Spring Equinox is a time of new beginnings, indicating the end of hibernation and a return to growth. In Iowa City this year, it marked the transition of a former industrial site into a future community garden and gathering space.
M.T. Bostic
Sol Butler, Olympian and football star of the Jim Crow era, is a Dubuque icon — and the subject of a new book
One hundred years ago, Sol Butler’s name was well known throughout the sports world. A multi-sport athlete, Butler set records at the University of Dubuque, was a quarterback in the early days of the NFL, competed in track and field at the Olympics and played pitcher and shortstop in the Negro Leagues. His achievements came […]
Lifting a heavy hog led to 68 years of hiccups for one long-suffering Iowan
For 68 years, an Iowa man suffered from a condition most people shake off in minutes. Charles Osborne of Anthon, Iowa endured nonstop hiccups for nearly his entire adult life, earning the record for the longest continuous hiccup attack ever documented. His struggle lasted until shortly before his death in 1991. Osborne’s ordeal began in […]
Dubbed the ‘gadget guy’ of jazz, Herbie Hancock used tech to change music forever. He honed his skills in Grinnell
In his last performance in Iowa City, jazz great Herbie Hancock mentioned how he felt “at home in Iowa” because of his years at Grinnell College. For most artists, a nod to their alma mater might sound like simple gratitude. In Hancock’s case, it was an understatement. His time at Grinnell did not just influence […]
Album Review: Rahlan Kay — ‘An Ode 2 Hip Hop: The Boom Bap Letters’
Rahlan Kay’s An Ode 2 Hip Hop: The Boom Bap Letters plays like grown folks’ music. It’s mature, grounded and built on experience. Across the project, Kay shares wisdom and encouragement in a way that’s direct and easy to take in.
Stanley Museum debuts exhibition of work by Hayward Oubre, a trailblazing UI art student and HBCU instructor
This fall, the University of Iowa will welcome home the work of Hayward Oubre, whose career was as disciplined and deliberate as the artist that shaped it. “Hayward Oubre: Structural Integrity,” on display now through Dec. 7, brings together a collection of sculptures, paintings and prints in the first comprehensive solo exhibition of his work. […]
Review: More than 80 musicians brought their own controlled chaos to the first Burlington Jazz Festival
Like the Mississippi River, jazz flows with strength and grace, carrying stories from one generation to the next. On July 25 and 26, the inaugural Burlington Jazz Festival channeled that spirit along the river’s edge. The free two-day event turned the historic downtown into a celebration of sound. With five venues, 12 bands and more […]
Review: The Original Pinettes Brass Band bring New Orleans heat to Iowa City
In the world of New Orleans brass bands, legendary names like the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, The Hot 8 Brass Band, The Soul Rebels, and Rebirth Brass Band have long set the standard, but none stand out quite like The Original Pinettes Brass Band. Billed as the “only all female brass band in the universe,” […]

