John Cameron Mitchell reflects on 25 years of ‘Hedwig’ — ‘a story of trauma, abuse and the government deciding what you are’
For John Cameron Mitchell, the writer, director and star of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, punk rock has to be in the moment. Currently on tour for the film’s 25th anniversary, Mitchell will stop in Iowa City on Sept. 23 and 24 for a musical performance as part of Hancher’s Infinite Dream Festival, as well as a film…
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Letters to the Editor
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Letter to the editor: Let’s have a conversation about the jail beyond Yes and No
By Finch Vandyk, Iowa City A handful of Tuesdays from now, Johnson County will vote on a deceptively direct bond measure. “Should we build the $124,000,000 new jail proposed by…
Letter to the editor: Vote Yes on the jail referendum
By Paul Deaton, Solon I visited the current Johnson County Jail soon after it opened in 1981. I remember saying to myself, “My God! They made it too small!” The…
Letter to the editor: Support the Jefferson Street Historic District at tonight’s Iowa City Council meeting
By David Woodruff, Iowa City; President, Friends of Historic Preservation Right now on the Northside of Iowa City, two houses in the heart of the Jefferson Street Historic District are…
Letter to the editor: Why you should watch Bergman films
By Jim Walters, Iowa City Today, leaving New Pioneer, I saw a young man with “Ingmar Bergman” emblazoned on a T-shirt. Backing up, I said, OK, what’s your favorite Bergman…
Local Album Reviews
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Album Review: Cedar County Cobras — ‘Sinners & Saints’
Sinners & Saints by Cedar County Cobras There’s a moment in Cedar County Cobras’ “Bessie Smith’s Last Ride” when nearly a century of American history collapses into a few verses.…
Album Review: DEĀ EX MACHINĀ — ‘APO/THECARY’
APO/THECARY by DEĀ EX MACHINĀ Nothing is more frustrating than a tired cliché, especially one that happens to be true. Take “the only constant is change,” which is made anew…
Album Review: Landyn Zane — ‘Coming Attractions’
In 1973, both David Bowie and Elton John debuted iconic looks along with new albums: Bowie the lightning-bolt face paint of the glam rock singer’s Aladdin Sane and John the…
Album Review: Phantom Threat — ‘Phantasmagoria’
In the five and a half decades since metal began to find its footing as an established genre, metal bands have gone to increasingly great lengths to answer the question:…
Book Reviews
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Fully Booked at DMPL: Reads for the kid in all of us
If you’re like me, you know that growing up means stretching regularly to avoid cramps and sleeping well to have energy for the whole day. What it doesn’t necessarily mean…
Review: ‘There Is No Place For Us’ by Brian Goldstone — guest speaker at Drake — lays bare the structural violence behind homelessness
For many, the cost of housing is rising faster than income, as are the costs of other necessities. It’s no surprise then that homelessness is rising both in Iowa and…
Book Review: ‘Before the Mango Ripens’ by Afabwaje Kurian
Before the Mango Ripens by Afabwaje Kurian is an aching and scathing reflection on colonialism, gender politics and the influence of Christianity’s spread amongst non-European cultures. Kurian, who received her…
Book Review: ‘Carousel’ by Sarah Minor
The concepts of time, memory and perspective are elusive and finicky. In Sarah Minor’s Carousel (Yale University Press), our speaker attempts to guide us through all manner of experiences that…
Food & Drink
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It takes guts to cook menudo, Mexico’s satisfying ‘soup of the poor’
On a recent Sunday morning visit to my parents in West Liberty, my mother, an immigrant from northern Mexico, asked me if I wanted some menudo. I was confused at…
Review: Open Sesame is a dreamy Mediterranean cafe with a rich history in Des Moines
You don’t know unless you try it. It’s cliché, sure, but it’s also the entire premise of Open Sesame, a Lebanese restaurant in Des Moines’ East Village that’s spent nearly…
Pammel Grocery and Deli is a go-to spot for lunch and international ingredients in Ames
Ahmad Manci doesn’t believe in self-promotion or “propaganda,” as he calls it. So for almost 40 years, international students and Ames locals alike have found their way to Manci’s Pammel…
Istanbul Grill Cafe & Bakery brings one of the world’s oldest cuisines to Urbandale
Michelle Kaya was reluctant to leave her Michigan home, where she had family, friends and a teaching career. But her husband Ahmet’s job in executive management necessitated a move to…
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Dear Kiki
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Submit Your Question
Submit your question to Kiki, LV’s sex advice columnist. Questions may be edited for clarity and length, and may appear either in print or online.
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