“I had a dream about this place…” —Dan, Mulholland Drive David Lynch was famously fond of Bob’s Big Boy, visiting the greasy spoon “just about every day” in the mid-’70s/early ‘80s. Classic American diners also feature heavily in his work, from Twin Peaks’ Double R to the dreamlike Winkie’s Diner in Mulholland Drive. “There’s a […]
Emma McClatchey
Posted inCommunity/News
Shiloh’s popular fireworks show played cover for an abusive cult: ‘We were conditioned for so long to be obedient and submissive’
From 1990 to 2018, thousands of southeastern Iowa families flocked to an amphitheater south of Kalona for a high-budget, wholesomely patriotic Fourth of July show. The spectators (the vast majority, at least) didn’t know it, but the fireworks bursting in the sky, the near-professional song-and-dance numbers onstage and the very land they were gathered on […]
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Peak Iowa: Caitlyn Jenner’s alma mater in Lamoni
What do Mormon pioneers and Caitlyn Jenner have in common? Besides a tendency towards backwards beliefs and manslaughter, they share a deep connection to the southwestern Iowa city of Lamoni (pop. 1,974). Though she grew up in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, Jenner was recruited to Lamoni’s Graceland University, a small, private religious school, in 1969 — […]
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Peak Iowa: Earth’s first apex predator — and a beloved UI museum exhibit — was much chonkier than we thought
For the homecoming parade in October, the student advisory board for the University of Iowa’s 160-year-old Museum of Natural History (UIMNH) made a paper mache model of a nearly 400-million-year-old fish species. Held above the heads of two people by three wooden poles, the prop was about six feet long with a flat head and […]
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Peak Iowa: The birth of the Black Triangle and the fight for Waterloo’s soul
Responding to the prospect of decent jobs in the booming railroad, manufacturing and meatpacking industries, many Black Southerners migrated north at the start of the 20th century, hoping to escape Jim Crow — only to see a Midwestern mutation of that racist system take hold. Between 1910 to 1950, Black Hawk County’s Black population grew […]
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More than 100 local nonprofits making life in Iowa more livable
There’s nothing like a presidential election to remind voters in a minor, non-swinging member of the Electoral College like Iowa how little power an individual has over broken systems. Iowans are hungry, housing insecure and live under a near-total abortion ban. High nitrate levels in our waterways, caused by reckless Big Ag practices, endanger vital […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Despite some legal setbacks, Iowa’s expanding cannabis beverage brands aren’t going anywhere
In the beer and wine section of Fareway, between the cases of Busch Light and White Claw, you can find a range of nonalcoholic beverage brands, all local. There’s Climbing Kites, a zero-calorie, zero-sugar citrusy sparkling water reminiscent of La Croix or Topo Chico (although they’ve rolled out two, more indulgent “Kitetail” Infusions: a caffeinated, […]
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Nestled in a Dubuque neighborhood, Convivium grows, cooks and shares a wealth of fresh food every week
Contributing a casserole to the potluck is basic Midwest manners. Casseroles are simple to heat, freeze, share and fill up on, not to mention a great vehicle for both healthy and tasty ingredients. Finding a neighbor at the door holding their famous tater-tot casserole can provide much-needed comfort during a time of grief or struggle. […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Comedian and character actor Josh Fadem is looking forward to a ‘free and sloppy’ show in Des Moines
If you’ve watched TV in the past decade, it’s likely you’ve seen or heard comedian Josh Fadem in action. His IMDb is a veritable who’s-who of comedy juggernauts and deep cuts — 30 Rock, Comedy Bang! Bang!, Superstore, The Powerpuff Girls, American Dad!, Twin Peaks, Better Call Saul, the 2018 TV adaptation of Heathers, the […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Page Poetry Contest winner, 2024: “Running Joke” by Ellie Medea-Kapp
Running Joke By Ellie Medea-Kapp Did you know that you’re a running joke? Yet when he grips my hands till they crack I want to run, it seems that we see you, wherever we go, we always see you, you see, I wasn’t there when you pulled that knife, but whenever I hear your name […]
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After years defying United Methodist rules as an openly queer chaplain, Iowa City’s Anna Blaedel is out of the church and proud to be a ‘spiritual misfit’
Rev. Anna Blaedel is a chaplain, public theologian, writer and a graduate of the University of Iowa’s Religious Studies program. They earned a Masters in Divinity at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California, and have been chaplaining students on the UI campus since 2014. Affiliated with the United Methodist Church (UMC) for 109 […]
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Photos: ‘Keith Haring and Iowa City’ exhibition at the Stanley features iconic paintings, local lore
It’s been a month since the exhibition “To My Friends at Horn: Keith Haring and Iowa City” debuted at the University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art, but the arrival of Pride Month and the Downtown Summer Gallery Walk are sure to bring new visitors this Friday, June 7. More than a brief escape into […]
