There’s a change in the air, and I don’t mean the weather. When Hope Edelman returns to Iowa City — the place she calls her second home — a new kind of thoughtfulness pervades the writing scene. Edelman, a UI Nonfiction Writing Program alum and author of the best-selling Motherless Daughters series (not to mention […]
Articles by Gemma de Choisy
Ongoing: Judge George Green honored in exhibit at CRPL

As Long as the City Stands: Honoring Judge George Greene Cedar Rapids Public Library — Open until August, 2016 “His name is associated with a soon-to-be reopened public space in downtown Cedar Rapids,” reads a page on the History Center’s website, but, “the story of Judge George Greene—for whom Greene Square is named—isn’t necessarily familiar […]
‘Deez Nuts’: A GOP debate cocktail

Here we go again. Tonight, courtesy of Fox Business Network and the Wall Street Journal, America’s favorite reality TV stars will stand behind podiums and shout between commercial breaks for several hours. Is it a strange new Jeopardy! theme week wherein contestants are rewarded for incorrect answers? No. Airing live from Milwaukee at 8 p.m. […]
Interview: PHOX’s Monica Martin on race, voice and the perfect album

PHOX The Mill — Friday, Nov. 6, at 11 p.m. Fresh off the summer festival circuit and after almost two years of touring, Madison-based indie folk band PHOX is taking a break from writing their second album to play the Witching Hour festival’s inaugural run. Last week, I called Monica Martin to talk about recording, […]
Interview: Vanessa Carlton on ‘Liberman,’ favorite tracks and fans
Yas Queen: Laverne Cox to Speak at the IMU in 2016

On the (fabulous, stiletto) heels of reports that she will play Dr. Frank-N-Furter in a Rocky Horror television remake, actress and transgender advocate Laverne Cox has been named a lecturer in the University of Iowa’s Just Living themed semester series. Cox recently received an Emmy nomination (Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series) for her […]
Duck, dip, dive and dodge to fundraise for the Special Olympics

Dodgeball! (A Special Olympics fundraiser) Grant Wood Elementary — Sunday, Nov. 8 at 10 a.m. Update: Organizers have extended the registration deadline to Friday, Oct. 30. Iowa City dodgeball enthusiasts can dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge for a great cause on Sunday Nov. 8 at a Special Olympics fundraiser tournament. All proceeds from the […]
Mary Louise Parker to perform debut book with IC actor Tim Budd

Mary Louise Parker The Englert Theatre — Sunday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. Prairie Lights Bookstore will bring actress Mary Louise Parker (Weeds, Fried Green Tomatoes) to the Englert Theatre to read from her first book, Dear Mr. You on Nov. 15. Dear Mr. You is a semi-fictional collection of letters to men — real […]
J. Bruce Harreld pens letter to UI community: ‘Why I came to Iowa”

“Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the chance to talk with individual faculty, students, staff, and others about what drew me to the University of Iowa,” writes J. Bruce Harreld in “Why I came to Iowa,” an essay published by the UI this afternoon. “I’d like to take this opportunity to start a broader […]
Katy Perry to rally for Hillary Clinton in Des Moines

Who: Katy Perry, California Gurl What: You’re gonna hear her roar … at a rally for Hillary Clinton. When: Saturday, October 24 (exact time TBA), before the Iowa Democratic Party’s annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner Where: Downtown Des Moines (exact location TBA) Why: Because Madeline Albright is busy. Because somehow, maybe, feminism? Because you gotta reach millennials […]
North Liberty City Council says ‘Yes’ to minimum wage hike

Though some city council members questioned the ordinance’s legality, North Liberty became the latest Johnson County township to accommodate next month’s county-wide minimum wage increase at a meeting held Thursday evening. “Is raising the minimum wage a good idea? Yeah, that’s obvious, I think,” Council Member Brian Wayson told The Gazette. “My concern is the […]