamorizing age-old […]
Sue Gilbert — Saint Suzie to queer nuns everywhere — recalls all the drag, drama and action of Iowa City’s gay scene in the ’70s
It’s time for Sue Gilbert to come clean. At least, that’s what she told me in an email leading up to this interview. Gilbert played a supporting role in the […]
Book Review: ‘Black Punk Now’ edited by James Spooner and Chris L. Terry
I’m a sucker for an anthology. Short work requires a certain balance of delicacy and force that long-form writing can work around, and the curation process of selecting, collecting and […]
Marybeth Slonneger is getting ready to spotlight a new slice of Iowa City history in 2024
If you live in Iowa City long enough, you’re bound to discover the work of local historian and preservationist Marybeth Slonneger. A native of Chicago who came to the University […]
The brief time when Iowa City was in the Guitar Hero business
For a brief time in the ’00s, Guitar Hero was the king of party games. And for an even briefer time, some entries in the bestselling series were developed in […]
Keith Haring left his mark on Iowa City. Thirty-five years later, it will go on public display for the first time.
From kindergarten through sixth grade, I spent countless hours staring at a wall in the Horn Elementary School library, daydreaming while an adult read a book to the class. Far […]
LV Recommends: Harry’s Bar & Grill is an old-school diner with distinctly Iowa City DNA
Like its seasonal student population, Iowa City is constantly in a state of change. Brand-new downtown diner Harry’s Bar & Grill (116 E Washington St) is offering a chance to […]
‘They’re devastated. I’m shocked’: Iowa River Power Restaurant is closing
Iowa River Power Restaurant is closing its doors in November. And while it’s possible the restaurant may reopen after the owner of its building finishes a major renovation project of […]
Fossil Gorge, uncovered 30 years ago, preserves a 375 million-year-old ocean floor in eastern Iowa
Sixty-five million years? Please. You want to see something old, head to the Coralville Dam. It’s not the dam that’s old, though it has survived almost seven decades and two […]