Welcome, reader, to the last 2020 issue of Little Village. This year, more than any other, it feels like a milestone, but I cannot imagine an appropriate way to commemorate it. Is there anything to say about this year that hasn’t already been said? Have you heard a single current events-related witticism that made you […]
Articles by Audrey Brock
Brock About Town: Sit at the kids’ table this Thanksgiving, and other survival tips

Note: The CDC and health officials in Iowa and Johnson County do not recommend in-person family gatherings this holiday season due to high rates of community spread of COVID-19. As I floated, adrift in the sea of time, I received a message in a bottle of sorts — a DM from my editor, informing me […]
Brock About Town: Trick or treat or bust

In April, when this whole pandemic situation was still relatively fresh, you could talk yourself off the ledge just by thinking, “This is OK. It’s all OK. We’re going to stay inside and wear our masks and before we know it, this whole thing will be over. By Christmas, it’ll all be a distant memory.” […]
Brock About Town: Go to your happy place

Howdy, y’all! I couldn’t be happier to be back from my, er, mini-sabbatical. OK, it was kind of a nervous breakdown. What? We’re all having them these days. Along with sourdough starters and TikToks of middle-aged white women having public meltdowns, it’s what passes for a trend now. As literally every publication, commercial and Facebook […]
Brock About Town: A guide for clueless white people

Iowa City is not making this whole “journalism” thing easy for us. It’s like every time we come out with a new issue, we have two weeks’ worth of crazy to cover. The whole “murder hornets” thing came, went and was completely forgotten while Little Village was on a print hiatus. Unless you’ve been living […]
Brock About Town: I miss people

Huh, that was weird. Where were we? I think I was advocating level-headed caution. To be clear, I still do, but it’s become a little harder for me to put into practice after three months of quarantine. I just miss people so much, you guys. Sure, my social life before this consisted primarily of sitting […]
Brock About Town: Corona Time

Editor’s Note: Since the writing of this article, the seriousness of the threat of COVID-19 in Iowa—and the world at large—has continued to escalate. There are now 29 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Iowa, which is likely to rise, and mass closings of businesses and public spaces have taken place. The CDC is recommending self-isolation […]
Brock About Town: Stage fright

Last weekend was Floodwater Comedy Festival, Iowa City’s annual celebration of all things funny and memento mori for its comedians. (“Oh my God, it’s February again. I should do one of my new routines, but I feel like I’ve barely written anything since last year. What am I doing with my life? If I don’t […]
Brock About Town: Anxiety
Brock About Town: Valentine’s Day date ideas

Oh, hello. I didn’t see you there. Don’t let the rose petals scattered all over the bed fool you, you’re not interrupting anything. He just canceled on me. Apparently, “Saturdays are for the boys.” Will you help me blow out all these candles? I think I might have misunderstood the nature of this relationship. […]
Brock About Town: Winter Storm Jacob

My dear readers, as I write this, Iowa City is buckling down for some serious snow. I went to Hy-Vee this morning, where a 50-year-old woman elbowed me in the ribs because I was blocking her access to a five-pound box of Rice-a-Roni. When I made the pathetic little scoffing noise that passes for confrontation in such a situation, she shrugged […]
Brock About Town: Resolutions

Welcome to the first Little Village of 2020! By the time you read this, I will be lying on a beach somewhere in the Caribbean, sunlight bouncing off my chalk-white thighs, blinding seagulls as they fly overhead. Yeah, yeah, I’m a traitor to my community. Before I commence guzzling Mai Tais and definitely getting through all those books in my […]